How old was Adam?

[runecrow]

I posed this question in the "fundamental question" thread, but it seemed to be a digression so I thought I would go ahead an give him his own thread.

This question isn't really problematic for "Gen 1:1-2 gap-OECs"; but rather, it seems to me problematic for "day-age OECs". I am going to use the term "God days" to describe a "yom" that is intepreted as something very long in duration. It isn't meant to be anything but descriptive of an idea.

Now, Genesis 5:3 states that Adam had been alive for 130 years when Seth was born. The question obviously arises, shouldn't Adam have been, say, a few hundred million years old by this point? I know that one God day (the seventh) had passed since the creation of Adam (perhaps even two, if we count the God day that Adam was created upon (sixth)).

So, how is it that Adam was only alive 130 years after one (perhaps even two) complete God days had passed?

[oxmixmudd]

I posed this question in the "fundamental question" thread, but it seemed to be a digression so I thought I would go ahead an give him his own thread.

This question isn't really problematic for "Gen 1:1-2 gap-OECs"; but rather, it seems to me problematic for "day-age OECs". I am going to use the term "God days" to describe a "yom" that is intepreted as something very long in duration. It isn't meant to be anything but descriptive of an idea.

Now, Genesis 5:3 states that Adam had been alive for 130 years when Seth was born. The question obviously arises, shouldn't Adam have been, say, a few hundred million years old by this point? I know that one God day (the seventh) had passed since the creation of Adam (perhaps even two, if we count the God day that Adam was created upon (sixth)).

So, how is it that Adam was only alive 130 years after one (perhaps even two) complete God days had passed?

I think you are nit picking - Once day becomes period of time, there is no fixed temporal value it needs to be. That is why I prefer the reference fundamental unit of life or work. a period of rest and work, It doesn't have to have a fixed value like 4.337x106 seconds (totally arbitrary number) Although there are different ways of looking at the 'days', I really don't think they need to be more specific than six + one divisions of labor and rest. They don't even 'need' to be contiguous.


Jim

[Assyrian]

I posed this question in the "fundamental question" thread, but it seemed to be a digression so I thought I would go ahead an give him his own thread.

This question isn't really problematic for "Gen 1:1-2 gap-OECs"; but rather, it seems to me problematic for "day-age OECs". I am going to use the term "God days" to describe a "yom" that is intepreted as something very long in duration. It isn't meant to be anything but descriptive of an idea.

Now, Genesis 5:3 states that Adam had been alive for 130 years when Seth was born. The question obviously arises, shouldn't Adam have been, say, a few hundred million years old by this point? I know that one God day (the seventh) had passed since the creation of Adam (perhaps even two, if we count the God day that Adam was created upon (sixth)).

So, how is it that Adam was only alive 130 years after one (perhaps even two) complete God days had passed?
Gen 49:9 Judah is a lion's cub; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He stooped down; he crouched as a lion and as a lioness; who dares rouse him?
Was Judah really a lion? No it's a metaphor. But by your logic, when Daniel was thrown into the lion's den, was he really thrown into a den of Judahs?

David said Psalm 23:1 The Lord is my shepherd. Does that mean there weren't real shepherds at the nativity? Is that casting doubt of the birth of our Lord?

Just because a word can be used metaphorically doesn't mean it has to be used figuratively every time.

How old was Adam? Well according to my bible he lived 120 years. Gen 6:3 Then the LORD said, "My Spirit shall not abide in Adam forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years."

Figure that one out.

Assyrian

[runecrow]

I think you are nit picking - Once day becomes period of time, there is no fixed temporal value it needs to be. That is why I prefer the reference fundamental unit of life or work. a period of rest and work, It doesn't have to have a fixed value like 4.337x106 seconds (totally arbitrary number) Although there are different ways of looking at the 'days', I really don't think they need to be more specific than six + one divisions of labor and rest. They don't even 'need' to be contiguous.

I'm not sure it's nitpicking. I'm wanting to extrapolate likelihoods from given information. I understand what you say about unfixed durations. But, still, since I know that only 130 years could have passed since the sixth day; that would at least mean that the total time accumulated on days six and seven can't be greater than 130 years. Agree? Or no?


Gen 49:9 Judah is a lion's cub; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He stooped down; he crouched as a lion and as a lioness; who dares rouse him?
Was Judah really a lion? No it's a metaphor. But by your logic, when Daniel was thrown into the lion's den, was he really thrown into a den of Judahs?

But that isn't my logic. 'Judah is a lion's cub' is a clear apocalyptic metaphor. I can't see any relation between this and my question.


David said Psalm 23:1 The Lord is my shepherd. Does that mean there weren't real shepherds at the nativity? Is that casting doubt of the birth of our Lord?

No. That is a psalm.


Just because a word can be used metaphorically doesn't mean it has to be used figuratively every time.

Yes, I agree- but what are you saying? That Adam wasn't 130 years old when Seth was born?


How old was Adam? Well according to my bible he lived 120 years. Gen 6:3 Then the LORD said, "My Spirit shall not abide in Adam forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years."

Figure that one out.

I suppose Adam was 930- 120 years old at this point.

But Adam had been alive for 130 years when Seth was born. That means that, at the very least, the sixth and seventh days weren't very long at all.

Is it at least agreed that the sixth and seventh days were enormously shorter than the previous five?

[Assyrian]

But that isn't my logic. 'Judah is a lion's cub' is a clear apocalyptic metaphor. I can't see any relation between this and my question.

No. That is a psalm.
You will find the shepherd figure all over the place.
Gen 48:15 And he blessed Joseph and said, "The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life long to this day,
Ezek 34:15 I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord GOD.

It is used for kings too.
2Sam 5:2 In times past, when Saul was king over us, it was you who led out and brought in Israel. And the LORD said to you, 'You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over Israel.'"

My point is you object to words, actually just one word, having both figurative and literal meanings. Yom can mean a day or it can mean a longer period of time. You mock the fact by trying to shove a figurative meaning into passages where it was never meant. But the same silly game can be played with other words that are used figuratively.


Yes, I agree- but what are you saying? That Adam wasn't 130 years old when Seth was born?
If the numbers aren't symbolic as well. :teeth:


I suppose Adam was 930- 120 years old at this point.
Actually you should check your patriarch ages. If you take them literally, Adam was already dead at that point, so what did it mean when it said Then the LORD said, "My Spirit shall not abide in Adam forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years." Gen 6:3?


But Adam had been alive for 130 years when Seth was born. That means that, at the very least, the sixth and seventh days weren't very long at all.

Is it at least agreed that the sixth and seventh days were enormously shorter than the previous five?
Didn't you know, they are both still going on. Read Hebrews.

Blessings Assyrian

[runecrow]

You will find the shepherd figure all over the place.
Gen 48:15 And he blessed Joseph and said, "The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life long to this day,
Ezek 34:15 I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord GOD.

It is used for kings too.
2Sam 5:2 In times past, when Saul was king over us, it was you who led out and brought in Israel. And the LORD said to you, 'You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over Israel.'"

My point is you object to words, actually just one word, having both figurative and literal meanings. Yom can mean a day or it can mean a longer period of time. You mock the fact by trying to shove a figurative meaning into passages where it was never meant. But the same silly game can be played with other words that are used figuratively.

So, you're saying that the geneological list of men and ages are metaphors? Adam wasn't literally 130 years old? I just want to be sure of this. I don't think we have any common frame of reference going on; that could cause an inability to communicate which may be the case.


Actually you should check your patriarch ages. If you take them literally, Adam was already dead at that point, so what did it mean when it said Then the LORD said, "My Spirit shall not abide in Adam forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years." Gen 6:3?

But how can you say that if ages are metaphors? How can you determine when anyone actually died? Also, when you say Adam was already dead, how do you conclude this? Curiously, how do you even determine the meaning of Genesis 6:3 when God speaks both of days and years? Since God is speaking and His days are not as man's, how long was God speaking of? "His (days=what?) shall be 120 (years=what?)". Can this verse even have meaning to you?


Didn't you know, they are both still going on. Read Hebrews.

I have read it. How do you conclude the sixth and seventh days are still going on? What does it mean, then, "the heavens and the earth were finished" and "God ended His work"? How can sixth still be going on if seventh is going on? Where is all of this coming from?

[NeilUnreal]

"How old was Adam?"

Old enough to know better. That's the major point of the story.

-Neil