Genesis 11:19 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And Peleg lived after he fathered Reu 209 years and had other sons and daughters.

NIV: And after he became the father of Reu, Peleg lived 209 years and had other sons and daughters.

NASB: and Peleg lived 209 years after he fathered Reu, and he fathered other sons and daughters.

CSB: After he fathered Reu, Peleg lived 209 years and fathered other sons and daughters.

NLT: After the birth of Reu, Peleg lived another 209 years and had other sons and daughters.

KJV: And Peleg lived after he begat Reu two hundred and nine years, and begat sons and daughters.

NKJV: After he begot Reu, Peleg lived two hundred and nine years, and begot sons and daughters.

After fathering Reu, Peleg lived another 209 years and had other children. Adding the numbers together, Peleg lived to be 239 years old. We notice that the lifespans continue to decrease dramatically the farther we move from the flood. Some have speculated the conditions of the environment on the earth became less ideal for long lifespans after the flood. Others see Genesis 6:3 as an indication that God acted directly to shorten human life—most likely for the same reason as His division of languages at Babel. This was to limit man's capacity for evil (Genesis 6:5; Genesis 11:6–7). Peleg's life is notably shorter than his father's, as are those of the generations which follow.

Genesis 11:10–26 provides a direct genealogy from Noah to Abram, through Noah's blessed-by-God son, Shem. This record shows a direct genetic line from Noah and the flood, through Peleg and the dispersion of humanity at the Tower of Babel, to Terah, Abram's father.

Genesis 11 contains three sections: God confuses and scatters the people of the world to stop the building of Babel and its tower. A genealogy is provided showing the direct links between Noah and Abram. The ''generations'' of Terah are introduced, providing a description of the family out of which God will call Abram to become the father of His chosen people.

Genesis 10 provided a table of the nations, describing the peoples and tribes that descended from Noah's three sons and where they settled. Genesis 11 describes how God scattered the peoples of the world after confusing their languages to stop the building of Babel and its tower. The chapter also provides a direct genealogy from Noah to Abram and then introduces Abram by way of his father Terah. The following chapter will begin the story of Abram and God's chosen people, Israel.

The book of Genesis establishes fundamental truths about God. Among these are His role as the Creator, His holiness, His hatred of sin, His love for mankind, and His willingness to provide for our redemption. We learn not only where mankind has come from, but why the world is in its present form. The book also presents the establishment of Israel, God's chosen people. Many of the principles given in other parts of Scripture depend on the basic ideas presented here in the book of Genesis. Within the framework of the Bible, Genesis explains the bare-bones history of the universe leading up to the captivity of Israel in Egypt, setting the stage for the book of Exodus.

Accessed 5/6/2024 2:09:03 PM