HEBREW SAMARITAN SEPTUAGENT
NAMES.
Age at birth of son.
Rest of life
Whole life
Age at birth of son.
Rest of life
Whole life
Age at birth of son.
Rest of life
Whole life
Shem——
100
500
600
100
500
600
100
500
600
From the Flood
2
2
2
Arphaxad -
35
403
438
135
303
438
135
400
535
Arphaxad -
430*
565
Καινᾶν, - -
130
330
460
Salah——
30
403
433
130
303
433
130
33o
460
Eber——
34
430
464
134
270
404
134
270
404
Eber——
370*
504
Peleg——
30
209
239
130
109
239
130
209
339
Reu——
32
207
239
132
107
239
132
207
339
Serug——
30
200
230
130
100
230
130
200
330
Nahor—-
29
119
148
79
69
148
179
125
304
Nahor—-
79*
120
208
Terah—-
70
135
205
70
75
145
70
135
205
Abram—-
His Call -
75
75
75
Total—-
367
1017
1247
* The smaller figures are from the Alexandrian copy of the LXX.
In this table also (from Gen. 11) it will be seen that there are several alterations of 100 years, evidently made purposely, and not by accident. For the reasons already given we feel bound to take the Hebrew.
But besides these alterations, the LXX has a Cainan, with 130 years, which is not in the Hebrew or the Samaritan. A very grave question arises, Ought this to be inserted? If there was no such person, how has it crept into the LXX? If there was such a person, how is it that it is omitted from the Hebrew? Were this the whole question, we should feel bound at once to reject it, and keep to the Hebrew; but this very name is quoted in Luke 3, and it therefore cannot be so easily disposed of.
The genealogical list of which this second Cainan (so called to distinguish him from Cainan the son of Enos) forms a part, occurs four times in the Old Testament: namely, Gen. 10:24;11:1224And Arphaxad begat Salah; and Salah begat Eber. (Genesis 10:24)
12And Arphaxad lived five and thirty years, and begat Salah: (Genesis 11:12); 1 Chron. 1:18; 1:2418And Arphaxad begat Shelah, and Shelah begat Eber. (1 Chronicles 1:18)
24Shem, Arphaxad, Shelah, (1 Chronicles 1:24). This Cainan does not occur in the Hebrew in any of these places, so that if it had been left out in one place by mistake, it must have been purposely omitted in the other three places to make them all agree. But this is a very grave fault to suppose. And further, it is not in the Samaritan Pentateuch, or in any of the early translations.
In the LXX it is in only three of the places (being omitted from 1 Chron. 1:2424Shem, Arphaxad, Shelah, (1 Chronicles 1:24)), which thus makes the LXX inconsistent in itself.
It is said, too, that it was not in the copies of the Bible used by such early writers as Berosus, Eupolemus, Polyhister, Josephus, Philo, Theophilus of Antioch, Africanus, Origen, and Jerome.
How it came to be copied into Luke 3:3636Which was the son of Cainan, which was the son of Arphaxad, which was the son of Sem, which was the son of Noe, which was the son of Lamech, (Luke 3:36) is really the difficulty. We have seen that where the LXX gave the same sense as the Hebrew it was often quoted; but this would not be the case if no such person as this Cainan had existed.
But it must be observed that in Luke it does not say that it is a quotation from Scripture, so that the list may be some accredited genealogical list known in the apostles’ days (which was not inspired, and which was merely copied — though copied by inspiration — as it stood); and not be taken from the Old Testament at all.
Or it may be an error of an early copyist. The word Cainan occurs in Luke 3:3737Which was the son of Mathusala, which was the son of Enoch, which was the son of Jared, which was the son of Maleleel, which was the son of Cainan, (Luke 3:37), and his eye may have caught that word by mistake, and being copied he would not spoil his manuscript by an erasure. And it must be noticed that it is wanting in one of the earliest Greek manuscripts of Luke.
In whatever way it got into Luke, it may from thence have been copied into the LXX. by those who were anxious for a longer chronology; and if they did not hesitate to alter the Scripture by adding the various hundred years, they would not be slow to add another name to which they could put a hundred and thirty additional years. Bearing in mind, too, that many held the inspiration of Scripture so loosely that it would not seem to them nearly so grave a fault as it surely was.
On the whole, then, we feel bound to reject this Cainan, and to keep to the Hebrew just as it stands.
There is still one point in the table that demands a word: it is the age of Terah when Abraham was born. From Genesis 11:2626And Terah lived seventy years, and begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran. (Genesis 11:26), it would appear that Terah was seventy years old when Abraham was born (as is given in the table), but Abraham may not have been Terah’s first-born, but have been put first because he became God’s chosen man. And this would appear to be the case if we compare Genesis 11:32; 12:432And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years: and Terah died in Haran. (Genesis 11:32)
4So Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran. (Genesis 12:4), with Acts 7:44Then came he out of the land of the Chaldeans, and dwelt in Charran: and from thence, when his father was dead, he removed him into this land, wherein ye now dwell. (Acts 7:4); because (1), Abraham left Haran after his father’s death; (2), his father died 205 years old; (3), Abraham was seventy-five years old at that time; and (4), therefore Terah must have been 130 years old when Abraham was born.
Years
Then from the Flood to the call of Abraham, as in the Table, is
367
Terah, when Abraham was born
130
In Table
70
Difference
60
From the Flood to the call of Abraham
427
The moral links are ̶ Noah steps forth into the new earth; and God establishes His covenant with him and with every living creature, and sets His bow in the cloud. Noah’s descendants seek to become great in the earth and build cities; and, that they may get to themselves a name, they build the tower of Babel. God confounds their language, and scatters them — setting their bounds according to the number of the then future children of Israel (Deut. 32:8-98When the most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel. 9For the Lord's portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance. (Deuteronomy 32:8‑9)). Idolatry now appears (see Josh. 24:22And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor: and they served other gods. (Joshua 24:2)), and God calls out Abraham, and makes an unconditional covenant with him and his seed.