How does Genesis 11:20 contribute to the timeline of biblical history? Scriptural Text “Reu lived thirty-two years, and he became the father of Serug.” (Genesis 11:20) Immediate Literary Setting Genesis 11:10-26 gives the post-Flood genealogy of Shem. Verse 20 occupies the sixth step in that list (Shem → Arphaxad → Shelah → Eber → Peleg → Reu → Serug). Each verse supplies (1) the age at which a man fathers the next named descendant, and (2) his remaining years. Together they form an unbroken chronological chain linking the Flood generation to Abraham. Chronological Contribution 1. Internal math (Masoretic text): • Shem fathers Arphaxad 2 years after the Flood (Genesis 11:10). • Add the stated begetting ages: 35 + 30 + 34 + 30 + 32 = 161 years. • Therefore Serug’s birth comes 163 years after the Flood. 2. Absolute dating (Ussher-style chronology): • Creation: 4004 BC • Flood: 2348 BC (Amos 1656) • Serug’s birth: Amos 1819 ⇒ 2185 BC • This places Serug midway between the Flood and Abram’s birth (Amos 1948, 2056 BC). Verse 20, then, anchors the human story c. 2185 BC and allows the entire patriarchal period to be placed on a literal, young-earth timeline. Declining Lifespans and Generational Compression Before the Flood, fathers were often 100–500 years old at the birth of their named heir; after the Flood the numbers fall rapidly (Shem 100, Arphaxad 35, Reu 32). Verse 20 illustrates this biological decline, matching the progressive shortening of lifespans (Reu lives 207 years, Genesis 11:21) and confirming the text’s internal consistency. Bridge to the Patriarchs and to Christ 1 Chronicles 1:25 repeats Reu-Serug-Nahor, and Luke 3:35-36 carries the same names directly into the genealogy of Jesus. Genesis 11:20 therefore preserves a legal chain of custody from Noah to Messiah, fulfilling promises such as Genesis 3:15 and Genesis 12:3. Archaeological Touchpoints Ebla (Syria, c. 23rd cent. BC) and Mari (18th cent. BC) cuneiform tablets include the Semitic root s-r-g and names such as “Sarugi,” paralleling Serug. The Amarna Letters (14th cent. BC) mention the region Naḫur, cognate with Nahor, Serug’s grandson. Such finds place these names in the right linguistic and geographical neighborhood for a northern-Mesopotamian family moving south toward Canaan. Summary Genesis 11:20 marks the birth of Serug 163 years after the Flood (≈2185 BC). That single datum locks the post-Flood chronology in place, demonstrates the planned shortening of human lifespan, bridges the antediluvian world to the patriarchal narratives, and secures the legal ancestry of Jesus. Far from being a throwaway line, it is an essential timestamp in the Bible’s unified, revelatory timeline. |
    |