Man’s Life Span

Q

I am new to reading the Bible and am confused about a piece in Genesis where God shortens the lifespan of people to 120 years. At first I see that people were living 800-900+ years for several generations after Adam and Eve. Then in Genesis 6:3 it seems like He shortens the life of man saying:

“And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also [is] flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.” (KJV)

Then I realized, well Noah (mentioned only sentences later) lived hundreds of years longer than the 120 years mentioned in Gen 6:3, so I must have misinterpreted the meaning of the verse. To whom does that verse apply since it’s not applicable today? Thanks for your input.

A

As you’ve correctly noted, many people down through the ages have exceeded the 120 year standard. It turns out that God wasn’t talking about man’s lifetime in Genesis 6:3. He was giving them a 120 year warning that a judgment was coming.

At the end of Chapter 5 Noah was 500 years old and the Great Flood came in the Year Noah turned 600 (Genesis 7:11) so the warning must have come earlier, when he was 480 years old. Chapter 6 implies that the warning came about the time fallen angels began marrying human women and bearing hybrid children the Bible calls Nephilim.

Psalm 90:10 says that an average man would live 70-80 years. This is consistent with world averages today with some living longer while others die much younger