[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/methuselah/)

[dictionaries](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [English](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/) / [M](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/m/) / methuselah

# methuselah

noun (Methuselah; a methuselah, methuselahs)

«methuselah» in the English dictionary: everyday and in Jewish tradition — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. (Bible) Methuselah is a man in the Book of Genesis who is said to have lived 969 years, the oldest person in the Bible. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/methuselah/#m1)
2. (informal) A methuselah is a very old person or thing. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/methuselah/#m2)
3. A methuselah is also a very large wine bottle holding six litres. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/methuselah/#m3)

### In the lessons

Met in Bible lessons and in sayings: «as old as Methuselah» means extremely old. Also the name of a very old bristlecone pine tree in California.

### Examples

- The Bible says Methuselah lived to be 969 years old. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/methuselah/#x1)
- Grandad jokes that he is as old as Methuselah. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/methuselah/#x2)
- Methuselah was the grandfather of Noah. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/methuselah/#x3)
- A pine tree called Methuselah is nearly 5,000 years old. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/methuselah/#x4)
- That old car is a real methuselah. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/methuselah/#x5)
- A methuselah holds as much as eight normal bottles. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/methuselah/#x6)

### Note

As a Bible name, capital M. Christians and Jews read the long ages in Genesis in different ways; some take them literally, many see them as symbolic. No real person today lives anywhere near that long.

## In Jewish tradition

In Genesis Methuselah is the son of Enoch and grandfather of Noah. He lived 969 years, the longest life recorded in the Torah.

**Interpretation.** The rabbis said he lived so long because God gave sinners time to repent before the Flood. Some say the Flood came in the year he died.

### Examples

- And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begot Methuselah. (Torah GEN.5.21, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/M/methuselah/#x1)
- And Methuselah lived a hundred eighty and seven years, and begot Lamech. (Torah GEN.5.25, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/M/methuselah/#x2)
- And all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred sixty and nine years; and he died. (Torah GEN.5.27, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/M/methuselah/#x3)

### Note

As a Bible name, capital M. Christians and Jews read the long ages in Genesis in different ways; some take them literally, many see them as symbolic. No real person today lives anywhere near that long.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «methuselah» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/methuselah/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«methuselah» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/methuselah.html) on Mova free.
- [Trees and pragmatics of «methuselah» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/M/methuselah/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«methuselah» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/judaism/w/methuselah.html) on Mova free.