How Long Is A Generation In The Bible

How Long is a Generation in the Bible?

The Bible does not give a definitive answer to the question of how long is a generation in the Bible. However, there are several passages in Scripture that indicate a generation could be anywhere from forty to one hundred years.

Age of the Patriarchs

One of the earliest references in the Bible concerning the age of the patriarchs is found in the book of Genesis. In Genesis 15:13-16, God promises Abraham that his descendants will be enslaved for four hundred years. He then tells Abraham that in the fourth generation, they will return to the land of Canaan.

Moses and the Promised Land

Another example is found in Deuteronomy 1:35-38. In this passage, Moses says that the Israelites, who were then forty years old, would not enter the Promised Land until the next generation had passed. This would indicate that a generation is approximately forty years.

King David and His Descendants

The book of Psalms, written by King David, contains several references to a generation lasting forty years. In Psalm 95:10, David warns the Israelites not to harden their hearts like “their fathers did in the wilderness” and mentions that God tested them for “forty years”. In Psalm 90:10, David also states that “The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty.”

Jesus and His Disciples

In the New Testament, Jesus speaks of a generation in Matthew 24:34. He tells His disciples that the current generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. This would indicate a generation is approximately one hundred years.

Conclusion

The Bible does not give a definitive answer to the question of how long is a generation in the Bible. However, the references to forty and one hundred years in Scripture indicate that a generation can span anywhere from forty to one hundred years and potentially even longer.

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