מְתוּשָֽׁלַח
𐤌𐤕𐤅𐤔𐤋𐤇
Metushelach
Methuselah
Methushelach – a personal name referring to an antediluvian patriarch, notable as the oldest person recorded in the Hebrew Bible. The name is attested only as a proper noun referring to the individual listed in Genesis 5:21–27 as the son of Hanokh (Enoch) and grandfather of Noah. The lexical meaning is debated, commonly interpreted as 'man of a weapon/lance/dart' or perhaps 'one sent (after death)'; however, as with many early biblical names, the etymology remains uncertain and largely symbolic or formulaic in character.
Genesis 5:21 · Word #8
Lexicon H4968
| Lemma | מְתוּשֶׁלַח |
| Lemma (Paleo) | 𐤌𐤕𐤅𐤔𐤋𐤇 |
| Transliteration | Metushelach |
| Strong's | H4968 |
| Definition | Methushelach – a personal name referring to an antediluvian patriarch, notable as the oldest person recorded in the Hebrew Bible. The name is attested only as a proper noun referring to the individual listed in Genesis 5:21–27 as the son of Hanokh (Enoch) and grandfather of Noah. The lexical meaning is debated, commonly interpreted as 'man of a weapon/lance/dart' or perhaps 'one sent (after death)'; however, as with many early biblical names, the etymology remains uncertain and largely symbolic or formulaic in character. |
Morphology HNp
All morphology codes
| Part of Speech | N — Noun — A person, place, thing, or idea |
| Subtype | p — Proper Name — Proper name |
Common Translation
| Phrase | Methuselah |
SIBI-P1 Translation H4968-01
Man-of-the-Dart
| Morphological Notes | Masculine singular proper noun (personal name); no inflectional suffixes. |
| Rendering Rationale | Although functioning exclusively as a proper name, the compound elements are traditionally understood as relating to "man" (mat) and "dart/spear" (shelach). "Man-of-the-Dart" preserves the probable root components while reflecting its masculine singular proper-name form. |
View full lexicon entry for H4968 →
SILEX v2
SIBI-P2 (Context-Aware)
Metushelach
| Same as P1 | No — adjusted for context |
| Rationale | Proper noun transliterated from Hebrew. P1 meaning: Man-of-the-Dart |