מְתוּשֶׁ֔לַח
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 5:22 · 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 H4968-02
Man of the Dart
| Morphological Notes | Masculine singular proper noun (personal name); no pronominal suffix; fixed form used exclusively as a name. |
| Rendering Rationale | The name appears to combine מַת (understood in names as "man" or possibly related to "death") and שֶׁלַח ("dart, spear, missile"). "Man of the Dart" preserves the probable compound structure while reflecting its status as a masculine singular proper name. |
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 |