How Old Were Noah's Sons?

[FallingWaters]

A few hours ago, I set about to answer this question, and instead of answers, all I've got is more questions!! That is so irritating!!

 

[FallingWaters]

This is what I've got so far:

Gen 5:32 And Noah was five hundred years old, and Noah begot Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Gen 7:6 Noah was six hundred years old when the floodwaters were on the earth.

Gen 7:10 And it came to pass after seven days that the waters of the flood were on the earth.
11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.

Gen 9:24 When Noah awoke from his wine and found out what his youngest son [Ham] had done to him

Gen 10:21 And children were born also to Shem, the father of all the children of Eber, the brother of Japheth the elder.

Gen 10:22 The sons of Shem were Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, and Aram.
Notice how Arphaxad is the middle born. He is the one in the Messianic lineage.

Gen 11:10 This is the genealogy of Shem: Shem was one hundred years old, and begot Arphaxad two years after the flood [began? or ended?].

http://www.direct.ca/trinity/noah.html
We know that Noah used a calendar that used 360 days per year.

http://www.direct.ca/trinity/360day.html
However, when we turn to the Scriptures we discover that the biblical-prophetic year consisted of 360 days. Abraham, the father of Israel, continued to use the 360-day year, which was known in his home in Ur of the Chaldees. The Genesis account of the flood in the days of Noah illustrated this 360-day year by recording the 150-day interval till the waters abated from the earth. The 150 days began on the seventeenth day of the second month, and ended on the seventeenth day of the seventh month (Genesis 7:11,24 and 8:3-4). In other words, the five months consisted of thirty days each; therefore, twelve months would equal 360 days (12 x 30 = 360 days).

 

[FallingWaters]

So far, I'm realizing we can't know anything conclusively.

Also, I don't see any reason why the 3 brothers can't be triplets. Of course, they might not be, but they could be also. I'm thinking of Jacob and Esau. Even though they were twins, they were referred to as an older and a younger brother.

Japheth is the eldest, but Shem is mentioned first.

Here is a comment from Adam Clarke:
"It is observable how God from the beginning has preferred the younger to the elder, as Abel before Cain; Shem before Japheth; Isaac before Ishmael; Jacob before Esau; Judah and Joseph before Reuben; Ephraim before Manasseh; Moses before Aaron; and David before his brethren."

 

[FallingWaters]

Additionally, there's the question of why is Arphaxad's birth specifically mentioned, but then he's not listed first in the list of his father's children, but rather in the middle.

 

[vossler]

A few hours ago, I set about to answer this question, and instead of answers, all I've got is more questions!! That is so irritating!!

You sure have a lot of questions.

Actually I never gave this a second thought. After reading your posts I'm trying to understand what you're trying to ascertain. Where are you trying to go with this?

 

[laptoppop]

When scripture is not clear, what we have is speculation. For the birth time of Noah's sons, we can come somewhat close - but I don't think we can nail it down exactly. I do think it is reasonable to assume that they were old enough to aid in building the ark. I've got two sons, 11 and 14, and they would be of great help already. I think its reasonable to assume that Noah's sons were adults and able to be solid expert help.

 

[FallingWaters]

You sure have a lot of questions.

Actually I never gave this a second thought. After reading your posts I'm trying to understand what you're trying to ascertain. Where are you trying to go with this?

Well, I guess it all started in the other thread about Noah's ark. Just thinking through what we know and what we don't know. People say his sons helped him build the ark, but they had to be born first. If God gave Noah the assignment when he was 480 years old, they weren't born yet. Then they had to grow up and get muscles.

 

[vossler]

Well, I guess it all started in the other thread about Noah's ark. Just thinking through what we know and what we don't know. People say his sons helped him build the ark, but they had to be born first. If God gave Noah the assignment when he was 480 years old, they weren't born yet. Then they had to grow up and get muscles.

O.K. I see where you're driving with this. For me this is a none issue because regardless of what the answer is I don't see what effect it has on anything.

 

[FallingWaters]

none. Just satisfying a little curiosity.

 

[FallingWaters]

And someone said he didn't have any children until he was 500 years old, and it hit my memory bank funny. I guess I'm okay now.

 

[FallingWaters]

So then the question was, how come he waited so long to have children.

 

[FallingWaters]

Or I always thought the other way it could be taken was:
By the time Noah was 500 years old, he had 3 sons, etc., etc., thereby leaving us completely in the dark as to the ages of his sons, except for Shem who we have a general idea about.

But you're right. It doesn't matter.

 

[FallingWaters]

Adam was 130 years of age when he begot Seth.
Seth was 105 years of age when he begot Enosh.
Enosh was 90 years of age when he begot Kenan.
Kenan was 70 years of age when he begot Mahalelel.
Mahalelel was 65 years of age when he begot Jared.
Jared was 162 years of age when he begot Enoch.
Enoch was 65 years of age when he begot Methuselah.
Methuselah was 187 years of age when he begot Lamech.
Lamech was 182 years of age when he begot Noah.


I just find it really hard to believe Noah waited until he was 500 years of age. It wasn't the social norm.

 

[FallingWaters]

But then if Ham was the youngest then he would have had to have been born late enough for Shem to be 102 when he begot Arphaxad.

Maybe they were triplets.

 

[Floodnut]

Japeth was the oldest, born when Noah was 500, since the Bible says Noah was 500 when he begat (or the Hebrew would allow "Began to beget") his sons. Noah pronounces the future of his sons in reverse order, from youngest to oldest (Genesis 9:24-27). Japeth is called the "elder," or oldest, and this is quite clear in the Hebrew (Genesis 10:21). But it is plain that Shem was 100 years old two years after the onset of the Flood (Genesis 11:10). Arphaxad could have been his second born son, if had fathered another one year after the Flood. But the text is clear that Shem was 100 years old, TWO YEARS AFTER THE FLOOD. He could not have been a triplet. Since the flood began when Noah was 600, then two years after the Flood means that Shem was 100 when Noah was 602, hence he was born when Noah was 502.
I had to adjust my assumptions, but when you read all the text this is clear. Japeth was the first born, the eldest, born when Noah was 500. Then Shem was born when Noah was 502, the second born. And Ham was the youngest. Then, because of Ham's spoiled brat behavior, and the the very corrective actions of the two older brothers, THIS SEEMS TO SUGGEST that he was considerably younger, like maybe 5 or 10 years younger. He stayed the baby the rest of his life.

 

[FallingWaters]

Japeth was the oldest, born when Noah was 500, since the Bible says Noah was 500 when he begat (or the Hebrew would allow "Began to beget") his sons. Noah pronounces the future of his sons in reverse order, from youngest to oldest (Genesis 9:24-27). Japeth is called the "elder," or oldest, and this is quite clear in the Hebrew (Genesis 10:21). But it is plain that Shem was 100 years old two years after the onset of the Flood (Genesis 11:10). Arphaxad could have been his second born son, if had fathered another one year after the Flood. But the text is clear that Shem was 100 years old, TWO YEARS AFTER THE FLOOD. He could not have been a triplet. Since the flood began when Noah was 600, then two years after the Flood means that Shem was 100 when Noah was 602, hence he was born when Noah was 502.
I had to adjust my assumptions, but when you read all the text this is clear. Japeth was the first born, the eldest, born when Noah was 500. Then Shem was born when Noah was 502, the second born. And Ham was the youngest. Then, because of Ham's spoiled brat behavior, and the the very corrective actions of the two older brothers, THIS SEEMS TO SUGGEST that he was considerably younger, like maybe 5 or 10 years younger. He stayed the baby the rest of his life.

Clearly math is not my forte, nor logic, apparently.