The name Methuselah combines two West Semitic elements: *mutu* (meaning “man” or “husband”) and *šlḥ*, which scholars have variously interpreted as a weapon, a canal, or a divine name.[1] The divine name interpretation gains support from comparable personal names found in ancient Amarna and Ugaritic texts.[1]

If *šlḥ* derives from a divine name—possibly referring to a Canaanite deity called Šalaḥ—the name would mean “man (or devotee) of the deity Šalaḥ.”[1] However, this interpretation faces a significant challenge: such a deity is not attested outside of personal names.[1]

Alternative etymologies exist. Some scholars propose “man of the javelin,” while others suggest “man of Selah,” with Selah deriving from a Babylonian word associated with the god Sin.[2] A more recent interpretation suggests the name means “when he is dead, it shall be sent,” combining the Hebrew roots *muth* (“to die”) and *shalak* (“to send forth”).[3] This reading is meaningful because Methuselah died in the year of the Flood, and it’s plausible that Enoch, as a prophet, would have given his son a name prophetically announcing God’s coming judgment.[3]

The uncertainty surrounding Methuselah’s name reflects broader challenges in ancient Hebrew etymology, where multiple plausible interpretations often compete without definitive resolution.