Bible Question:

How many children did Adam and Eve have?

Bible Answer:

How many children did Adam and Eve have? Adam and Eve did not have any children before they sinned according to Genesis 3 and 4. After they sinned, Genesis 4:1-2 tells us that God removed Adam and Eve from the garden of Eden.

Now the man had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain, and she said, “I have gotten a manchild with the help of the LORD.” Again, she gave birth to his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of flocks, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.  Genesis-4:1-2 (NASB)

How many children did Adam and Eve have?

Genesis 4:1-2 reveals that Adam and Eve had two children named Cain and Able when they were living outside of the Garden of Eden. In a horrible rage, Cain killed Abel. That was the first murder in the Bible. Genesis 4:17 reveals that Cain married a woman after killing his brother Abel. In “Where did Cain’s wife come from?,” you will learn how Cain got his wife. This implies that Adam and Eve had other children not mentioned by name in Scripture.

In fact, Genesis 4:25 states that Adam and Eve had a third son named Seth. That reveals Adam and Eve had at least three sons and one daughter. Then in addition, Genesis 5:4 says they had other sons and daughters.

Then the days of Adam after he became the father of Seth were eight hundred years, and he had other sons and daughters.  Genesis 5:4 (NASB)

There are no other references in the Bible to how many children Adam and Eve had.  As a pattern in the genealogies, Scripture mainly focuses on the males born to a set of parents.

However, Flavius Josephus tells us,

The number of Adam’s children, as says the old tradition was thirty-three sons, and twenty-three daughters.1

However, we cannot trust this statement for accuracy for two reasons: 1) Josephus’s works are not inspired Scripture, and 2) Josephus admits it is a legend.

Conclusion:

It is amazing what Scripture does not reveal. It does not give us a manual on raising children, financial planning, or some current topic. God does not reveal everything to us in scripture. God has chosen to reveal only those things that are important. The goal of Scripture is to tell us about God, salvation and how to live a holy life (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

 

References:

1. Flavius Josephus. Antiquities of the Jews. book I, chapter 2, verse 3, footnote.  Josephus. Kregel Publications. 174. p. 27.

Suggested Links:

Where did Cain's wife come from?
How was the world populated?
What does Jesus say about having children?
I was wondering if birth control is wrong according to the Word of God?
Were cavemen created when Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden?
Was Lilith the first wife of Adam? Who was Lilith according to the Bible?
Genealogical Chart: Adam to Jesus