Question:
Do we know the exact physical age of Adam and Eve when they were created?
Answer:
Adam and Eve’s exact physical age at their creation would technically be zero, because their ages are calculated from their creation, but God obviously created them at a certain AGE LEVEL, or as it is often called, with APPARENT AGE. The Bible does not tell us at what age level God created Adam and Eve. Once Adam was created, we do know that he lived to be 930 years old. Genesis 5:5 says, “And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died.”
With all of the responsibility that Adam faced right after he was created, it seems that God would have created him with an age level of at least 20 years old. I say that, because when the children of Israel rebelled and would not go into the Promised Land, God set the age of responsibility for that decision with those who were 20 years old and older. Numbers 14:28-31 says, “Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the LORD, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you: Your carcases shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, FROM TWENTY YEARS OLD AND UPWARD, which have murmured against me, Doubtless ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun. But your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which ye have despised.”
Adam faced a lot of responsibility when he was created. He was the one who gave names to all of the animals. Genesis 2:19,20 says, “And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field.” That was quite a responsibility in itself! When you are faced with naming just the children that God gives you, and you see how hard that can be, then you realize just a tiny fraction of what it would have been like to name the thousands of animals that Adam was responsible to name.
Adam and Eve’s age level may have been older than 20 years at their creation. Jesus, Joseph, and David were all 30 years of age when they began their major life occupation or ministry. Genesis 41:46 says, “And JOSEPH was THIRTY YEARS OLD when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt.” II Samuel 5:4 says, “DAVID was THIRTY YEARS OLD when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years.” Luke 3:21-23 says, “Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased. And JESUS himself began to be about THIRTY YEARS OF AGE…” Adam and Eve were faced with an awesome responsibility to obey God’s command not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and they failed to obey. With such an important decision and responsibility before them (one which would impact mankind that would be born on this earth until time is no more, Romans 5:12, “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.”), I do not think that God would have left such an important decision in the hands of young and immature people. Twenty and thirty years of age are important ages of responsibility, as noted in Scripture, but as to Adam and Eve’s exact age level at creation, I cannot say, because the Bible simply does not tell us.
Deuteronomy 29:29 says, “The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.” There is the important thing for us. God has not revealed Adam and Eve’s exact age level at creation to us; but like Adam and Eve, God has revealed to us through His Word what we are to do, and to not do in our lives. May we take that responsibility seriously, no matter what age we are.