Where Does the Bible State that the Earth is Only 6,000 Years Old?

The short answer is, "nowhere". The Bible does not explicitly state anywhere that the earth is exactly 6,000 years old. However, we can deduce an approximate age of about 6,000 years from a careful study of the Biblical text. There is more than one way to approach this subject; the following is simply a line of reasoning that makes sense to me. (John F.)

The Creation of Adam vs. the Creation of the Universe

Some see a speculative leap here in equating the time when Adam was created with the time when the universe was created. After all, how do we know that Adam wasn't created thousands or even millions of years after God created the heavens and the earth? Our article Jesus and Genesis delves much deeper into this topic. Note that Exodus 20:11 clearly states that the heavens and the earth and everything in them was made in 6 days. Also note the words of Jesus, the Creator Himself speaking on creation:

"But from the beginning of the creation, God made them male and female." Mark 10:6

Based on a straightforward reading of the Biblical text, it is very reasonable to equate the time when Adam was created with the time when God made the heaven and the earth (just days apart, according to Genesis chapter one).

Interval #1 From Creation to the Flood

If we add up the genealogical data found in Genesis 5, we come up with a time interval of 1656 years between the creation of Adam and the Flood of Noah. This figure of 1656 years is based on the data found in the Jewish version of the Old Testament (The Masoretic Text) from which most English Bibles have been translated (i.e. The King James, New King James, New International Version, Revised Standard Version, etc).

Are There Gaps in the Genealogies?

Not evidently, as John Morris notes ("The Young Earth", 2000, p. 38):

"These genealogies consist of the age of each Patriarch at the birth of his son, through whom the patriarchal line was passed, the years the father lived after the son was born, and the summation of both, providing the total age of each father at death. Because of the correct addition of the numbers given, and no hint elsewhere in Scripture that generations are missing, it is concluded by most conservative Bible scholars that the total of 1656 years accurately reflects the time span between Creation and the Flood…"

Variations in Versions

Admittedly, the Genesis account of creation is recorded in more than one ancient translation. The Masoretic (Hebrew), The Septuagint (the Greek translation made about 250 BC), and the Samaritan Pentateuch vary among themselves with respect to the genealogical information found in the book of Genesis. Which is the most reliable is a matter of debate. Among the points to consider is the fact that in the Septuagint version, Methuselah lives on through the flood of Noah, which is contrary to other clear passages of Scripture. Also note that the various copies of the Masoretic text all give the same genealogical information in Genesis 5, whilst the Septuagint copies differ among themselves in this respect.

Masoretic Text Time Interval Between Adam and the Flood - 1656 Years

Longest Time Span among Septuagint Versions for this period - 2402 Years

Most reliable Septuagint Version (used by Josephus) for this period - 2262 Years

Samaritan Pentateuch Interval Between Adam and the Flood - 1307 Years

Interval #2 Noah to Abraham

The genealogical information for this period is found in Genesis 10 and 11. Adding up these dates yields a time span of 351 years from the Flood to Abraham's birth. Again, there are variations among the different Septuagint manuscripts, with the minimum time span for this period being 292 years, ranging to a maximum of 1513 years. The most accepted variant is apparently 942 years (matching the Samaritan Pentateuch) and come close to the figure given by Josephus, 952 years.

Walt Brown, a former college professor of mathematics, has calculated that during the 351 year interval between the flood and Abraham, the world population could have easily grew from the 4 couples who survived the deluge to 80 million (assuming each couple averaged 8 children, and people reached sexual maturity at the age of 30 - see "In the Beginning, 7th Edition", or visit www.creationscience.com).

Addressing the Uncertainties:

Terah's Age at Abraham's Birth

Genesis 11:26 states that "Terah lived 70 years and became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran." Many reckon this verse to mean that Abram was born when Terah was 70 years old, however, children are not always listed in birth order. Noah's three sons were not. Genesis 5:32 states "Noah was five hundred years old, and Noah begot Shem, Ham, and Japheth." However, Gen. 9:24 calls Ham the younger brother, while Japheth was called the elder in Gen 10:21.

Genesis 11:32, 12:4, and Acts 7:4 are clear that Terah lived 205 years, and when Abram was 75 years old, Terah died. So Terah would have been 130 years old when Abram was born. Not everyone agrees with this interpretation, preferring to believe that Terah was really 70 years old when Abram was born. I wouldn't split a church over something as trivial as this. In the end, we're only looking at a variation of 60 years max.

Cainan Son of Arphaxad

Some point to the fact that in Luke 3:32, Cainan is called the son of Arphaxad and the father of Shelah. The corresponding lists in Genesis do not contain Cainan's name and for some, this is an indication that the genealogical lists in Genesis probably contain many such gaps therefore, it is argued, assessing the age of the earth based on these lists is futile. Note, however that in Genesis, Cainan's name only appears in the Septuagint version.

There is a strong possibility that the addition of the name Cainan is a scribal error. (see www.answersingenesis.org for an in-depth look at this topic.) Note that the genealogical lists in Genesis are unlike the lists found anywhere else in Scripture. The time between births are fixed, no matter how many generations we try to suggest are missing. For example, Enosh is said to have been born 105 years after Seth's birth. The writer of this information had a careful, systematic, and mathematical way of linking the chronology into one continuous family record.

Rounded Ages

Some may argue that the names in all three texts have probably been rounded because too many ages end with zero or five. This may be the case, however, rounding 15 or so ages in Genesis would probably not inject more than 20 years total error.

Interval #3 From the Solomon to Abraham

This interval is a little more air-tight. Most scholars place Solomon's reign in the mid 10th century BC, and based on the thorough research of men like Murray D. Hiebert ("The Historical Conquest: Historical Events of the Amarna Age in Canaan and Their Preservation in the Biblical Narrative", 2004), there is strong evidence supporting the 971 BC date for the commencement of King Solomon's reign.

According to 1 Kings 6:1, Solomon began working on the temple in his 4th year year of his reign, in the 480th year after the exodus from Egypt. The 4th year of his reign would be 967 BC, and calculating backward from there 480 years, brings us to 1447 BC as the year of the exodus.

Exodus 12:40-41 states that the entire Egyptian sojourn of the children of Israel lasted 430 years. Calculating backward 430 years from the exodus to Jacob's entry into Egypt at 130 years old (Genesis 47:-9) brings us to 1877 BC.

Jacob was 130 in 1877 BC, which means he must have been born (along with his brother Esau) in 2007 BC

Genesis 25:26 states that Isaac was 60 years old when Jacob and Esau were born, so calculating backward 60 years from 2007 BC brings us to 2067 BC as the year Isaac was born.

Genesis 21:5 states that Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born to him, so calculating backward 100 years from 2067 brings us to 2167 BC for the birth of Abraham.

Putting it All Together

If the Masoretic text is to be trusted, Abraham was born in 2167 BC. Calculating 351 years backward brings us to 2518 BC for the time of the Flood. Calculating backward 1656 years brings us to,

4174 BC as the year of creation, or about 6174 years ago.

Conclusion:

Though some uncertainties exist, an approximation of 6,000 years for the age of the earth based on the scriptural record is reasonable. In no way can the Biblical record be made to accommodate the billions of years called for by the evolution / old earth / progressive creation worldviews.