In modern terms, a generation normally refers to about thirty years. However, a generation can also span less than thirty years, such as when we break down generations of people into the Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, or Gen Z. Within a biblical sense, a generation can refer to a period longer than thirty years. It can get confusing at times, but we can go through it together.

The original translations of the Bible have three different words for generation. The Hebrew word, dor, refers to a normal generation (Exodus 1:6). However, dor can also be used metaphorically for a group of people, many of which are not even alive at the present time (Psalm 78:8). In other words, dor can refer to a literal generation, but it can also metaphorically refer to a large group of people, spanning thousands of years.

Another Hebrew word translated as generation in the Bible is toledot. Toledot doesn't refer to a physical generation or an exact number of years, but rather, how the generation came into being. The instances of toledot can be found in Genesis 2:4. A generation multiplied into another generation as shown through the lineage of Adam to Isaac (Genesis 25:19).

In the New Testament, the Greek word genea means "fathered, birthed, nativity." This definition relates more to a genetic line. Jesus uses this word when He is speaking to the Pharisees and the teachers of the law (Matthew 12:39). Genea can refer to either a literal generation or a larger generation that stretches into cultures.