Old Age
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International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
Old Age

AGE; OLD AGE

In individual lives (cheledh; helikia): We have scarcely any word in the Old Testament or New Testament which denotes "age" in the familiar modern sense; the nearest in the Old Testament is perhaps heledh, "life," "lifetime," and in the New Testament helikia, "full age," "manhood," but which is rendered stature in Matthew 6:27, etc., the King James Version; cheledh occurs (Job 11:17), "Thine age shall be clearer than the noonday," the Revised Version (British and American) "(thy) life"; Psalm 39:5, "Mine age is as nothing before thee," the American Standard Revised Version, "my life-time"); we have helikia (John 9:21, 23), "He is of age"; Hebrews 11:11 "past age," Luke 2:52, "Jesus increased in wisdom and age," so the Revised Version, margin, King James Version margin, Ephesians 4:13); yom, day, (days) is used in the Old Testament to express "age" (Genesis 47:28), the whole age of Jacob," the King James Version, "the days of the years of his life"; but it occurs mostly in connection with old age); ben, "son" (Numbers 8:25 1 Chronicles 23:3, 24); kelah, "to be complete," is translated "full age" (Job 5:26); teleios, "complete" (Hebrews 5:14), the Revised Version (British and American), full-grown men, margin, perfect", dor, a revolution," "a period" is translated "age" Isaiah 38:12, "Mine age is departed and removed from me as a shepherd's tent," the American Standard Revised Version, "My dwelling is removed, and is carried away from me as a shepherd's tent," the English Revised Version, "mine age," margin, "or habitation"; Delitzsch, "my home"; compare Psalm 49:19, 20; 2 Corinthians 5:8. In New Testament we have etos, "year" (Mark 5:42), the Revised Version British and American, "old"; Luke 2:37; Luke 3:23, "Jesus. about 30 years of age". "Old age," "aged," are the translation of various words, zaqen zaqan, "the chin," "the beard", perhaps to have the chin sharp or hanging down, often translated "elders," "old man," etc. 2 Samuel 19:32, Job 12:20, 32:9, Jeremiah 6:11.

In New Testament we have presbutes, "aged," "advanced in days" (Titus 2:2 Philemon 1:9); presbutis, "aged woman" (Titus 2:3); probebekos en hemerais, advanced in days" (Luke 2:36); geras, "old age" (Luke 1:36).

Revised Version has "old" for "the age of" (1 Chronicles 23:3), "own age" for "sort" (Daniel 1:10); "aged" for "ancients" (Psalm 119:100), for "ancient" (Isaiah 47:6); for "old" (Hebrews 8:13); "aged men" for "the ancients" (Job 12:12); for "aged" (Job 12:20), "elders."

Regard for Old Age:

(1) Among the Hebrews (and Orientals generally) old age was held in honor, and respect was required for the aged (Leviticus 19:32), "Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honor the face of the old man"; a mark of the low estate of the nation was that "The faces of elders were not honored"; "The elders have ceased from the gate" (Lamentations 5:12, 14). Compare Job 29:8 (as showing the exceptionally high regard for Job). See also The Wisdom of Solomon 2:10; Ecclesiasticus 8:6.

(2) Old age was greatly desired and its attainment regarded as a Divine blessing (Genesis 15:15 Exodus 20:12, "that thy days may be long in the land"; Job 5:26 Psalm 91:16, "With long life will I satisfy him"; Psalm 92:14; compare Isaiah 65:20 Zechariah 8:4 1 Samuel 2:32).

(3) A Divine assurance is given, "Even to old age I am he, and even to hoar hairs will I carry you" (Isaiah 46:4); hence it was looked forward to in faith and hope (Psalm 71:9, 18).

(4) Superior wisdom was believed to belong to the aged (Job 12:20; Job 15:10; Job 32:7, 9; compare 1 Kings 12:8); hence positions of guidance and authority were given to them, as the terms "elders," "presbyters" and (Arabic) "sheik" indicate.

W. L. Walker

Smith's Bible Dictionary
Old Age

The aged occupied a prominent place in the social and political system of the Jews. In private life they were looked up to as the depositaries of knowledge, (Job 15:10) the young were ordered to rise up in their presence, (Leviticus 19:32) they allowed them to give their opinion first, (Job 32:4) they were taught to regard gray hair as a "crown of glory," (Proverbs 16:31; 20:29) The attainment of old age was regarded as a special blessing. (Job 5:26) In pubic main qualification of those who acted as the representatives of the people in all matter of difficulty and deliberation. [ELDERS]

Greek
1094. geras -- old age
... geras. 1095 . old age. Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter Transliteration: geras Phonetic
Spelling: (ghay'-ras) Short Definition: old age Definition: old age. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1094.htm - 6k

5063. tessarakontaetes -- forty years old.
... forty years old. From tessarakonta and etos; of forty years of age -- (+ full,
of) forty years (old). see GREEK tessarakonta. see GREEK etos. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5063.htm - 7k

1332. dietes -- lasting two years, two years old
... two years old. From dis and etos; of two years (in age) -- two years old. see GREEK
dis. see GREEK etos. (dietous) -- 1 Occurrence. 1331, 1332. dietes. 1333 ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1332.htm - 6k

165. aion -- a space of time, an age
... duration Definition a space of time, an age NASB Word Usage age (20), ages ... 27), forever
and ever (20), forevermore (2), long ago (1), never* (1), old (1), time ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/165.htm - 8k

5046. teleios -- having reached its end, ie complete, by ext. ...
... a) complete in all its parts, (b) full grown, of full age, (c) specially ... root ()
means "reaching the ()." It is well-illustrated with the old pirate's telescope ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5046.htm - 8k

5550. chronos -- time
... word Definition time NASB Word Usage age (1), all (1), delay (1 ... by extension, an
individual opportunity; by implication, delay -- + years old, season, space, (X ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5550.htm - 7k

3187. meizon -- elder, greater, more.
... larg, old, etc. Word Origin cptv. of megas, qv. elder, greater, more. Irregular
comparative of megas; larger (literally or figuratively, specially, in age) -- ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3187.htm - 6k

3813. paidion -- a young child
... 3813 ("a little child in training") implies a child (perhaps seven years old or
younger). Some scholars apply 3816 () to a son or daughter (the age of "" in ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3813.htm - 7k

Topical Bible Verses
Proverbs 16:31
The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness.
Topicalbible.org

Job 12:12
With the ancient is wisdom; and in length of days understanding.
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Titus 2:2
That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience.
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Titus 2:3
The aged women likewise, that they be in behavior as becomes holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;
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Isaiah 46:4
And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you.
Topicalbible.org

Ecclesiastes 6:3
If a man beget an hundred children, and live many years, so that the days of his years be many, and his soul be not filled with good, and also that he have no burial; I say, that an untimely birth is better than he.
Topicalbible.org

Psalm 92:14
They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing;
Topicalbible.org

Psalm 71:18
Now also when I am old and gray headed, O God, forsake me not; until I have showed your strength to this generation, and your power to every one that is to come.
Topicalbible.org

Psalm 71:9
Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength fails.
Topicalbible.org

Strong's Hebrew
2209. ziqnah -- old age
... old age. Transliteration: ziqnah Phonetic Spelling: (zik-naw') Short Definition:
age. ... of zoqen Definition old age NASB Word Usage old (2), old age (4). old age. ...
/hebrew/2209.htm - 6k

2208. zaqun -- old age
... zaqun. 2209 . old age. Transliteration: zaqun Phonetic Spelling: (zaw-koon') Short
Definition: age. ... of zaqen Definition old age NASB Word Usage old age (4). ...
/hebrew/2208.htm - 6k

7872. sebah -- hoary head, old age
... 7871, 7872. sebah. 7873 . hoary head, old age. Transliteration: sebah Phonetic
Spelling: (say-baw') Short Definition: hair. ... be gray grey hoar, old age. ...
/hebrew/7872.htm - 6k

2207. zoqen -- old age
... 2206, 2207. zoqen. 2208 . old age. Transliteration: zoqen Phonetic Spelling:
(zo'-ken) Short Definition: age. ... age. From zaqen; old age -- age. see HEBREW zaqen ...
/hebrew/2207.htm - 6k

3624. kelach -- firm or rugged strength
... full old age. From an unused root meaning to be complete; maturity -- full
(old) age. 3623, 3624. kelach. 3625 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/3624.htm - 6k

7869. seb -- (hoary) age
... Word Origin from sib Definition (hoary) age NASB Word Usage age (1). age. From siyb;
old age -- age. see HEBREW siyb. 7868, 7869. seb. 7870 . Strong's Numbers
/hebrew/7869.htm - 5k

1121. ben -- son
... or condition, etc., (like 'ab, 'ach, etc.)) -- afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon ... X in, +
kid, + lamb, (+) man, meet, + mighty, + nephew, old, (+) people, + rebel ...
/hebrew/1121.htm - 8k

1755. dor -- period, generation, dwelling
... Word Origin from dur Definition period, generation, dwelling NASB Word Usage
age-old (1), all generations (20), another (1), dwelling (1), every generation ( ...
/hebrew/1755.htm - 6k

3117. yom -- day
... Live), (even) now, + old, + outlived, + perpetually, presently, + remaineth, X required,
season, X ... a, the, within a) while (that), X whole (+ age), (full) year ...
/hebrew/3117.htm - 7k

8141. shanah -- a year
... whole age, long, old, yearly. (in plura or (feminine) shanah {shaw-naw'};
from shanah; a year (as a revolution of time) -- + whole ...
/hebrew/8141.htm - 6k

Library

Caleb --A Green Old Age
... THE BOOK OF JOSHUA CALEB"A GREEN OLD AGE. 'And Caleb... said unto him
(Joshua), Thou knowest the thing that the Lord said unto ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture f/caleba green old age.htm

For Old Age. --Ps. Lxxi.
... ORIGINAL HYMNS HYMN CCXX. For Old Age."Ps. lxxi. 8.8.8.8 James Montgomery.
For Old Age."Psalm 71.p>. Lord, I have put my trust in Thee,. ...
/.../montgomery/sacred poems and hymns/hymn ccxx for old age ps.htm

Wesley on his Old Age
... Wesley Collects Money for the Poor; Visits the House of Lords; His Reasons for his
Long Life; "How is the Tide Turned;" Last Entries Wesley on His Old Age. ...
/.../wesley/the journal of john wesley/wesley on his old age.htm

The Hopes of Old Age. March 17.
... The Hopes of Old Age. March 17. Christianity alone deprives old age of
its bitterness, making it the gate of heaven. Our bodies ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/daily thoughts /the hopes of old age.htm

Advice to Youth; Or, Old Age and Death in an Unconverted State. ...
... HYMN 91 Advice to youth; or, Old age and death in an unconverted state. Eccl.
12:1,7; Isa. ... LM Advice to youth; or, Old age and death in an unconverted state. ...
/.../watts/the psalms and hymns of isaac watts/hymn 91 advice to youth.htm

Advice to Youth; Or, Old Age and Death in an Unconverted State ...
... Hymns. Book 1. Hymn 1:91. Advice to youth; or, Old age and death in an
unconverted state, Eccles. 12. 1 7. Isa. 65. 20. 1 Now in ...
/.../watts/hymns and spiritual songs/hymn 0 104861111 advice to youth.htm

How Samuel when He was So Infirm with Old Age that He could not ...
... CHAPTER 3. How Samuel When He Was So Infirm With Old Age That He Could Not Take
Care Of The Public Affairs Intrusted Them To His Sons; And How Upon The Evil ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 3 how samuel when.htm

Of the Way in which among them Men Remain in the Monasteries Even ...
... Prolegomena. Chapter II. Of the way in which among them men remain in
the monasteries even to extreme old age. And I think that ...
/.../cassian/the works of john cassian /chapter ii of the way.htm

Psalm 71:3. 17-21. Third Part. The Aged Christian's Prayer and ...
... THE Psalms of David, In Metre. Psalm 71:3. 17-21. Third Part. The aged Christian's
prayer and song; or, Old age, death, and the resurrection. ...
/.../watts/the psalms of david/psalm 71 3 0 17-21 third part.htm

Psalm 90:3. 8 11 9 10 12. 2D Part. CM Infirmities and Mortality ...
... THE Psalms of David, In Metre. Psalm 90:3. 8 11 9 10 12. 2d Part. CM Infirmities
and mortality the effect of sin; or, Life, old age, and preparation for death. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/watts/the psalms of david/psalm 90 3 0 8 11 9.htm

Subtopics

Old

Old Age

Old Age: General Scriptures Concerning

Old Gate

Old Man

Old Testament

Old Testament Canon

Old Testament Languages

Select Readings: Old Age

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