Lexical Summary
zaqen: To be old, to grow old, to become aged
Original Word:זָקֵן
Part of Speech:Verb
Transliteration:zaqen
Pronunciation:zah-KANE
Phonetic Spelling:(zaw-kane')
KJV: aged man, be (wax) old (man)
NASB:old, am old, am so old, am old, being old, grow old, grown old
Word Origin:[a primitive root]
1. to be old
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
aged man, old man
A primitive root; to be old -- aged man, be (wax) old (man).
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom the same as
zaqanDefinitionto be or become old
NASB Translationam so old (1), am old (3), am...old (1), being old (1), grow old (1), grown old (1), old (17), reached a old (1), reached old (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
(compare, according to Thes, Arabic
a she-camel that lets her lower lip hang down, see Lane
968;
decrepit man) —
Perfect3masculine singularGenesis 18:12 14t. (often hard to distinguished from predicate adjective q. v.); 3feminine singularProverbs 23:22; 2masculine singular1 Samuel 8:5;Joshua 13:1; 1singularJoshua 23:2 3t.;Genesis 18:13;Genesis 27:2;Imperfect 2Chronicles 24:15; —be (orbecome)oldGenesis 18:12,13;Genesis 19:31;Genesis 27:1,2(all J),1 Samuel 2:22;1 Samuel 4:18;1 Samuel 8:1;1 Samuel 8:5;1 Samuel 12:2;1 Samuel 17:122; Sam1 Samuel 19:33;1 Kings 1:1,15;2 Kings 4:14; alsoGenesis 24:1 ("" ), soJoshua 13:1 (twice in verse);Joshua 23:1,2("" here ),1 Chronicles 23:1 ("" ),1 Chronicles 24:15 (""id.);Proverbs 23:22;Psalm 37:25 (opposed to "" ); note especiallyRuth 1:12I am too old to belong to a man (husband).
onlyImperfect3masculine singular inchoateshew age, grow old =senescere Ew§ 122 c, compare Di; of youthProverbs 22:6; of tree-rootJob 14:8.
Topical Lexicon
OverviewThe verb זָקֵן (Strong’s 2204) describes the process of growing old. Occurring about twenty‐six times, it portrays advanced age in individuals, trees, and nations alike. Its appearances cluster around key covenant figures, transitional moments of leadership, and poetic reflections on God’s faithfulness through the years.
Patterns of Usage
1. Patriarchal narratives:Genesis 18:12; 24:1; 27:1; 35:29.
2. National leaders at the close of service:Joshua 13:1; 23:1–2;1 Samuel 8:1;1 Kings 1:1;1 Chronicles 23:1;2 Chronicles 24:15.
3. Common life expectancy statements in poetry and wisdom:Job 14:8;Psalm 71:18;Psalm 92:14;Isaiah 46:4.
4. Metaphorical or comparative uses:Isaiah 47:6 (an oppressed elder generation);Zechariah 8:4 (streets filled with the aged as a sign of restoration).
Old Age as Covenant Blessing
Old age is consistently pictured as a gift that testifies to God’s covenantal goodness. “Now Abraham was old, advanced in years, and the Lord had blessed Abraham in every way” (Genesis 24:1). Long life crowns a faithful walk; the same formula signals divine favor upon Isaac (Genesis 27:1), Jacob (Genesis 35:29), Joshua (Joshua 23:1), David (1 Kings 1:1), and Jehoiada the priest (2 Chronicles 24:15). Each life, while physically declining, stands as proof that the Lord “prolongs the days of the righteous” (compareDeuteronomy 6:2).
Old Age and Leadership Transitions
The verb introduces nearly every major handover of authority in Israel’s story. When a leader is said to have “grown old,” succession immediately follows:
• Joshua convenes Israel (Joshua 23:1–2) to exhort covenant fidelity.
• Samuel, “old and gray,” delegates duties yet warns against rejecting God as King (1 Samuel 8:1–20).
• David, weakened with age, sees Solomon anointed (1 Kings 1:1–40).
• Jehoiada’s long life steadies Judah until “he died at a ripe old age of one hundred and thirty” (2 Chronicles 24:15).
In each account, advanced age necessitates intentional transfer of responsibility, underscoring the biblical principle of generational faithfulness (Psalm 71:18).
Wisdom and Counsel of the Aged
Old age carries moral authority. Job’s friends assume that “age should speak, and a multitude of years should teach wisdom” (Job 32:7). Elders at the gate judged disputes; Barzillai declines royal favor because at eighty he can no longer taste or hear well, yet his counsel shapes David’s mercy toward Chimham (2 Samuel 19:31–40). Zaqen thus links to the notion of elder (זָקֵן as noun) whose experience guides communal life (Ruth 4:2).
Respect for the Aged in Community Ethics
Leviticus 19:32 (using the noun form) commands, “You are to rise in the presence of the aged, fear your God.” Although a different grammatical form, the shared root frames society’s duty: reverence for the elderly equals reverence for God. Isaiah indicts Babylon for oppressing those who had “grown old” (Isaiah 47:6), whereas Zechariah’s vision of harmless streets where “old men and old women will again sit” (Zechariah 8:4) pictures covenant restoration.
Metaphorical Uses
Job 14:8 compares a tree whose “root grows old in the ground” to hope seemingly cut off yet later revived—an image of resurrection life. Nations can “grow old” in rebellion (Isaiah 46:4), but the Lord pledges, “Even to your old age I will be the same… I will bear you.” The verb therefore highlights both human frailty and divine constancy.
Theological Reflections
1. Continuity of Providence: From Abraham to an aged remnant in exile, old age testifies that God sustains His people across centuries.
2. Mortality and Hope: The decay inherent in זָקֵן points forward to the need for resurrection life accomplished in Christ (1 Corinthians 15:53).
3. Generational Mission: Scripture expects the elderly to declare God’s works (Psalm 71:18) and the young to honor their testimony (Proverbs 16:31).
Application for Ministry Today
• Encourage multigenerational leadership teams patterned after biblical transitions.
• Honor senior saints publicly; involve them in prayer, mentoring, and testimony.
• Teach on the blessing of longevity, countering cultural ageism withLeviticus 19:32.
• Offer pastoral care that affirms God’s promise: “Even to your old age… I will carry you” (Isaiah 46:4).
Forms and Transliterations
וַיִּזְקַ֧ן ויזקן זָ֫קַ֥נְתִּי זָקְנָ֥ה זָקֵ֑ן זָקֵ֔ן זָקֵ֖ן זָקֵ֣ן זָקֵ֥ן זָקֵֽן׃ זָקַ֑נְתִּי זָקַ֔נְתִּי זָקַ֔נְתָּ זָקַ֖נְתִּי זָקַ֙נְתָּה֙ זָקַ֣נְתִּי זָקַֽנְתִּי׃ זקן זקן׃ זקנה זקנת זקנתה זקנתי זקנתי׃ יַ֝זְקִ֗ין יַזְקִ֣ין יזקין vaiyizKan way·yiz·qan wayyizqan yaz·qîn yazKin yazqîn zā·qan·tā zā·qan·tāh zā·qan·tî zā·qə·nāh zā·qên zaKanta zaKantah zaKanti zaKen zakeNah zāqantā zāqantāh zāqantî zāqên zāqənāh
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