Dictionaries :: Age

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Age:

used to denote the period of a man's life (Gen 47:28), the maturity of life (Jhn 9:21), the latter end of life (Job 11:17), a generation of the human race (Job 8:8), and an indefinite period (Eph 2:7; 3:5,21; Col 1:26). Respect to be shown to the aged (Lev 19:32). It is a blessing to communities when they have old men among them (Isa 65:20; Zec 8:4). The aged supposed to excel in understanding (Job 12:20; 15:10; 32:4,9; 1Ki 12:6,8). A full age the reward of piety (Job 5:26; Gen 15:15).

International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia

Age:

aj: A period of time or a dispensation. In the above sense the word occurs only once in the King James Version, in the sing, as the translation of dor, which means, properly, a "revolution" or "round of time," "a period," "an age" or "generation of man's life"; almost invariable translated "generation," "generations" (Job 8:8), "Inquire, I pray thee, of the former age"); we have the plural as the translation of aion, properly "duration," "the course or flow of time," "an age or period of the world," "the world" (Eph 2:7, "in the ages to come"; Col 1:26, "the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations," the English Revised Version, "from all ages," etc., the American Revised Version, margin, of geneai, "generations" (Eph 3:5 "generations," Eph 3:21, "unto all generations for ever and ever," Greek margin, "all the generations of the age of the ages"). "Ages is given in margin of the King James Version (Ps 145:13; Isa 26:4, "the rock of ages").

We have "age" in the above sense (2 Esdras 3:18; Tobit 14:5; aion) "ages," aion (1 Esdras 4:40 (of Truth) "she is the strength," etc., "of all ages"), genea, the Revised Version (British and American), "generation" (The Wisdom of Solomon 7:27; 1 Macc 2:61); Ecclesiasticus 24:33, eis geneas aionon, "generations of ages"; The Wisdom of Solomon 14:6, "generations' (geneseos).

Revised Version has "age" for "world" (Heb 6:5); "ages" for "worlds" (the Revised Version, margin Heb 1:2; the American Revised Version, margin; compare 1Ti 1:17) (margin, "unto the ages of the ages"), "ages" for "world" (1Co 10:11; Heb 9:26). the English Revised Version has "all ages" for "the beginning of the world "(Eph 3:9, the American Standard Revised Version "for ages"); "king of the ages" for "king of saints" (Re 15:3, corrected text; margin, many ancient authorities read "nations"; Jer 10:7).

Written by W. L. Walker

Age; Old Age →

Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words

A-1NounStrong's Number: g165Greek: aion

Age:

"an age, era" (to be connected with aei, "ever," rather than with ao, "to breathe"), signifies a period of indefinite duration, or time viewed in relation to what takes place in the period. The force attaching to the word is not so much that of the actual length of a period, but that of a period marked by spiritual or moral characteristics. This is illustrated in the use of the adjective [see Note (1) below] in the phrase "life eternal," in Jhn 17:3, in respect of the increasing knowledge of God.

The phrases containing this word should not be rendered literally, but consistently with its sense of indefinite duration. Thus eis ton aiona does not mean "unto the age" but "for ever" (see, e.g., Hbr 5:6). The Greeks contrasted that which came to an end with that which was expressed by this phrase, which shows that they conceived of it as expressing interminable duration.

The word occurs most frequently in the Gospel of John, the Hebrews and Revelation. It is sometimes wrongly rendered "world."
See COURSE, ETERNAL, WORLD. It is a characteristic word of John's Gospel.

Notes:

(1) Aionios, the adjective corresponding, denoting "eternal," is set in contrast with proskairos, lit., "for a season," 2Cr 4:18. It is used of that which in nature is endless, as, e.g., of God, Rom 16:26, His power, 1Ti 6:16, His glory, 1Pe 5:10, the Holy Spirit, Hbr 9:14, redemption, Hbr 9:12, salvation, 5:9, life in Christ, Jhn 3:16, the resurrection body, 2Cr 5:1, the future rule of Christ, 2Pe 1:11, which is declared to be without end, Luk 1:33, of sin that never has forgiveness, Mar 3:29, the judgment of God, Hbr 6:2, and of fire, one of its instruments, Mat 18:8; 25:41; Jud 1:7.
See ETERNAL, EVERLASTING.

(2) In Rev 15:3, the RV has "King of the ages," according to the texts which have aionon; the AV has "of saints" (hagion, in inferior mss.). There is good ms. evidence for ethnon, "nations," (AV, marg.), probably a quotation from Jer 10:7.

A-2NounStrong's Number: g1074Greek: genea

Age:

connected with ginomai, "to become," primarily signifies "a begetting, or birth;" hence, that which has been begotten, a family; or successive members of a genealogy, Mat 1:17, or of a race of people, possessed of similar characteristics, pursuits, etc., (of a bad character) Mat 17:17; Mar 9:19; Luk 9:41; 16:8; Act 2:40; or of the whole multitude of men living at the same time, Mat 24:34; Mar 13:30; Luk 1:48; 21:32; Phl 2:15, and especially of those of the Jewish race living at the same period, Mat 11:16, etc. Transferred from people to the time in which they lived, the word came to mean "an age," i.e., a period ordinarily occupied by each successive generation, say, of thirty or forty years, Act 14:16; 15:21; Eph 3:5; Col 1:26; see also, e.g., Gen 15:16. In Eph 3:21 genea is combined with aion in a remarkable phrase in a doxology: "Unto Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus, unto all generations for ever and ever (wrongly in AV 'all ages,world without end')." The word genea is to be distinguished from aion, as not denoting a period of unlimited duration.
See GENERATION, NATION, TIME.

A-3NounStrong's Number: g2244Greek: helikia

Age:

primarily "an age," as a certain length of life, came to mean

(a) "a particular time of life," as when a person is said to be "of age," Jhn 9:21, 23, or beyond a certain stage of life, Hbr 11:11;

(b) elsewhere only "of stature," e.g., Mat 6:27; Luk 2:52; 12:25; 19:3; Eph 4:13. Some regard Mat 6:27; Luk 12:25 as coming under (a). It is to be distinguished from aion and genea, since it has to do simply with matters relating to an individual, either his time of life or his height.
See STATURE.

A-4NounStrong's Number: g2250Greek: hemera

Age:

"a day," is rendered "age" in Luk 2:36, "of a great age" (lit., "advanced in many days"). In Luk 3:23 there is no word in the original corresponding to age. The phrase is simply "about thirty years."
See DAY, JUDGMENT, TIME, YEAR.

B-1AdjectiveStrong's Number: g5230Greek: huperakmos

Age:

in 1Cr 7:36 is rendered "past the flower of her age;" more lit., "beyond the bloom or flower (acme) of life."

B-2AdjectiveStrong's Number: g5046Greek: teleios

Age:

"complete, perfect," from telos, "an end," is translated "of full age" in Hbr 5:14, AV (RV, "fullgrown man").

Note: In Mar 5:42, RV, "old," AV, "of the age of," is, lit., "of twelve years." For "of great age," Luk 2:36, see STRICKEN. For "of mine own age," Gal 1:14, RV, see EQUAL, B, No. 2.