זָקֻן
𐤆𐤒𐤍
zâqun
H2208 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
State or condition of advanced age; period of life characterized by being old. Used primarily to denote old age as an abstract concept rather than as a specific stage or person. In biblical usage, often refers to the status or condition associated with the elderly, carrying implications of both physical aging and social status.
Semantic Range
old age, period of life of advanced age, condition/state of being old, the time in which one is aged
Root / Etymology
Root: זקן (z-q-n). The root זקן functions primarily with the sense 'to be/become old, advance in age.' זָקֻן is formally the passive participle form of this root, though used solely as a noun to denote the state of being old. The form itself is rarely attested and predominantly found in the plural.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The term זָקֻן is an abstract noun denoting the condition of old age, found only in plural forms (זְקֻנִים) in the Hebrew Bible (e.g., Genesis 21:2, 21:7, 37:3). It is distinct from זָקֵן (zāqēn), which is more common and may refer to an 'elder'—either in age or in tribal leadership—or as an adjective meaning 'old.' The usage of זָקֻן/זְקֻנִים is confined to the context of describing someone's old age, particularly in reference to patriarchal figures (e.g., Abraham, Sarah, Jacob). Unlike other ancient languages that sometimes personify or dwell on the decrepitude of old age, biblical Hebrew tends to frame זְקֻנִים with positive connotations of dignity, status, and, at times, privilege. English translations such as 'old age' capture the general sense but can miss the term's nuanced association with respect and the special status of the aged among early Israelite kinship structures. The word does not carry the implication of frailty unless that is clear from context. In post-biblical Hebrew, related forms continue but shift to denote more general states of old age.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
lemma זָקֻ missing final nun, corrected to זָקֻן; properly, passive participle of זָקֵן (used only in the plural as a noun); old age; old age.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
זקן (z-q-n) — to be old, grow old, advance in age
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H2204 | זָקֵן | and he grew old |
| H2205 | זָקֵן | in the elder |
| H2206 | זָקָן | in the beard of |
| H2207 | זֹקֶן | from old age |
| H2209 | זִקְנָה | old age |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2208-02 |
זְקֻנִ֥ים | zequnim | HNcmpa |
of his old age | old-age years | 2 |
H2208-01 |
לִ/זְקֻנָ֑י/ו | lizequnayv | HR/Ncmpc/Sp3ms |
in his old age | to his old-age years | 2 |
Occurrences in Scripture
4 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2208-01 |
Genesis 21:2 | לִ/זְקֻנָ֑י/ו | lizequnayv | HR/Ncmpc/Sp3ms |
in his old age | to his old-age years |
H2208-01 |
Genesis 21:7 | לִ/זְקֻנָֽי/ו | lizequnayv | HR/Ncmpc/Sp3ms |
to his old age | to his old-age years |
H2208-02 |
Genesis 37:3 | זְקֻנִ֥ים | zequnim | HNcmpa |
of his old age | old-age years |
H2208-02 |
Genesis 44:20 | זְקֻנִ֖ים | zequnim | HNcmpa |
of his old age | old-age years |