Greek word · G1088
γέρων
gerōn
an old man
An old man, an elder in age. A related word, gerousia ('council of elders'), was used for governing bodies, including the Jewish senate in Jerusalem.
Appears once in the Greek New Testament. ·
What it means
From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).
In depth
- Range of meaning
An old man, an elder in age. A related word, gerousia ('council of elders'), was used for governing bodies, including the Jewish senate in Jerusalem.
- Against the English
English versions say 'when he is old'. That is fine, but it loses how personal the word is. It is the only time this noun appears in the New Testament.
- Used elsewhere in the period
Used in the Septuagint for elderly men (e.g. Gen 25:8 'an old man and full of days'; Prov 17:6). In the Greek world old age meant a settled character and social standing.
Where it appears
John · 1
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John 3:4 γέρων old
“How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked. “Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time to be born?”
Here: A noun, 'an old man', and it appears only here in the New Testament. It points to a life already set in its shape. Most likely Nicodemus is talking about himself.
Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.