Hebrew word · H2208

זְקֻנִים

zekunim

extreme age

An abstract plural from zaqen, 'old, elder': 'old age'. It occurs only in Genesis (21:2, 7; 37:3; 44:20), each time in the phrase 'son/child of (or for) old age'.

Appears 4 times in 4 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

old age, extreme old age

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Genesis 21:2

Range of meaning

An abstract plural from zaqen, 'old, elder': 'old age'. It occurs only in Genesis (21:2, 7; 37:3; 44:20), each time in the phrase 'son/child of (or for) old age'.

Against the English

Most versions say 'in his old age', which is accurate as a time marker. YLT's 'to his old age' keeps the Hebrew preposition 'to/for', which suggests a son given for, and belonging to, the father's old age.

Used elsewhere in the period

Gen 21:7, where Sarah says 'I have borne him a son for his old age'. Gen 37:3, where Joseph is loved as Jacob's 'son of old age'. Gen 44:20, where Benjamin is 'a young child of his old age'. In each case the phrase marks a late, deeply cherished child.

Where it appears

Genesis · 4

  1. Genesis 21:2 לִזְקֻנָ֑יו of old age<s> his

    So Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised.

    Here: An abstract plural meaning 'old age', with 'for/to' attached: a son 'for his old age'. It dates the birth to Abraham's extreme age (he is 100, v. 5). It also hints at a child who belongs to and brightens that old age, the same idiom used of Joseph as Jacob's 'son of old age' (37:3).

  2. Genesis 21:7 לִזְקֻנָֽיו׃ of old age<s> his

    She added, “Who would have told Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.”

  3. Genesis 37:3 זְקֻנִ֥ים old age<s>

    Now Israel loved Joseph more than his other sons, because Joseph had been born to him in his old age; so he made him a robe of many colors.

  4. Genesis 44:20 זְקֻנִ֖ים old age<s>

    And we answered, ‘We have an elderly father and a younger brother, the child of his old age. The boy’s brother is dead. He is the only one of his mother’s sons left, and his father loves him.’

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.