זָקֵן H2205
Old, aged; an elder or community leader; used both as an adjective for age and a title for civic authority.
Few Hebrew words straddle the line between physical description and social role as neatly as zaqen. As a simple adjective, it describes someone old -- Abraham and Sarah are 'old, advanced in years' (Gen 18:11). But in the plural construct ('elders of Israel,' 'elders of the city'), it becomes a technical leadership term for the council of senior men who governed tribal, civic, and national affairs. The 'elders of Israel' appear from Egypt (Exod 3:16) through the monarchy and into the exile. Arabic 'shaykh' follows exactly the same semantic path: an old man becomes a tribal chief. German distinguishes nicely between 'alt' (old) and 'Älteste' (elders), while English 'elder' preserves the same productive ambiguity as the Hebrew.
Senses
1. elder, community leader — Elder, community or civic leader. The substantivized plural or construct form denoting a recognized authority figure -- a member of a ruling council, tribal leader, or civic official. This is the most frequent sense (139 occurrences), appearing in formulaic phrases like 'elders of Israel' (Exod 3:16), 'elders of the city' (Deut 21:3), and 'elders of Judah' (2 Sam 19:12). These elders served judicial, military, and diplomatic functions. Spanish 'ancianos,' French 'anciens,' and German 'Älteste' all reflect the institutionalized sense of age-as-authority. 139×
AR["شُيُوخَ", "شُيُوخُ", "شُيُوخِ"]·ben["প্রাচীনগণ-", "প্রাচীনদের", "প্রাচীনরা", "প্রাচীনেরা", "বৃদ্ধেরা"]·DE["Aelteste-von", "die-Ältesten", "elders-von", "Ältesten"]·EN["elders-of"]·FR["anciens-de"]·heb["זקן", "זקני"]·HI["पुरनिए", "पुरनिये", "पुरनियों", "प्राचीन", "प्राचीनों", "बुज़ुरगõ", "बुजुर्ग"]·ID["para-tua-tua", "tua-tua"]·IT["anziani-di"]·jav["para-pinisepuh", "para-pinituwa", "para-sepuh", "para-sesepuh", "pinisepuh-pinisepuh", "pinituwa"]·KO["장로들", "장로들-의", "장로들-이", "장로들을", "장로들의", "장로들이"]·PT["anciãos-de", "os-anciãos-de"]·RU["старейшин", "старейшинам", "старейшинами", "старейшины"]·ES["ancianos-de", "ancianos-de-", "los-ancianos-de"]·SW["kila", "wazee", "wazee-wa"]·TR["ihtiyarları", "ihtiyarları-", "ihtiyarlarına", "ihtiyarlarını", "ihtiyarlarının", "ileri-gelenleri", "ileri-gelenlerine", "ileri-gelenlerinin", "yaşlıları"]·urd["بزرگ", "بزرگ-ہیں", "بزرگوں"]
Gen 50:7, Gen 50:7, Exod 3:16, Exod 4:29, Exod 12:21, Exod 17:6, Exod 18:12, Exod 24:14, Lev 4:15, Num 11:16, Num 11:25, Num 16:25 (+38 more)
2. old, aged person — Old, aged -- a physical description of advanced years without institutional connotation. Used adjectivally ('an old man,' 'an old prophet') or substantively ('the old and the young'). Genesis 18:11 describes Abraham and Sarah as 'old, advanced in days,' and Genesis 19:4 speaks of 'old and young' among the men of Sodom. Spanish 'viejo,' French 'vieux,' and German 'alt' render the purely descriptive sense. The Arabic cognate 'shaykh' in its non-titular sense captures the same physical meaning. 39×
AR["الشَّيْخُ", "الشَّيْخِ", "شَيخٌ", "شَيخٍ", "شَيْخًا", "شَيْخٌ", "شَيْخٍ", "مَلِكٍ"]·ben["বৃদ্ধ"]·DE["Aeltester", "Alten", "alt", "alt-Mann", "dem-alten", "der-alt", "einen-alten"]·EN["elder", "old", "old-man", "the-old"]·FR["ancien", "le-ancien", "le-vieux", "vieux", "vieux-homme"]·heb["ה-זקן", "זקן"]·HI["बुढ़ा", "बुध", "बूढ़ा", "बूढ़े", "बूढ़े-ने", "बोओध", "वृद्ध"]·ID["orang-tua", "tua", "tua-itu", "yang-tua"]·IT["anziano", "il-vecchio", "vecchio", "vecchio-uomo"]·jav["ingkang-sepuh", "sepuh", "sepèh", "sepùh", "tiyang-sepuh"]·KO["그-늘은이가", "그-늘은이에게", "그-늙은", "노인", "늘어서", "늘었고", "늘은", "늘은이", "늘은이가", "늘은자", "늙은"]·PT["idoso", "o-idoso", "o-velho", "velho"]·RU["старец", "старик", "старому", "старца", "старый", "старым"]·ES["anciano", "el-anciano", "viejo"]·SW["mzee", "na-mtoto", "na-wakainama", "zaken"]·TR["-yaşlı", "yasli", "yaşlı", "yaşlıya"]·urd["ال-بوڑھا", "بوڑھا", "بوڑھے", "بوڑھے-وہ"]
Gen 18:11, Gen 19:4, Gen 25:8, Gen 35:29, Gen 43:27, Gen 44:20, Lev 19:32, Deut 28:50, Josh 6:21, Judg 19:16, Judg 19:17, Judg 19:20 (+27 more)
3. sense 3 — Old women (feminine plural), used in Zechariah 8:4's vision of restored Jerusalem where 'old men and old women shall again sit in the streets.' This single feminine occurrence (zqenot) rounds out the eschatological image of peaceful longevity -- a city so blessed that the elderly can sit safely in its public spaces. English 'old women,' Spanish 'ancianas,' and German 'Ältester' (feminine context) render this hapax use. 1×
AR["وَعَجَائِزُ"]·ben["এবং-বৃদ্ধা"]·DE["und-Aeltester"]·EN["and-old-women"]·FR["et-ancien"]·heb["ו-זקנות"]·HI["और-बूढ़ियाँ"]·ID["dan-orang-tua-perempuan"]·IT["e-anziano"]·jav["lan-tiyang-sepuh-èstri"]·KO["그리고-노파들이"]·PT["e-velhas"]·RU["и-старицы"]·ES["y-ancianas"]·SW["na-wanawake-wazee"]·TR["ve-yaşlı-kadınlar"]·urd["اور-بوڑھی-عورتیں"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H3117 1. day, specific time (2231×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H5704 1. until, unto, as far as (1238×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8141 1. year, unit of time (880×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
זָקֵן adj. old, abs. ז׳ Gn 19:4 + 30 times (on distinct. from vb. v. supr.); cstr. זְקַן Gn 24:2; pl. זְקֵנִים Gn 18:11 + 44 times; זְקֵנוֹת Zc 8:4; cstr. זִקְנֵי Gn 50:7 + 85 times; sf. זְקֵנַי La 1:19, זְקֵנֶיךָ Dt 21:2; 32:7, זְקֵנָיו Jos 8:33 + 3 times, זְקֵנֶיהָ Ju 8:14, זְקֵנֵינוּ Ex 10:9 Jos 9:11, זִקְנֵיכֶם Dt 5:20 + 2 times;— 1. old, of human beings, as adj. pred. Gn 18:11 (J), Jb 32:4…