H3453 H3453
aged, elderly; advanced in years (used only in Job)
This adjective appears exclusively in the book of Job to describe elderly persons, those advanced in years. Job uses it to contrast young and old, noting that both gray-haired elders and the aged stood in his assembly, or proverbially claiming that wisdom resides 'among the aged.' Young Elihu uses it to describe why he waited respectfully to speak, deferring to those who were 'aged' while he was 'young in days.'
Senses
1. sense 1 — The term appears four times in Job's poetry describing elderly individuals. Job declares that 'among aged men is wisdom' (Job 12:12), contrasting long years with understanding. He recalls how 'the aged arose and stood' when he entered the assembly (Job 29:8, opposite 'young men'). Elihu explains his reticence: 'You are aged, and I am young in days' (Job 32:6), and notes that even 'the gray-haired and aged' are among Job's companions (Job 15:10, parallel to 'very old'). Spanish ancianos and French vieux track the 'elderly/old' sense across Romance languages, while German leaves the participial forms in Hebrew brackets, showing translation difficulty with this rare term. 4×
AR["بِالشُّيوخِ", "شَيْخٌ", "شُيوخٌ", "وَ-الشُّيوخُ"]·ben["আর-বৃদ্ধরা", "প্রাচীন", "বৃদ্ধদের-মধ্যে", "বৃদ্ধরা"]·DE["[בישישים]", "[וישישים]", "[ישיש]", "[ישישים]"]·EN["aged", "and-aged-ones", "are-aged", "in-aged"]·FR["dans-vieux", "et-vieux", "vieux"]·heb["ב-ישישים", "ו-ישישים", "ישיש", "ישישים"]·HI["और-बूढ़े", "बहुत-बूढ़ा", "बूढ़े", "बूढ़ों-में"]·ID["Pada-orang-orang-tua", "dan-orang-orang tua", "orang-orang tua", "sangat-tua"]·IT["aged", "e-e-aged-ones", "in-in-aged", "sono-aged"]·jav["ing-tiyang-sepuh", "lan-tiyang-sepuh", "sepuh", "tiyang-sepuh"]·KO["그리고-늘은이들이", "늘은-이들-안에", "늘은-자가", "늘은-자들이라"]·PT["Nos-idosos", "ancião", "anciãos", "e-anciãos"]·RU["в-старцах", "и-старцы", "старец", "старцы"]·ES["En-los-ancianos", "anciano", "ancianos", "y-ancianos"]·SW["kwa-wazee", "mzee", "na-wazee", "wazee"]·TR["ve-yaşlılar", "yaşlı", "yaşlılarda", "yaşlısınız"]·urd["اور-بوڑھے", "بزرگ", "بوڑھوں-میں"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)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×)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×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† יָשִׁישׁ adj. aged, only Jb (NH once יָשִׁישִׁים old, venerable men, Levy Jastr);—abs. יָשִׁישׁ Jb 15:10; pl. יְשִׁישִׁים 32:6 + 2 times;—aged, as pred. adj. Jb 32:6 (opp. צָעִיר לְיָמִים); as subst. 15:10 (‖ שָׂב); 29:8 (opp. נערים); בִּישִׁישִׁים חָכְמָה 12:12 among aged men is wisdom (‖ אֹרֶךְ יָמִים תְּבוּנָה).