H7872 H7872
Gray hair, hoary head; by metonymy, old age itself, especially in the phrase 'a good old age.'
A feminine noun denoting the visible mark of aging — gray or white hair — and, by extension, the stage of life it represents. Jacob's anguished cry about bringing his 'gray hairs down to Sheol in sorrow' (Gen 42:38; 44:29, 31) treats the hoary head as a synecdoche for the whole vulnerable person. Leviticus 19:32 commands rising before the gray head as an act of honor. Yet the word slides naturally into a temporal meaning: 'a good old age' (seivah tovah, Gen 15:15; 25:8; Judg 8:32) where Spanish 'vejez' (old age) and German 'Alter' replace the hair imagery entirely. Hosea 7:9 offers a striking metaphor — gray hairs are sprinkled on Ephraim without his knowing, a nation aging toward death unaware.
Senses
1. gray hair (literal) — Gray or white hair as a physical, visible feature of aging. Carries connotations of dignity, vulnerability, or authority depending on context. Jacob fears his 'gray hair' will descend to Sheol in grief (Gen 42:38; 44:29, 31); Proverbs 16:31 calls gray hair a 'crown of glory.' Spanish 'canas' (gray hairs) and French 'cheveux gris' maintain the concrete, bodily reference. Hosea 7:9 uses it as a haunting metaphor — gray hairs flecking Ephraim without his awareness, signaling unnoticed national decline. The word appears with construct forms and suffixes ('my gray hair,' 'your gray hair'), anchoring it to the person's body. 13×
AR["الشَّيبُ", "الشَّيْبِ", "شَيْبَةً.", "شَيْبَةٌ", "شَيْبَةٍ", "شَيْبَةَ", "شَيْبَتَهُ", "شَيْبَتِي", "وَ-الشَّيْبَةِ"]·ben["আমার-পাকা-চুল", "ও-পাকা-চুল", "তার-পাকা-চুল", "পাকা-চুল", "পাকা-চুলের", "শুক্লা-চুলের-মতো"]·DE["[לשיבה]", "[שיבה]", "[שיבה]", "das-graue-Haar", "gray-Haar", "mein-graues-Haar", "sein-gray-hair", "und-gray-hairs"]·EN["and-gray-hairs", "gray-hair", "gray-hair-of", "his-gray-hair", "my-gray-hair", "to-be-white-haired"]·FR["[שיבה]", "et-vieillesse", "gray-cheveu", "gray-cheveux-de", "mon-gray-cheveux", "son-gray-hair", "vieillesse", "à-לשיבה", "שיבה"]·heb["ו-שיבה", "ל-שיבה", "שיבה", "שיבת", "שיבתו", "שיבתי-י"]·HI["उसके-सफेद-बालों-को", "और-सफेद-बालों-वाला", "पके-बाल", "बुढ़ापे", "बुढ़ापे-के", "बुढ़ापे-को-मेरे", "बूढ़े-के।", "मेरे-बाल", "सफ़ेद-बालों-की-तरह", "सफेद-बाल", "सफेद-बालों", "सफेदी"]·ID["beruban", "dan-uban", "uban", "ubanku", "ubannya"]·IT["[שיבה]", "e-vecchiaia", "gray-capello", "gray-hair-di", "mio-gray-hair", "per-to-be-white-haired", "suo-grigio-capelli"]·jav["dados-rambut-pethak.", "saha-uwan", "uban", "uwan", "uwanan", "uwanipun", "uwèt", "uwèt-kula"]·KO["그의-백발을", "나의-백발을", "백발", "백발-으로", "백발을", "백발의", "백발이", "백발이니라"]·PT["cabelo-branco", "cabelo-grisalho", "cabelos-brancos", "cabelos-brancos-de", "cabelos-brancos-meus", "cabelos-grisalhos", "como-cabelos-brancos.", "e-cabelos-brancos", "sua-velhice"]·RU["и-седины", "седая", "седина", "сединой", "седину", "седину-его", "седину-мою", "седины", "седовласым"]·ES["canas", "canas-de", "canas-mías", "como-canas", "las-canas", "sus-canas", "y-canas"]·SW["kuwa-mvi", "kwa", "mvi", "mvi-zake", "mvi-zangu", "mwenye-mvi", "na-mvi", "nasi", "ni-mvi"]·TR["ak-saca", "ak-saç", "ak-saçlarımı", "ak-saçlarını", "ak-saçlı", "ak-saçlının", "aklar", "ve-ak-saçlılık"]·urd["بال-سفیدی", "بالوں-سفید", "بالوں-سفید-میرے", "بالوں-سفید-کے", "بوڑھے", "سفید-بال", "سفید-بالوں-کو-اس-کے", "سفیدی", "سفیدی-میری", "وَ-سفیدی"]
Gen 42:38, Gen 44:29, Gen 44:31, Lev 19:32, Deut 32:25, 1 Kgs 2:6, 1 Kgs 2:9, Job 41:32, Ps 71:18, Prov 16:31, Prov 20:29, Isa 46:4 (+1 more)
2. old age (metonymic) — Old age itself, used metonymically — the gray hair standing for the entire life-stage. Typically appears with the preposition be ('in old age') or in the set phrase seivah tovah, 'a good old age' (Gen 15:15; 25:8; Judg 8:32; 1 Chr 29:28). Spanish shifts entirely to 'vejez' (old age), German to 'Alter,' and English to 'old age,' confirming that the concrete hair-image has faded into a temporal concept. Ruth 4:15 celebrates a grandson who will 'nourish your old age,' where the focus is on a season of life, not a strand of hair. 6×
AR["بِ-شَيْبَةٍ", "بِشَيْبَةٍ", "بِـ-شَيْبَة", "شَيْبَتَكِ", "فِي-الشَّيْخُوخَةِ", "فِي-شَيْبَةٍ"]·ben["-বৃদ্ধ-বয়সে", "তোমার-বার্ধক্যের", "বার্ধক্যে", "বৃদ্ধ-বয়সে", "বৃদ্ধত্বে"]·DE["[בשיבה]", "[שיבתך]", "in-alt-Alter", "in-alt-age", "in-gutem"]·EN["in-a-good", "in-gray-hair", "in-old-age", "your-old-age"]·FR["[בשיבה]", "dans-gray-cheveux", "dans-un-bon", "dans-vieillesse", "dans-vieux-âge", "ton-vieux-âge"]·heb["ב-שיבה", "שיבתך"]·HI["-में-बुढ़ापा", "बुढ़ापा-तेरे", "बुढ़ापे-में", "बुढ़ापेमें", "बुधपे-मे"]·ID["dalam-uban", "dalam-usia-tua", "di-masa-tua", "di-usia-tua", "pada-usia-tua", "usia-tuamu"]·IT["[בשיבה]", "in-gray-hair", "in-un-buono", "in-vecchio-età", "tua-vecchiaia", "vecchiaia"]·jav["ing-rambut-pethak", "ing-sepuh", "ing-yuswa", "ing-yuswa-pethak", "ing-yuswanipun-sepuh", "uwan-panjenengan"]·KO["노년-에", "니-노년을", "백발-에서", "백발로", "에-노년", "에-희대"]·PT["em-velhice", "na-velhice", "tua-velhice"]·RU["в-седине", "в-старости", "седину-твою"]·ES["en-vejez", "tu-vejez"]·SW["katika-uzee", "uzee", "uzee-wako"]·TR["de-yaşlılıkta", "iyi-bir", "yaşlılıkta", "yaşlılığının"]·urd["بڑھاپے-میں", "تیرے-بڑھاپے"]
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
† שֵׂיבָה n.f. hoary head, old age;—abs. שׂ׳ Ho 7:9 +; cstr. שֵׂיבַת Gn 44:31; sf. שֵׂיבָתִי 42:38; 44:29, etc.;— 1. grey hair, hoary head Ho 7:9 (fig.), Gn 42:38; 44:29, 31 (all J), 1 K 2:6, 9; Pr 16:31; 20:29; אִישׁ שׂ׳ Dt 32:25 (opp. יוֹנֵק); ‖ זָקֵן Lv 19:32 (H), ‖ זִקְנָה Is 46:4, + id., ψ 71:18 (in these transition to foll.); fig. of sea Jb 41:24. 2. old age, שׂ׳ טוֹבָה Gn 15:15 (JE), 25:8…