What does זָקֵן mean in the Bible?
זָקֵן is a Hebrew word meaning "to be old".
Hebrew · H2204
זָקֵן
To be old
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זָקֵן H2204
What does זָקֵן mean in the Bible?
זָקֵן is a Hebrew word meaning "to be old".
Full entry for זָקֵן (H2204) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H2204?
The BSB source-word alignment has 27 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include old (7), was old (5), am old (3), is old (3), are old (2).
Where does זָקֵן appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 18:12. Its strongest book concentrations include 1 Samuel (6), Genesis (6), Joshua (4), 1 Kings (2).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It old 7× Genesis 18:13, Genesis 27:1, Genesis 27:2, 1 Samuel 2:22
was old 5× Genesis 24:1, Joshua 13:1, Joshua 23:1, 1 Kings 1:1
am old 3× Joshua 23:2, 1 Samuel 12:2, Psalms 37:25
is old 3× Genesis 18:12, Genesis 19:31, 2 Kings 4:14
are old 2× Joshua 13:1, 1 Samuel 8:5
[Jesse] was old 1× 1 Samuel 17:12
grew old 1× 1 Samuel 8:1
grow old 1× Job 14:8
he is old 1× Proverbs 22:6
I am too old 1× Ruth 1:12
she is old 1× Proverbs 23:22
When Jehoiada was old 1× 2 Chronicles 24:15
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 18:12 זָקֵֽן׃ to is old Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular Genesis 18:13 זָקַֽנְתִּי׃ to old Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular Genesis 19:31 זָקֵ֑ן to is old Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular Genesis 24:1 זָקֵ֔ן to was old Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular Genesis 27:1 זָקֵ֣ן to old Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular Genesis 27:2 זָקַ֑נְתִּי to old Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular Joshua 13:1 זָקֵ֔ן to was old Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular Joshua 13:1 זָקַ֙נְתָּה֙ to are old Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular Joshua 23:1 זָקֵ֔ן to was old Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular Joshua 23:2 זָקַ֔נְתִּי to am old Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 18:12
Aligned rows 27
Books represented 12
Genesis 6 Joshua 4 Ruth 1 1 Samuel 6 2 Samuel 1 1 Kings 2 2 Kings 1 1 Chronicles 1 2 Chronicles 1 Job 1 Psalms 1 Proverbs 2
Source forms
זָקֵ֔ן 4x zā·qên Genesis 24:1, Joshua 13:1, Joshua 23:1, 1 Kings 1:1
זָקֵ֣ן 4x zā·qên Genesis 27:1, 1 Samuel 2:22, 2 Samuel 19:32, 1 Kings 1:15
זָקֵ֖ן 3x zā·qên 1 Samuel 8:1, 1 Samuel 17:12, 1 Chronicles 23:1
זָקֵֽן׃ 2x zā·qên Genesis 18:12, 2 Kings 4:14
וַיִּזְקַ֧ן 1x way·yiz·qan 2 Chronicles 24:15
זָקֵ֑ן 1x zā·qên Genesis 19:31
זָקֵ֥ן 1x zā·qên 1 Samuel 4:18
זָקְנָ֥ה 1x zā·qə·nāh Proverbs 23:22
Parsing patterns
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular 15x Genesis 18:12, Genesis 19:31, Genesis 24:1, Genesis 27:1
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular 6x Genesis 18:13, Genesis 27:2, Joshua 23:2, Ruth 1:12
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular 2x Job 14:8, Proverbs 22:6
Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular 2x Joshua 13:1, 1 Samuel 8:5
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular 1x 2 Chronicles 24:15
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular 1x Proverbs 23:22
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. to be old
Source Gloss
to be old
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
to be old Usage: aged man, be (wax) old (man).
Grammatical Forms
How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups 2 Aligned forms 26
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 24×
Perfect 1Chr 23:1 · 1Kgs 1:1 · 1Kgs 1:15 · 1Sam 2:22 · 1Sam 4:18 · 1Sam 8:1 · 1Sam 17:12 · 2Kgs 4:14 · 2Sam 19:33 · Gen 18:12 · Gen 19:31 · Gen 24:1 · Gen 27:1 · Josh 13:1 · Josh 23:1 · 1Sam 12:2 24×
Hiphil causative active — the subject causes someone else to perform the action 2×
Imperfect Job 14:8 · Prov 22:6 2×
Word Origins
זָקֵן is a primitive root - no further derivation.
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain