What does זָקֵן (zāqēn) mean in the Bible?
זָקֵן (zāqēn): Denotes advanced age; primarily a man of authority and wisdom, functioning as elder in community governance and counsel
Hebrew · H2205
זָקֵן
Old
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זָקֵן H2205
Pronunciation zāqēn
What does זָקֵן (zāqēn) mean in the Bible?
זָקֵן (zāqēn): Denotes advanced age; primarily a man of authority and wisdom, functioning as elder in community governance and counsel
Full entry for זָקֵן (H2205) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H2205?
The BSB source-word alignment has 178 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include the elders (58), of the elders (13), and the elders (10), elders (9), old (8).
Where does זָקֵן (zāqēn) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 18:11. Its strongest book concentrations include Deuteronomy (21), Judges (14), 1 Kings (12), Exodus (12).
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 the elders 58× Genesis 50:7, Exodus 3:16, Exodus 4:29, Exodus 12:21
of the elders 13× Exodus 17:6, Exodus 24:9, Numbers 11:16, Numbers 11:24
and the elders 10× Leviticus 9:1, Numbers 16:25, Deuteronomy 27:1, Joshua 8:10
elders 9× Exodus 24:1, Numbers 11:25, Deuteronomy 22:15, Deuteronomy 22:17
old 8× Genesis 19:4, Genesis 25:8, Genesis 35:29, Joshua 6:21
the old 5× Judges 19:17, Judges 19:20, Judges 19:22, 1 Kings 13:25
to the elders 5× Exodus 24:14, Judges 11:7, Ruth 4:9, 2 Kings 10:1
and old 3× Exodus 10:9, Jeremiah 31:13, Lamentations 2:21
some of the elders 3× Exodus 17:5, Jeremiah 26:17, Ezekiel 20:1
Then the elders 3× Deuteronomy 22:18, Deuteronomy 25:8, Judges 21:16
an old 2× Judges 19:16, 1 Samuel 28:14
and elders 2× Ezra 10:8, Lamentations 1:19
and the leading 2× 2 Kings 19:2, Isaiah 37:2
old age 2× 1 Samuel 2:31, 1 Samuel 2:32
So the elders 2× Joshua 9:11, 1 Kings 21:11
the aged 2× Leviticus 19:32, Joel 2:16
your elders 2× Deuteronomy 21:2, Deuteronomy 32:7
- 1× Deuteronomy 21:4
. . . 1× Numbers 22:7
[them] 1× Judges 11:9
against the old 1× Isaiah 3:5
along with the elders 1× Numbers 11:30
an elderly 1× Genesis 44:20
and leaders 1× Jeremiah 19:1
and old alike 1× Isaiah 20:4
and old women 1× Zechariah 8:4
and the elder 1× Isaiah 3:2
and your elders 1× Deuteronomy 5:23
as did the elders 1× Joshua 7:6
as leaders 1× Numbers 11:16
before [its] elders 1× Joshua 20:4
for the old 1× Deuteronomy 28:50
from the elders 1× Ezekiel 7:26
His elders 1× Isaiah 24:23
his elders {wisdom} 1× Psalms 105:22
How is your elderly 1× Genesis 43:27
including its elders 1× Joshua 23:2
is the elder 1× Isaiah 9:15
more than the elders 1× Psalms 119:100
neither elderly 1× 2 Chronicles 36:17
O elders 1× Joel 1:2
of elders 1× Job 12:20
of the aged 1× Proverbs 17:6
of the old 1× Proverbs 20:29
of the older 1× Ezra 3:12
Old men 1× Zechariah 8:4
or an old man 1× Isaiah 65:20
or the elderly 1× Job 32:9
Take some of the elders 1× Jeremiah 19:1
than an old 1× Ecclesiastes 4:13
the chief 1× Genesis 24:2
the elderly 1× Isaiah 47:6
the old man 1× Jeremiah 51:22
the old men 1× Ezekiel 9:6
Then some of the elders 1× Ezekiel 14:1
They 1× Judges 11:8
to his own 1× 1 Kings 13:29
were already old 1× Genesis 18:11
were older 1× Job 32:4
When the elders 1× 1 Samuel 16:4
with [them] 1× Exodus 3:18
with the elders 1× Ezekiel 9:6
with their elders 1× Joshua 8:33
your old 1× Joel 2:28
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 18:11 זְקֵנִ֔ים to were already old Adjective - masculine plural Genesis 19:4 זָקֵ֑ן to old Adjective - masculine singular Genesis 24:2 זְקַ֣ן to the chief Adjective - masculine singular construct Genesis 25:8 זָקֵ֣ן to old Adjective - masculine singular Genesis 35:29 זָקֵ֖ן to old Adjective - masculine singular Genesis 43:27 הַזָּקֵ֖ן to How is your elderly Article | Adjective - masculine singular Genesis 44:20 זָקֵ֔ן to an elderly Adjective - masculine singular Genesis 50:7 זִקְנֵ֣י to the elders Adjective - masculine plural construct Genesis 50:7 זִקְנֵ֥י to the elders Adjective - masculine plural construct Exodus 3:16 זִקְנֵ֣י to the elders Adjective - masculine plural construct
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 18:11
Aligned rows 178
Books represented 26
Genesis 9 Exodus 12 Leviticus 3 Numbers 9 Deuteronomy 21 Joshua 9 Judges 14 Ruth 4 1 Samuel 9 2 Samuel 6 1 Kings 12 2 Kings 6 1 Chronicles 3 2 Chronicles 7 Ezra 3 Esther 1 Job 4 Psalms 4 Proverbs 3 Ecclesiastes 1 Isaiah 9 Jeremiah 7 Lamentations 6 Ezekiel 10 Joel 4 Zechariah 2
Source forms
זִקְנֵ֣י 25x ziq·nê Genesis 50:7, Exodus 3:16, Exodus 18:12, Numbers 22:4
זִקְנֵ֥י 15x ziq·nê Genesis 50:7, Exodus 12:21, Exodus 17:6, Numbers 11:16
זִקְנֵ֤י 6x ziq·nê Numbers 22:7, 1 Samuel 16:4, 2 Samuel 12:17, 2 Samuel 19:11
הַזְּקֵנִ֗ים 5x haz·zə·qê·nîm Deuteronomy 25:7, Joshua 24:31, Judges 2:7, 2 Kings 6:32
זִקְנֵ֨י 5x ziq·nê Leviticus 4:15, Judges 11:8, 2 Samuel 5:3, 1 Chronicles 11:3
מִזִּקְנֵ֣י 5x miz·ziq·nê Exodus 17:5, Exodus 24:1, Numbers 11:16, Numbers 11:24
הַזְּקֵנִ֖ים 4x haz·zə·qê·nîm 1 Kings 12:8, 1 Kings 12:13, 1 Kings 20:8, 2 Chronicles 10:8
זָקֵ֖ן 4x zā·qên Genesis 35:29, 1 Samuel 2:31, Job 42:17, Jeremiah 6:11
Parsing patterns
Adjective - masculine plural construct 62x Genesis 50:7, Exodus 3:16, Exodus 4:29, Exodus 12:21
Article | Adjective - masculine plural 21x Exodus 24:14, Numbers 11:25, Deuteronomy 22:16, Deuteronomy 25:7
Adjective - masculine singular 20x Genesis 19:4, Genesis 25:8, Genesis 35:29, Genesis 44:20
Adjective - masculine plural 12x Genesis 18:11, Job 12:20, Job 32:4, Psalms 107:32
Preposition-m | Adjective - masculine plural construct 10x Exodus 17:5, Exodus 24:1, Exodus 24:9, Numbers 11:16
Conjunctive waw | Adjective - masculine plural construct 8x Exodus 3:18, Numbers 11:30, Numbers 22:7, Deuteronomy 27:1
Article | Adjective - masculine singular 6x Genesis 43:27, Judges 19:17, Judges 19:20, Judges 19:22
Conjunctive waw, Article | Adjective - masculine plural 5x Ruth 4:11, 2 Kings 6:32, 2 Kings 10:5, 1 Chronicles 21:16
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Denotes advanced age; primarily a man of authority and wisdom, functioning as elder in community governance and counsel
Source Gloss
old
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Denotes advanced age; primarily a man of authority and wisdom, functioning as elder in community governance and counsel
old Usage: aged, ancient (man), elder(-est), old (man, men and...women), senator.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
Moses described as aged, emphasizing his advanced years in life
Commandment to honor and fear the aged, establishing social obligation
Aging parents as crown and honor within family relationships
Contrast between strength of youth and dignity of advancing in years
Showing 4 selected witnesses from 179 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
זָקֵן is built from this root:
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