Topical Bible: Older

Jump to: Concordance • Thesaurus • Greek • Hebrew • Library • Subtopics • Terms

Topical Encyclopedia

The term "older" in the Bible often refers to age, maturity, and the wisdom that comes with experience. It is used in various contexts, including familial relationships, leadership roles, and spiritual maturity. The concept of being older is associated with respect, authority, and responsibility.

1. Familial Context:

In the Bible, the older sibling often holds a position of authority and responsibility within the family. This is evident in the account of Esau and Jacob, where Esau, as the older brother, was entitled to the birthright and blessing (Genesis 25:23-34). However, the narrative also illustrates that being older does not guarantee the fulfillment of these roles, as Jacob ultimately receives the blessing through divine providence and human intervention.

2. Leadership and Authority:

The role of elders in Israelite society underscores the importance of age and experience in leadership. Elders were often the decision-makers and leaders within the community, as seen in passages like Exodus 3:16, where God instructs Moses to gather the elders of Israel. The New Testament continues this tradition, with elders serving as leaders within the early church. In 1 Timothy 5:17, Paul writes, "Elders who lead well are worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching."

3. Spiritual Maturity:

The Bible also uses the concept of being older to describe spiritual maturity. In Hebrews 5:12-14, the author admonishes believers to grow beyond spiritual infancy and become mature in their understanding and practice of faith. This maturity is likened to the wisdom and discernment that often accompany physical age.

4. Respect and Honor:

Respect for the older generation is a recurring theme in Scripture. Leviticus 19:32 commands, "You are to rise in the presence of the elderly, honor the aged, and fear your God. I am the LORD." This respect is not merely cultural but is rooted in the acknowledgment of the wisdom and experience that come with age.

5. The Role of Older Women:

Older women in the Bible are often seen as mentors and teachers to the younger generation. Titus 2:3-5 instructs older women to be "reverent in behavior, not slanderers or addicted to much wine, but teachers of good. In this way they can train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that the word of God will not be discredited."

6. The Limitations of Age:

While age is associated with wisdom and respect, the Bible also acknowledges the limitations and challenges that come with growing older. Ecclesiastes 12:1-7 poetically describes the decline of physical abilities in old age, urging individuals to remember their Creator in their youth before these days come.

In summary, the concept of being older in the Bible encompasses a range of meanings, from familial roles and leadership to spiritual maturity and respect. It highlights the value of experience and the responsibilities that come with age, while also recognizing the natural limitations of the aging process.

Greek

4245. presbuteros -- elder
... of presbus (an old man) Definition elder NASB Word Usage elder (3), elders (57),
men of old (1), old men (1), older (1), older man (1), older ones (1), older ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4245.htm - 7k

4247. presbutis -- an aged woman
... 4247 -- properly, older woman, referring to the scriptural resposibility older women
(especially over 50) have to disciple younger Christian women (used only ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4247.htm - 6k

3173. megas -- great
... greatly* (1), grown* (1), high (2), huge (1), large (8), larger (2), larger ones
(1), long time (1), loud (42), mighty (1), more important (2), older (1), one ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3173.htm - 8k

5018. Tarseus -- of Tarsus
... [Some feel Damascus is older, which also claims this distinction.]. Word Origin
from Tarsos Definition of Tarsus NASB Word Usage Tarsus (2). of Tarsus. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5018.htm - 7k

1479. ethelothreskia -- self-willed (arbitrary and unwarranted) ...
... Word Origin from an older form of thelo and threskeia Definition self-willed (arbitrary
and unwarranted) piety NASB Word Usage self-made religion (1). ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1479.htm - 7k

616. apokueo -- to give birth to
... Word Origin from apo and kueo, an older form of kuo (to be pregnant) Definition
to give birth to NASB Word Usage brings forth (1), brought...forth (1). ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/616.htm - 6k

4246. presbutes -- an old man
... Word Origin from the same as presbuteros Definition an old man NASB Word Usage
aged (1), old man (1), older men (1). aged man, old man. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4246.htm - 6k

4243. presbeuo -- to be the elder, to take precedence
... 4243 (a verb derived from , "an older, venerated person") -- properly, to be
elderly or mature, "to be , to take and hence act as " (). ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4243.htm - 7k

Strong's Hebrew

7153. Qiryath Arba -- "city of the four," an older name of Hebron
Qiryath Arba or Qiryath Haarba. 7152, 7153. Qiryath Arba or Qiryath Haarba. 7154 .
"city of the four," an older name of Hebron. Transliteration: Qiryath Arba ...
/hebrew/7153.htm - 6k

4764. Merab -- older daughter of Saul
... 4763, 4764. Merab. 4765 . older daughter of Saul. Transliteration: Merab
Phonetic Spelling: (may-rawb') Short Definition: Merab. ...
/hebrew/4764.htm - 6k

112b. Edom -- another name for Esau, older son of Isaac, also his ...
... 112a, 112b. Edom. 113 . another name for Esau, older son of Isaac, also his
desc. and their territory. Transliteration: Edom Short Definition: Edom. ...
/hebrew/112b.htm - 5k

1419. gadol -- great
... 22), loudly (1), main (1), major (1), many (1), marvelous (1), mighty (1), mighty
and great (1), more* (1), much (1), nobles (1), old (1), older (8), oldest (3 ...
/hebrew/1419.htm - 6k

7223. rishon -- former, first, chief
... first one (2), first time (1), forefathers (1), foremost (1), former (25), former
ones (4), former things (6), formerly (6), front (1), old (1), older (1), one ...
/hebrew/7223.htm - 6k

4605. maal -- above, upwards
... 1), exceedingly (1), forward (2), greater (1), greatly (1), heaven (4), high above
(1), high* (1), higher (4), highly (2), hovered* (2), older (2), onward (2 ...
/hebrew/4605.htm - 6k

3117. yom -- day
... 2), length (1), life (12), life* (1), lifetime (2), lifetime* (1), live (1), long
(2), long as i live (1), long* (11), midday* (1), now (5), older* (1), once (2 ...
/hebrew/3117.htm - 7k

7227a. rab -- much, many, great
... 1), many times (2), many...things (1), masses (1), mighty (7), more (5), more numerous
(1), much (16), multitude (2), numerous (10), older (1), plentiful (1 ...
/hebrew/7227a.htm - 6k

3524. kabbir -- great, mighty, much
... Word Origin from kabar Definition great, mighty, much NASB Word Usage impotent*
(1), mighty (6), mighty men (1), mighty one (1), much (1), older* (1). ...
/hebrew/3524.htm - 6k

3240. yanach -- bestow, cast down, lay down, up, leave off, let ...
... (The Hiphil forms with the dagesh are here referred to, in accordance with the older
grammarians; but if any distinction of the kind is to be made, these ...
/hebrew/3240.htm - 6k

Library

The Older Boys' Conference or Congress
... XIII THE OLDER BOYS' CONFERENCE OR CONGRESS. ... If it is rightly handled, it will add
much to the Christian enthusiasm of the older boys of the Sunday schools. ...
/.../alexander/the boy and the sunday school/xiii the older boys conference.htm

No Difference in the Spirit of Idolatry and of Heresy in the Rites ...
... No Difference in the Spirit of Idolatry and of Heresy In the Rites of Idolatry,
Satan Imitated and Distorted the Divine Institutions of the Older Scriptures. ...
/.../the prescription against heretics/chapter xl no difference in the.htm

He Meets the Objection Taken from These Words: no one Gave Birth ...
... serpent, in order to destroy the faith of the holy nativity, hisses out against
the Church of God and says: "No one ever gives birth to one older than herself ...
/.../cassian/the seven books of john cassian /chapter ii he meets the.htm

Archaisms in the Hymns
... [26]. The older pronunciation, as in Milton: Thy perfect gift, so good,. ... [28].
The older pronunciation, as in Shakespeare: The fear of us. ...
/.../iii archaisms in the hymns.htm

General Survey.
... They have passed through the bloody baptism of persecution as much as the older
Churches of the Reformation, and by their fruits they have fully earned a title ...
/.../creeds of christendom with a history and critical notes/ 100 general survey.htm

The Conclusion of the Matter
... present. Reflection belongs to older heads; spontaneous action is more
characteristic of youth. ... risk. Perhaps you will never be older. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture g/the conclusion of the matter.htm

Preface.
... time. Dr. Field's great labor then in the Greek Text of the present volume
had been to restore the older form of these Homilies. He ...
/.../chrysostom/homilies on the gospel of st john and hebrews/preface 2.htm

That the Logos is One, not Many. Of the Word, Faithful and True ...
... The term beginning may be taken of the beginning of the world, so that we may learn
from what is said that the Word was older than the things which were made ...
/.../origen/origens commentary on the gospel of john/4 that the logos is.htm

Tadze.
... The younger seems to grieve for those older than himself who had forgotten the
righteousnesses of God, while he himself had not forgotten. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/tadze.htm

Putting Clouds Over the Sun
... He could almost taste it already, but just then he dropped his penny upon
the sidewalk. An older boy seized it and started off. ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/naylor/heart talks/talk fourteen putting clouds over.htm

Thesaurus

Older (43 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Older (43 Occurrences). Luke 2:52 And as Jesus grew older
He gained in both wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man. (WEY). ...
/o/older.htm - 19k

Obadiah (21 Occurrences)
... Ewald thought that an exilic prophet, to whom he ascribed 1:11-14 and 19-21, had
made use of an older prophecy by Obadiah in 1:1-10, and in 1:15-18 of material ...
/o/obadiah.htm - 32k

Ahithophel (17 Occurrences)
... In the latter half of the list of David's mighty men, not among the older veterans
with whom the list begins, appears "Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite ...
/a/ahithophel.htm - 16k

Elder (34 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary. 1. (a.) Older; more aged, or existing longer.
2 ... etc. 3. (a.) One who is older; a superior in age; a senior. ...
/e/elder.htm - 27k

Senior (3 Occurrences)
... 3. (n.) A person who is older than another; one more advanced in life. 4.
(n.) One ... prior in grade. 5. (n.) An aged person; an older. ...
/s/senior.htm - 8k

Daughter (320 Occurrences)
... If the Pharaoh of the Oppression was Rameses II, as is most likely, then Pharaoh's
daughter was probably the daughter of Seti I, an older sister of Rameses II. ...
/d/daughter.htm - 43k

Apostles'
... Holy Ghost," etc. This legend is not older than the 5th or 6th centuries,
and is absurd on the face of it. 1. Baptismal Confession ...
/a/apostles'.htm - 20k

Creed
... Holy Ghost," etc. This legend is not older than the 5th or 6th centuries,
and is absurd on the face of it. 1. Baptismal Confession ...
/c/creed.htm - 43k

Tiberias (3 Occurrences)
... It is said to have been founded by Herod Antipas (AD 16), on the site of the ruins
of an older city called Rakkath, and to have been thus named by him after ...
/t/tiberias.htm - 15k

Trumpets (52 Occurrences)
... 2. Significance: The significance of the feast lay in the fact that it marked
the beginning of the new year according to the older calendar. ...
/t/trumpets.htm - 32k

Resources

What is the meaning of the Parable of the Prodigal Son? | GotQuestions.org

How old was Joseph when Jesus was born? | GotQuestions.org

Are there any true differences between millennials and people from other generations? | GotQuestions.org

Older: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus

Concordance

Older (43 Occurrences)

Luke 2:52
And as Jesus grew older He gained in both wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.
(WEY)

Luke 15:25
Now the older son was in the field: and when he came near the house, the sounds of music and dancing came to his ears.
(BBE NAS NIV)

John 8:9
And when his words came to their ears, they went out one by one, starting with the oldest even to the last, because they were conscious of what was in their hearts: and Jesus was there by himself with the woman before him.
(See NAS NIV)

Acts 15:23
And they sent a letter by them, saying, The Apostles and the older brothers, to the brothers who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, may joy be with you:
(BBE)

Romans 9:12
It was said to her, The older will be the servant of the younger.
(BBE NAS NIV)

1 Timothy 5:1
Don't rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father; the younger men as brothers;
(WEB WEY NAS RSV NIV)

1 Timothy 5:2
To the older women as to mothers, to the younger as to sisters, with a clean heart.
(BBE NAS RSV NIV)

Titus 2:2
that older men should be temperate, sensible, sober minded, sound in faith, in love, and in patience:
(WEB NAS RSV NIV)

Titus 2:3
and that older women likewise be reverent in behavior, not slanderers nor enslaved to much wine, teachers of that which is good;
(WEB NAS RSV NIV)

1 Peter 5:5
And in the same way, let the younger men be ruled by the older ones. Let all of you put away pride and make yourselves ready to be servants: for God is a hater of pride, but he gives grace to those who make themselves low.
(BBE NIV)

Genesis 10:21
And Shem, the older brother of Japheth, the father of the children of Eber, had other sons in addition.
(BBE NAS NIV)

Genesis 19:31
And the older daughter said to her sister, Our father is old, and there is no man to be a husband to us in the natural way:
(BBE NIV)

Genesis 19:33
And that night they made their father take much wine; and the older daughter went into his bed; and he had no knowledge of when she went in or when she went away.
(BBE NIV)

Genesis 19:34
And on the day after, the older daughter said to the younger, Last night I was with my father; let us make him take much wine this night again, and do you go to him, so that we may have offspring by our father.
(BBE NIV)

Genesis 19:37
And the older daughter had a son, and she gave him the name Moab: he is the father of the Moabites to this day.
(BBE NIV)

Genesis 25:23
And the Lord said to her, Two nations are in your body, and two peoples will come to birth from you: the one will be stronger than the other, and the older will be the servant of the younger.
(BBE NAS NIV)

Genesis 27:1
And it came to pass, that when Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see, he called Esau his elder son, and said unto him: 'My son'; and he said unto him: 'Here am I.'
(See NAS RSV NIV)

Genesis 27:15
And Rebekah took the fair robes of her oldest son, which were with her in the house, and put them on Jacob, her younger son:
(See RSV NIV)

Genesis 27:42
And the words of Esau her elder son were told to Rebekah; and she sent and called Jacob her younger son, and said unto him: 'Behold, thy brother Esau, as touching thee, doth comfort himself, purposing to kill thee.
(See RSV NIV)

Genesis 29:16
Now Laban had two daughters: the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.
(BBE NAS RSV NIV)

Genesis 29:26
And Laban said, In our country we do not let the younger daughter be married before the older.
(BBE NIV)

Genesis 48:14
And Israel, stretching out his right hand, put it on the head of Ephraim, the younger, and his left hand on the head of Manasseh, crossing his hands on purpose, for Manasseh was the older.
(BBE)

Genesis 48:18
And Joseph said to his father, Not so, my father, for this is the older; put your right hand on his head.
(BBE)

Exodus 2:10
And when the child was older, she took him to Pharaoh's daughter and he became her son, and she gave him the name Moses, Because, she said, I took him out of the water.
(BBE NIV)

Joshua 24:31
And Israel was true to the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the older men who were still living after Joshua's death, and had seen what the Lord had done for Israel.
(BBE)

1 Samuel 2:21
And the Lord had mercy on Hannah and she gave birth to three sons and two daughters. And the young Samuel became older before the Lord.
(BBE)

1 Samuel 2:26
And the young Samuel, becoming older, had the approval of the Lord and of men.
(BBE)

1 Samuel 3:19
And Samuel became older, and the Lord was with him and let not one of his words be without effect.
(BBE)

1 Samuel 14:49
Now the sons of Saul were Jonathan and Ishvi and Malchi-shua; and these are the names of his daughters: the older was named Merab and the younger Michal;
(BBE NIV)

1 Samuel 17:13
The three eldest sons of Jesse had gone after Saul to the battle: and the names of his three sons who went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and next to him Abinadab, and the third Shammah.
(See NAS)

1 Samuel 18:17
And Saul said to David: 'Behold my elder daughter Merab, her will I give thee to wife; only be thou valiant for me, and fight the LORD'S battles.' For Saul said: 'Let not my hand be upon him, but let the hand of the Philistines be upon him.'
(See NAS NIV)

1 Kings 2:22
Then King Solomon made answer and said to his mother, Why are you requesting me to give Abishag the Shunammite to Adonijah? Take the kingdom for him in addition, for he is my older brother, and Abiathar the priest and Joab, the son of Zeruiah, are on his side.
(BBE NAS NIV)

2 Kings 3:21
Now when all the Moabites heard that the kings had come up to fight against them, they gathered themselves together, all who were able to put on armor, and upward, and stood on the border.
(See NAS)

2 Kings 4:18
Now one day, when the child was older, he went out to his father to where the grain was being cut.
(BBE)

2 Chronicles 3:3
And Solomon put the base of the house of God in position; by the older measure it was sixty cubits long and twenty cubits wide.
(BBE)

2 Chronicles 22:1
And the people of Jerusalem made Ahaziah, his youngest son, king in his place, for the band of men who came with the Arabians to the army had put all the older sons to death. So Ahaziah, the son of Jehoram, became king.
(BBE NAS RSV NIV)

Ezra 3:8
Now in the second year of their coming unto the house of God at Jerusalem, in the second month, began Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and the rest of their brethren the priests and the Levites, and all they that were come out of the captivity unto Jerusalem; and appointed the Levites, from twenty years old and upward, to have the oversight of the work of the house of the LORD.
(See NAS NIV)

Job 15:10
With us are both the gray-headed and the very aged men, Much elder than thy father.
(See JPS BBE DBY WBS NAS RSV NIV)

Job 32:4
Now Elihu had waited to speak unto Job, because they were elder than he.
(See JPS BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Isaiah 11:8
And the child at the breast will be playing by the hole of the snake, and the older child will put his hand on the bright eye of the poison-snake.
(BBE)

Ezekiel 16:46
Your older sister is Samaria, living at your left hand, she and her daughters: and your younger sister, living at your right hand, is Sodom and her daughters.
(BBE NAS NIV)

Ezekiel 16:61
Then at the memory of your ways you will be overcome with shame, when I take your sisters, the older and the younger, and give them to you for daughters, but not by your agreement.
(BBE DBY NAS NIV)

Ezekiel 23:4
Their names were Oholah, the older, and Oholibah, her sister: and they became mine, and gave birth to sons and daughters. As for their names, Samaria is Oholah, and Jerusalem, Oholibah.
(BBE NIV)

Subtopics

Older

Related Terms

Apostles'

Methuselah (7 Occurrences)

Bride-bed (2 Occurrences)

Creed

Potter (14 Occurrences)

Pottery (11 Occurrences)

Languages (36 Occurrences)

Older (43 Occurrences)

Nehelamite (4 Occurrences)