Lexical Summary
sebah: Old age, gray hair
Original Word: שֵׂיבָה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: seybah
Pronunciation: say-VAH
Phonetic Spelling: (say-baw')
KJV: (be) gray (grey hoar,-y) hairs (head,-ed), old age
NASB: gray hair, old age, gray, gray hairs, gray head, gray-haired
Word Origin: [feminine of H7869 (שֵׂיבּ - age)]
1. old age
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
be gray grey hoar, old age
Feminine of seyb; old age -- (be) gray (grey hoar,-y) hairs (head,-ed), old age.
see HEBREW seyb
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
sibDefinitionhoary head, old age
NASB Translationgray (1), gray hair (7), gray hairs (1), gray head (1), gray-haired (1), grayheaded (1), graying years (1), old age (6).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
; — absolute
Hosea 7:9 +; construct
Genesis 44:31; suffix
Genesis 42:38;
Genesis 44:29, etc.; —
grey hair, hoary Hosea 7:9(figurative), Genesis 42:38; Genesis 44:29,31(all J), 1 Kings 2:6,9; Proverbs 16:31; Proverbs 20:29; Deuteronomy 32:25 (opposed to ); "" Leviticus 19:32 (H), "" Isaiah 46:4, + id. Psalm 71:18 (in these transition to following); figurative of sea Job 41:24.
old age, Genesis 15:15 (JE), Genesis 25:8 (P), Judges 8:32; 1 Chronicles 29:28; also Psalm 92:15 (trees, in figure of righteous), Ruth 4:15, + 2 Samuel 19:34 ( Ew Th Bu Kit, compare We Dr HPS, , for ).
see [I. ].
(√ of following: Late Hebrew lime, white-washer; Aramaic , 👁 Image
lime, Arabic 👁 Image
(not loan-word, compare Frä8)).
Topical Lexicon
Overview The Hebrew term שֵׂיבָה occurs nineteen times in the Old Testament and consistently denotes gray hair and the stage of life commonly called old age. In Scripture this season is never treated as incidental; it is invested with spiritual, communal, and theological weight. Gray hair may signal blessing, dignity, responsibility, or, when coupled with disobedience, impending judgment.
Symbol of Honor and Blessing
Several patriarchal narratives portray gray‐haired longevity as a divinely granted good. Abraham “breathed his last and died in a good old age” (Genesis 25:8), echoing the promise to Abram in Genesis 15:15. Gideon (Judges 8:32) and David (1 Chronicles 29:28) receive the same commendation. Proverbs underlines the theme: “Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is attained along the path of righteousness” (Proverbs 16:31). Rather than merely marking time, gray hair evidences the favor of God that accompanies a life ordered according to wisdom.
Wisdom and Continuity of Testimony
The aged are called to remain spiritually fruitful. Psalm 92:14 celebrates that the righteous “will still bear fruit in old age,” and Psalm 71:18 makes old age a platform for proclamation: “Even when I am old and gray, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim Your power to the next generation.” Far from retirement, Scripture envisions seasoned believers transmitting faith to emerging generations.
The Call to Honor the Elderly
Leviticus 19:32 legislates respect: “You are to rise in the presence of the elderly, show respect for the aged, and fear your God.” Honoring gray hair is inseparably linked to revering God, rooting social ethics in worship. Proverbs 20:29 balances youthful strength with the “splendor of old men,” reminding the covenant community that each stage has its God‐ordained glory.
Gray Hair and Parental Grief
Twice Jacob fears that harm to Benjamin will “bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow” (Genesis 42:38; 44:29, 31). Gray hair here highlights vulnerability: the sorrow of bereaved parents whose years should end in peace, not tragedy. The passages urge family faithfulness toward aging parents, lest their closing days be clouded with unnecessary grief.
Instrument of Judgment or Warning
When loyalty to the covenant collapses, gray hair becomes a motif of loss. Deuteronomy 32:25 foresees both infant and elder perishing under the sword, signaling total judgment. In Hosea 7:9 Israel’s unperceived decline is captured by the image: “Gray hairs are sprinkled on him, but he does not notice.” Unacknowledged aging parallels unacknowledged spiritual decay. Likewise, David orders Solomon not to let Joab’s or Shimei’s “gray hair go down to Sheol in peace” (1 Kings 2:6, 9), showing that gray headship does not exempt one from justice.
Divine Faithfulness Through Life’s Seasons
Isaiah 46:4 gives one of the tenderest assurances in Scripture: “Even to your old age and gray hairs I will carry you.” The God who formed His people in youth remains their sustainer when strength has faded, reinforcing the perpetual covenant care that undergirds every stage of life.
A Metaphorical Usage
Job 41:32 compares the foaming wake of Leviathan to gray hair: “One would think the deep had white hair.” Here שֵׂיבָה poetically pictures the sea’s froth, illustrating how the image of whitened hair can be extended beyond humankind to nature itself.
Ministry Applications
• Shepherding a multi‐generational congregation demands intentional honor for the elderly, public acknowledgment of their testimony, and opportunities for them to serve.
• Pastoral care should address the unique burdens and fears of advanced years, echoing Isaiah 46:4 by pointing to God’s sustaining presence.
• Intergenerational discipleship draws on the mandate of Psalm 71:18; older saints are invaluable storytellers of God’s power.
• Churches safeguard families by encouraging children and grandchildren to ensure that gray‐haired parents finish life in peace, not sorrow.
Key References
Genesis 15:15; Genesis 25:8; Genesis 42:38; Genesis 44:29, 31
Leviticus 19:32
Deuteronomy 32:25
Judges 8:32
Ruth 4:15
1 Kings 2:6, 9
1 Chronicles 29:28
Job 41:32
Psalm 71:18; Psalm 92:14
Proverbs 16:31; Proverbs 20:29
Isaiah 46:4
Hosea 7:9
Forms and Transliterations
בְּשֵׂיבָ֑ה בְּשֵׂיבָ֣ה בְּשֵׂיבָ֥ה בשיבה וְשֵׂיבָה֮ ושיבה לְשֵׂיבָֽה׃ לשיבה׃ שֵׂיבַ֨ת שֵׂיבָ֑ה שֵׂיבָֽה׃ שֵׂיבָה֙ שֵׂיבָת֛וֹ שֵׂיבָתִ֛י שֵׂיבָתֵ֑ךְ שֵיבָ֖ה שיבה שיבה׃ שיבת שיבתו שיבתי שיבתך bə·śê·ḇāh bəśêḇāh beseiVah lə·śê·ḇāh ləśêḇāh leseiVah śê·ḇā·ṯêḵ śê·ḇā·ṯî śê·ḇā·ṯōw śê·ḇāh šê·ḇāh śê·ḇaṯ śêḇāh šêḇāh śêḇaṯ śêḇāṯêḵ śêḇāṯî śêḇāṯōw seiVah seiVat seivaTech seivaTi seivaTo sheiVah veseiVah wə·śê·ḇāh wəśêḇāh
Links
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