1 old, of human beings, as adjective predicate Genesis 18:11 (J), Job 32:4 (מִמֶּנּוּ לְיָמִים ׳ז, in comparison), or attributive אָב זָקֵן Genesis 44:20 (J), ׳אִישׁ ז Judges 19:16,17,20,22, ׳נָבִיא ז 1 Kings 13:11,25,29, ׳מֶלֶךְ ז Ecclesiastes 4:13; probably also וּשְׂבַע ימים ׳ז Genesis 35:29 (P), Job 42:17 and Genesis 25:8 (P) according to ᵐ5 Sam Di; compare also Ezra 3:12.

2 usually as substantive:

a. old man (or woman),

b. elder; a. old man Genesis 43:27 (J), Leviticus 19:32 (H), Deuteronomy 28:50; Deuteronomy 32:7 ("" אָב), 1 Samuel 2:31,32; 1 Samuel 28:14; Isaiah 47:6; Job 12:20; Job 32:9; Proverbs 17:6; Proverbs 20:29; Psalm 119:100; Joel 1:2; old men and old women Zechariah 8:4 (twice in verse); compare זְקַן בֵּיתוֺ Genesis 24:2 (J), זִקְנֵי בֵיתוֺ 2 Samuel 12:17; especially opposed to נַעַר Exodus 10:9 (E), Isaiah 3:5; Isaiah 20:4; Jeremiah 51:22; Lamentations 2:21; Psalm 148:12, and in phrase מִנַּעַר וְעַד זָקֵן Genesis 19:4 (J), Joshua 6:21 (JE), Esther 3:13; opposed to ילדים 1 Kings 12:6,8,13 2Chron 10:6; 10:8; 10:13; opposed to בַּחוּרִים Jeremiah 31:13; Ezekiel 9:6; Joel 3:1, compare 2Chronicles 36:17 (+ יָשֵׁשׁ) and Jeremiah 6:11 (+ מְלֵא ימים); opposed to עוּל ימים Isaiah 65:20; opposed to יונקי שׁדים and עוללים Joel 2:16. b. usually plural elders, as having authority, term techn. (100 t. +); elders of a people, especially Israel Exodus 3:16,18; Exodus 12:21 (all J), Exodus 17:5,6; Exodus 18:12; Exodus 19:7; Exodus 24:1,9,14; Joshua 24:1 (all E), Numbers 11:16 (twice in verse) (שֹׁטְרָיו), Numbers 11:24; Numbers 11:25; Numbers 11:30; Numbers 16:25; Joshua 7:6; Joshua 8:10; Joshua 9:11 (all J E), Deuteronomy 5:20 ("" רָאשֵׁי שִׁבְטֵיכֶם), Deuteronomy 27:1; Deuteronomy 29:9 ("" ראשׁי שׁבטיכם, שֹׁטְרֵיכֶם), Deuteronomy 31:9,28; Joshua 8:33 ("" שֹׁטְרִים וְשֹׁפְטָיו), Joshua 23:2 ("" רָאשׁיו, שֹׁפְטָיו, שֹׁטְרָיו); compare also probably Joshua 24:31 = Judges 2:7 (all D); Leviticus 9:1, compare זִקְנֵי הָעֵדָה Leviticus 4:15 ( both P), Judges 21:16; see also 1 Samuel 4:3; 1 Samuel 8:4; 1 Samuel 15:30; 2 Samuel 3:17; 2 Samuel 5:3 = 1 Chronicles 11:3; 2 Samuel 17:4,15; 1 Kings 8:1,32Chronicles 5:2,4, also 1 Chronicles 15:25; 1 Chronicles 21:16; compare Isaiah 3:2 (גִּבּוֺר וְאִישׁ מִלְחָמָ֑ה ׳שׁוֺפֵט וְנָבִיא וְקֹסֵם וְז), Isaiah 9:14 ("" נְשׂוּאפָֿנִים, but see probably gloss, compare Ew Che Di Du and others); elders of one tribe (Judah) 1 Samuel 30:26; 2 Samuel 19:12, so of Gilead Judges 11:5,7,8,9,10,11; after the division of the kingdoms, of Northern Israel זקני הארץ 1 Kings 20:7 compare 1 Kings 20:8, also 2 Kings 6:32 (twice in verse); 2 Kings 10:1 ("" שָׂרִים etc.) compare 2 Kings 10:5; under Josiah זקני יְהוּדָה 2 Kings 23:1 2Chronicles 34:29; see also הארץ ׳ז Jeremiah 26:17, compare זקני ארץ Proverbs 31:23, compare Lamentations 1:19; Lamentations 2:10; Lamentations 4:16; Lamentations 5:12,14 ("" שׂרים; + שַׁעַר); often in Ezek.: Ezekiel 7:26 ("" כהן), of Judah Ezekiel 8:1, of Israel Ezekiel 8:11,12; Ezekiel 14:1; Ezekiel 20:1,3, also Ezekiel 9:6 (but strike out Co). Exilic הַגּוֺלָה ׳ז Jeremiah 29:1 ("" הכהנים, הנביאים); post-exile Ezra 10:8 ("" שׂרים), possibly also Joel 1:14; elders of ׳י Isaiah 24:23 (compare Exodus 24:1,9), זִקְנֵי הַכֹּהֲנִים 2 Kings 19:2 = Isaiah 37:2, so Jeremiah 19:1 ("" זקני העם); of other peoples, Midian Numbers 22:4,7, Moab Numbers 22:7 (all E), Egypt Psalm 105:22 ("" שׂרים); of Gebal Ezekiel 27:9; elders of a city, especially as sitting in the gate to judge Deuteronomy 19:12; Deuteronomy 21:2 (+ שֹׁפְטֶיךָ) Deuteronomy 21:3; Deuteronomy 21:4; Deuteronomy 21:6; Deuteronomy 21:19 (+ שַׁעַרמְֿקֹמוֺ), Deuteronomy 21:20; Deuteronomy 22:15 (+ הַשָּׁ֑עְרָה), Deuteronomy 22:16; Deuteronomy 22:17; Deuteronomy 22:18; Deuteronomy 25:7 (+ הַשַּׁ֫עֲרָה), Deuteronomy 25:8; Deuteronomy 25:9 (all in Deuteronomic code, and only so therein), Ruth 4:2,4,9,11 (compare שַׁעַר Ruth 4:1; Ruth 4:11), מוֺשַׁב זְקֵנִים Psalm 107:32 ("" קְהַלעָֿ֑ם); Judges 8:14 ("" שׂרים), Judges 8:16; 1 Samuel 11:3; 1 Samuel 16:4; 1 Kings 21:8,11; Ezra 10:14.