Genesis 18:11

18:11 Abraham and Sarah were old and advancing in years; ¹  Sarah had long since passed menopause.) ² 

Genesis 24:1

The Wife for Isaac

24:1 Now Abraham was old, well advanced in years, ³  and the Lord had blessed him ⁴  in everything.

Joshua 23:1-2

Joshua Challenges Israel to be Faithful

23:1 A long time ⁵  passed after the Lord made Israel secure from all their enemies, ⁶  and Joshua was very old. ⁷  23:2 So Joshua summoned all Israel, including the elders, rulers, judges, and leaders, and told them: “I am very old.

Luke 1:7

1:7 But they did not have a child, because Elizabeth was barren, ⁸  and they were both very old. ⁹ 

[18:11]  ¹ tn Heb “days.”

[18:11]  ² tn Heb “it had ceased to be for Sarah [after] a way like women.”

[24:1]  ³ tn Heb “days.”

[24:1]  ⁴ tn Heb “Abraham.” The proper name has been replaced in the translation by the pronoun (“he”) for stylistic reasons.

[23:1]  ⁵ tn Heb “many days.”

[23:1]  ⁶ tn Heb “the Lord had given rest to Israel from their enemies all around.”

[23:1]  ⁷ tn Heb “was old, coming into the days.” This expression, referring to advancing in years, also occurs in the following verse.

[1:7]  ⁸ sn Elizabeth was barren. Both Zechariah and Elizabeth are regarded by Luke as righteous in the sight of God, following all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly (v. 6). With this language, reminiscent of various passages in the OT, Luke is probably drawing implicit comparisons to the age and barrenness of such famous OT personalities as Abraham and Sarah (see, e.g., Gen 18:9-15), the mother of Samson (Judg 13:2-5), and Hannah, the mother of Samuel (1 Sam 1:1-20). And, as it was in the case of these OT saints, so it is with Elizabeth: After much anguish and seeking the Lord, she too is going to have a son in her barrenness. In that day it was a great reproach to be childless, for children were a sign of God’s blessing (cf. Gen 1:28; Lev 20:20-21; Pss 127 and 128; Jer 22:30). As the dawn of salvation draws near, however, God will change this elderly couple’s grief into great joy and grant them the one desire time had rendered impossible.

[1:7]  ⁹ tn Grk “were both advanced in days” (an idiom for old age).