Aged
Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words [1]
"an elderly man," is a longer form of presbus, the comparative degree of which is presbuteros, "a senior, elder," both of which, as also the verb presbeuo, "to be elder, to be an ambassador," are derived from proeisbaino, "to be far advanced." The noun is found in Luke 1:18 , "an old man;" Titus 2:2 , "aged men," and Philemon 1:9 , where the RV marg., "Paul an ambassador," is to be accepted, the original almost certainly being presbeutes (not presbutes), "an ambassador." So he describes himself in Ephesians 6:20 . As Lightfoot points out, he is hardly likely to have made his age a ground of appeal to Philemon, who, if he was the father of Archippus, cannot have been much younger than Paul himself. See Old.
the feminine of No. 1, "an aged woman," is found in Titus 2:3 .
from geras, "old age," signifies "to grow old," John 21:18 ("when thou shalt be old") and Hebrews 8:13 (RV, "that which... waxeth aged," AV, "old"). See Old.
Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament [2]
In Philemon 1:9 the writer speaks of himself as Παῦλος πρεσβύτης (Authorized Versionand Revised Version‘Paul the aged,’ Revised Version margin ‘ambassador’). In strictness the translation ‘ambassador’ requires πρεσβευτής, a word which does not occur in the NT. The two forms may have been confused in transcription or in common use. The translation ‘ambassador’ is more fitting because Philemon, as father of Archippus, who was old enough to hold some ‘ministry’ in the Church ( Colossians 4:17), must have been the equal, or nearly the equal, of St. Paul in age; and there would be little or no ground for an appeal based on considerations of age. It is also to be noticed that the phrase ‘ambassador and … prisoner of Jesus Christ’ is practically repeated in Ephesians 6:20, ‘an ambassador in bonds.’ Taking the word as meaning ‘ambassador,’ the appeal would have in it a note of authority. It is not a relevant objection to say that St. Paul is beseeching Philemon ‘for love’s sake’ ( Philemon 1:9). It is the peculiarity of the Christian ambassador that he beseeches those whom he addresses. Love and authority are commingled in his mission, as in 2 Corinthians 5:14; 2 Corinthians 5:20. The likelihood of ‘ambassador’ being the right translation is strengthened by the fact that here as elsewhere ( 2 Corinthians 5:20, Ephesians 6:20) St. Paul uses a verbal and not a noun form to express his position as an ambassador. See J. B. Lightfoot, Com. on Col. and Philemon 3, 1879, in loc .; and cf. articleAmbassador.
John Reid.
Webster's Dictionary [3]
(1): (a.) Old; having lived long; having lived almost to or beyond the usual time allotted to that species of being; as, an aged man; an aged oak.
(2): (a.) Belonging to old age.
(3): (a.) Having a certain age; at the age of; having lived; as, a man aged forty years.
(4): (imp. & p. p.) of Age
King James Dictionary [4]
A'GED, a.
1. Old having lived long having lived almost the usual time allotted to that species of being applied to animals or plants as, an aged man, or an aged oak. 2. Having a certain age having lived as, a man aged forty years.
A'GED, n. Old persons.
And the aged arose and stood up. Job 29 .
