P. Gorazd Cetkovský, O.Carm.
Completely at the outset1
When we talk about old age, our attention is mainly focused on that stage of human life, which is characteristic of a very advanced age and, along with it, significant health and mental difficulties.
But old age also has a preceding phase, which could be said to be “comfortable”; such a newly minted retiree is usually quite strong, and yet he or she is already relieved of various obligations, thereby freed from a certain influence that he or she still had over his or her surroundings; he or she may suddenly have plenty of time but at the same time be exposed to a greater degree of loneliness, isolation, etc. This phase is also important in life.
Both phases of old age should be experienced in a fulfilling and meaningful way, "fruitfully"!
A bit of linguistics
Hebrew expressions for old age are derived from the words “beard (i.e., whiskers)” and “gray hair” (i.e., gray hair).2 In relation to our environment, the lovely pejorative Czech word “holobrádek” comes to mind along with the successes of modern hair cosmetics in the fight against gray hair...
In Czech, we can observe:
- The words old and young were originally not used to denote age (the root of the word old probably originally meant “thick” or “inflexible”; young was a designation for one who has soft skin, like that of young animals)
- The word care originally stood as the opposite of youth and meant “advanced human age” (P. Eisner, Czech Language by Tapping and Listening); and lo: today we use it to denote anything that “gives us wrinkles”...
The life circumstances of people in biblical times (especially those different from today)
“Old age in Israel began for men around sixty,” and “ages over seventy were considered a special gift from God.”3
Civilizational progress was much slower than today. An old person was not surrounded by “modernity” and inventions that he or she would not have known before and would not understand. (For instance, throughout the millennium in which the Bible was written, people still rode donkeys or horses, whereas in our time, in the last one hundred and fifty years, we have trains, cars, and airplanes.)
Old people were generally respected in ancient times: the entire society preserved this, actively maintained it, and taught the young to do so. In Old Testament Israel, the eldest members of significant families were a social institution in their own right. The “elders”4 decided matters for individual tribes and later (when kinship was no longer determined by blood relationship, but by living in one place) for cities. However, belonging among the elders was soon determined not by their age but by social status (they became a sort of nobility). Together with the high priests and the lawgivers, the “elders” also belonged to the council (Mat 27:41). In the early church, the term “elder” designates the representatives of Christian communities, and it is always used in the plural in the New Testament, meaning that it referred to several persons in the same community, a sort of council. An interesting aspect in this context is also the vision from the book of Revelation: 24 elders before the throne of God.
Even though the Scriptures also mention various health difficulties faced by old people, one can assume that an old person in biblical times was in better condition than today’s elderly – simply because the level of medical care was very low at that time. So as soon as their health difficulties increased, they died quickly.
On the other hand, let us realize: the only place where an old person was cared for was the family at that time. If the relationships within it were good, it provided care that, although primitive from a medical standpoint, was certainly very comforting on a human level...
What the Scriptures say about old age (everything)
“The very fact of long life was regarded not only in Israel but in all ancient Oriental civilizations as an extraordinary mark of divine favor.”5 Of the great figures from the time of the patriarchs and the Exodus, the Scriptures say that they lived to a very old age (Abraham, Sarah, Moses, Aaron, Joshua). Such an advanced age is a testament to their favor in the eyes of the Lord and to their significance in the history of salvation.
The books of Moses contain several reports of the deaths of the patriarchs. Let us take note of three details that we repeatedly encounter:
- The Scripture uses a special expression, saying that the person in question died “old and satisfied with days.” This can be interpreted as dying without the pain of unfulfilled or unfinished life. In peace (Tob 14:2). Earthly days are thus compared to a plentiful (and tasty) meal that the person had to satiety. It is with this feeling that he dies. In a culture that was well aware of hunger, this image certainly had great eloquence.
- The words “joined his people” express that the soul of the deceased is with the deceased ancestors.6 (Faith in resurrection is only found in the youngest books of the Old Testament.) Thus, even though we die individually,7 after death – similar to during life – we are still part of the community with those to whom we belong.
- At the father’s deathbed, otherwise opposing sons are all present (Isaac and Ishmael, Jacob and Esau, in a certain sense even Joseph and his brothers) without any mention of any tension.
As an example, let us consider the conclusion of the biblical cycle about Abraham (do not forget the promise of a comforting old age that the Lord gave him in Gen 15:15):
“These are the years of Abraham's life that he lived: one hundred seventy-five years. Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people. His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, facing Mamre.” (Gen 25:8–9.)
In general terms, the gift of comforting old age is understood in the Bible as a reward from God. Those who are faithful in piety towards the Lord and strive for a morally upright life can hope for it.
“Gray hair is a crown of glory,
it can be found in the way of righteousness.” (Prov 16:31.)
And similarly:
“Those who are planted in the house of the Lord,
who grow in the courts of our God,
they will still bear fruit in old age,
they will stay fresh and flourishing,
to proclaim that the Lord is upright,
my rock, in whom there is no unrighteousness.” (Ps 92:14–16.)
The great respect for old age is also evident in that one of the images used by the prophets to depict the promised salvation is the time of peace and abundance, when people will have the opportunity to reach old age and will not perish prematurely in war or hunger (see Zech 8:4-5 and the whole chapter; Isa 65:19-23). Old age is viewed idealistically here; difficulties generally accompanying old age are not considered. It is evident that the Old Testament Israelites viewed old age as a “desirable phase of life maturity.”8
In the Scriptures, a highly valued aspect of old age is the ability to experience joy from numerous and fruitful offspring. “Grandchildren are the crown of old men” (Prov 17:6). It is a great blessing to see “your sons and your sons' sons to the fourth generation” (Job 42:16). When the dying old man Jacob bids farewell to life, he blesses his descendants (Gen 48 and 49). In contrast, childless old age brings a very heavy burden. Not only due to loneliness as such, but in the then view, offspring represented the only continuation of life, the preservation of memory, the “name”.9 Moreover, childlessness meant having no social security in old age, ending up as a beggar.
In general, wisdom is considered a characteristic trait of old age. Here it is necessary to delve into the Scriptures more carefully. In Dan 7:9, the Lord Himself is called “Ancient of Days,” literally "Old of Days." In biblical contexts, great emphasis is placed on tradition. There is great respect for what is old, namely what has been proven (Job 8:8-10; 15:10).10 And indeed, the old person is the bearer of tradition – both through his or her long personal experience and through what he or she has received from people even older than himself or herself, with whom he or she has encountered in life. “Do not withdraw from the conversations of the aged, who also learned from their fathers, for among them you will learn wisdom and to respond when necessary” (Sir 8:9). The naming of “The Lord, the God of your fathers,” (Deut 1:11 etc.) among other things, shows that an important task of older and experienced individuals is to pass a correct image of God to the following generations!
Therefore, the Scriptures encourage: “Stand up in the presence of the gray head and honor the elderly!” (Lev 19:32). Scholars interpreting this verse point out that we do not have before us mere advice but rather a binding command, the breach of which was punished by excommunication in the society of that time in Israel.11
An unspoken assumption, however, is that a person has an interest in growing in wisdom as he or she ages. That is, that he or she strives to perceive the events around him or her, reflect on them, compare them, and throughout life diligently gathers valuable insights and experiences. “He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm” (Prov 13:20). “What you did not gather in youth, how can you find it in old age?” (Sir 25:3). The Scriptures directly encourage asking the fathers and the elders (Deut 32:7). And finally, the most important is to “keep the great acts of God in your heart,” not to forget them for the future.
And wisdom brings great benefit. For the old person, it is a wealth and a help, but it is also a source from which those around them can draw. For example, an experienced and wise person will not be dazzled by momentary finery nor frightened by a wave of difficulties. They can look at things from a distance, knowing that life consists of both joyful and painful periods (cf. Eccles 3:1-8). An old person does not need to impose their authority through harshness or injustice. Whereas among the images of destruction that the Lord uses to awaken the unfaithful people, there is also a threat that power in society will fall into the hands of people who are too young: “I will give them as commanders boys, and youthful people will rule over them. (...) the youth will attack the elder, and the base will attack the honorable” (Isa 3:4-5; cf. also v. 12).
However, the Scriptures do not automatically equate old age with wisdom. Yes, the connection of both is ideal:
“Prudence is the adornment of gray hairs,
and the ability to advise is the property of older people.
As wisdom adorns the elder,
and prudent counsel is the quality of the respected!
The crown of the elders is rich experiences
and their glory is the fear of the Lord.” (Sir 25:4-6.)
Similarly Job 12:12. However, this is not always the case. “Not always are those wise who have many years” (Job 32:9; cf. also Sir 6:34). “For honorable old age does not depend on long life, nor is it measured by the number of years. The true gray hair for a person is wisdom; and a life without blemish is the real long age” (Wis 4:8-9).
The Scriptures repeatedly emphasize that wisdom is a gift from God.
“For the Lord gives wisdom,
knowledge and understanding come from His mouth” (Prov 2:6).
And elsewhere: “For God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy to a man who is good before Him. But to the sinner, He gives the work of gathering and collecting, that he may give it to him who is good before God” (Eccles 2:26). “All wisdom is from the Lord and is with Him forever” (Sir 1:1).
The bestowal of wisdom is often added to the gift of old age, “if it is preceded by a life lived in fidelity to the Lord and in a willing listening to His word.”12 Thus, preparing for wise old age is the task of every person. Conversely, the Scriptures express disapproval of a sinful old man (specifically: immoral – Sir 25:2), on the case of someone “growing old in sin” (Dan 13:52).
Therefore, since wisdom is a gift from God, the Scriptures ultimately remind us that God can also give it to a young person, who then – due to his or her connection with the Lord – surpasses the elders in wisdom. “I am more understanding than the ancients, for I keep your precepts” (Ps 119:100). “He who has shown himself perfect in a short time has attained a full long age” (Wis 4:13). A popularly known example of this is the young man Daniel (cf. Dan 13:50).
In summary: “Wisdom thus appears in relation to old age as a task and as a noble vocation.”13
But the Scriptures do not hide the difficulties of old age...
On the other hand, the Scriptures occasionally mention that old age is also a period of illnesses and loss of physical (e.g., weakening eyesight – Isaac, Jacob) and mental strengths (the priest Eli cannot stand against the immoral actions of his sons – 1 Sam 2:22; 3:13). An old person can be exposed to intrigues from his or her environment (Isaac in Gen 27, perhaps even King David in 1 Kings 1:11-37)14, etc.
A well-known biblical text about old age is Eccles 12:1-7. With vivid (and not easily understandable) images, the author outlines the accompanying phenomena of old age: weakened eyesight, trembling of the body, increasing isolation from the surrounding world, insomnia, loss of courage, the crushing certainty of death. And this strong poetic description is immediately strengthened at the outset by mentioning the rejection of this state, the explicit resistance of the old person to such a situation. The preacher literally states (12:1), that these are: “the evil days” and “the years of which you will say: ‘I have no delight in them.’”
I will return to an interesting commentary on the book of Ecclesiastes,15 written by Ludger Schwienhorst-Schönberger, which we used in 2008 as a guide for some of our spiritual exercises. The mentioned German biblical scholar considers the book of Ecclesiastes as a call to experience joy, to true happiness. The notoriously pessimistic passages in the book aim only to warn against relying on false happiness (which is remarkably relevant even today).
Looking carefully and thus at the text of Ecclesiastes 12:1-7, we discover that the gloomy poem is preceded by an invitation:
“Even if a person lives many years,
let him rejoice in them all” (11:8).
Only then does the preacher warn the young people and point out the time of old age. The entire book deals with the fact that joy and happiness should be a permanent wealth of a person, his or her attitude toward life, not a fleeting feeling (see 3:22; 8:15, etc.). And while the preacher indeed marks many things as vanity (i.e., a breath, transience),16 it certainly does not apply to the joy he encourages! That should rather remain permanently with the person despite all passing.
If the preacher calls young people to live in true joy and in responsibility toward the Lord, he urges to do something that he himself failed to do in his youth. He speaks of this experience in the first two chapters of the book. At that time he unsuccessfully tried to base his happiness on (merely human) wisdom, on wealth, and on pleasure. He ended up in frustration and despair. Only after that was he granted to realize that true happiness and joy can only be received from God as His gift (2:24-26). In many human fates, it often happens that after a poorly lived life (starting from youth), death simply comes as a form of God's judgment. And what was wasted remains wasted... Therefore, the preacher’s warning to the young person.
Although the Lord in the book of Ecclesiastes (as perhaps in no other book of the Old Testament) is a mysterious and incomprehensible God (and thus is His work), precisely in the excerpt from Ecclesiastes 12:1-7 we read that He is not a distant God, detached from man. This poem about old age is framed by a twofold mention that He made us: “Remember your Creator...” (12:1) and “the spirit returns to God who gave it” (12:7). The Lord cares about our happiness.
But let us return to the Scriptures as a whole. Because old age is a life stage associated with difficulties, the psalmist requests help from the Lord for the time of old age:
“Do not cast me away in the time of old age,
do not forsake me when my strength fails!
For my enemies speak against me,
and those who lie in wait for my soul consult together...” (Ps 71:9.)
Thus we are accustomed to these verses from the liturgical (Bogner) translation of the psalms. The words “when my strength fails” evoke the impression that the psalmist is asking for protection in old age, which for him is only a future. Other translations, however, speak differently. The ecumenical translation has:
“Do not reject me in the time of old age,
do not forsake me when I lose my strength.”
This means that the psalmist’s situation is much more urgent. He is already old! And the further mentions in the text of the plots of enemies and their mockery: “God has forsaken him,” indeed exacerbate the urgent distress of the psalmist's old age. Verse 18 of the same psalm, essentially repeating the psalmist's plea to the Lord, I found in a looser Italian translation17 in this wording:
“From my youth, O God, you have taught me
and to this day I declare your wondrous deeds.
Now I am old, my hair is white,
O God, do not forsake me!” (Ps 71:17-18.)
Thus, the psalm seeks support from the Lord for old age, which is already present. The interpretation of the psalmist as an already old man really corresponds better to the wording of the entire psalm.
Another lesson is gleaned from what the psalmist promises the Lord in return for being heard:
“Do not cast me away in old age and gray hairs, O God, until I declare your power to this generation,
to all who are to come, your might” (v. 18).
The old age provided by the Lord will then be filled with God's praise. Through prayer and witness of God’s power, faithfulness, and “righteousness” (v. 24).
I do not wish to omit that in the rich mixture of biblical wisdom we find a verse that praises death as the end of long old age (whereas for a successful and healthy person, death is a bitter fate):
“O death, how good is your decree
for the needy man and the one whose strength is fading,
for the one of advanced age,
for whom everything is difficult, he resists everything and loses patience” (Sir 41:2).
Despair over life appears repeatedly in the Scriptures: Job reflects on the fact that there are people who long for an escape from this world, and yet God keeps them here (Job 3:20-22). Along with Job, those despairing include Elijah (1 Kings 19:4), Jonah (4:3), and Tobias (Tob 3:6). But here in Sirach and in the rejection of one’s own life in Ecclesiastes 12:1, the cause of despondency is indeed old age!
Let us not overestimate this verse and strive to understand it well. When we compare the entire Scriptures to a thousand-year “conversation,” in which many diverse thoughts mingle, we can safely say that the central voice of the Scriptures resonates in favor of the gift of life. Death is considered something evil, a consequence of the first sin, and it comes when God allows it, not by human will. “For God did not make death, nor does He rejoice in the destruction of the living” (Wis 1:13).
The core of Sirach's message is in verse 3: “Do not fear the sentence of death...” The rest of the words aim to relieve the reader of that fear. Therefore, the author points out that for some, death is the end of suffering, that some people look forward to it. There is no reason to see in this instruction for us to think like them. Moreover, I find it interesting how aptly our verse expresses the psychological difficulties of old age. Such a darkening of the mind of an old person should not be underestimated. It represents an internal spiritual struggle that God may impose on the old person and that can be very difficult.
continuation ```
