Age: Other References to Age, but without

175 the location of occurrence of each expression is plotted, then the pattern of distribution can be analyzed.

8.2.1.6 Expressions of Age

A further use of is in statements of age or the passing of time. The two basic patterns of this reference to age are: + S + and + N + NUM . This use of is remarkable for its very low frequency in the Hebrew Bible.

8.2.1.6.1 Age:

+ S + The shape of these occurrences is followed by the person’s name as SUBJECT , which is then followed by the expression of age formed by + the number of years. In these instances, the person’s age is stated as circumstantial information forming the context for the next event. Noah was five hundred years old, Pc-vqw3msXa-np ncmsc-afsc afp ncfs + ; Gen 5:32 Abram was ninety-nine years old, Pc-vqw3msXa np ncmsc-amp ncfs Pc-afs ncfp 5 Gen 17:1 Isaac was forty years old … Pc-vqw3msXa np ncmsc-abp ncfs Gen 25:20 Esau was forty years old Pc-vqw3msXa np ncmsc-abp ncfs F Gen 26:34 8.2.1.6.2 “The days of… were”: + N + NUM Rather than refer to the age of a person when some other event happened, these occurrences are backward-looking, summarizing statements of the length of a person’s life. 176 the length of Jacobs life was one hundred and forty-seven years. Pc-vqw3msXa ncmpc-np ncfpc ncmpcX3ms afs ncfp Pc-abp Pc-afsc ncfs Gen 47:28 all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. Pc-vqw3msXa ncmsc-ncmpc np afs Pc-amp ncfs Pc-afsc afp ncfs 4+ 8 + ? - Gen 5:23 all the days of Lamech were seven hundred and seventy- seven years, and he died. Pc-vqw3msXa ncmsc-ncmpc-np afs Pc-amp ncfs Pc-afsc afp ncfs Pc- vqw3msXa 4 8 + Gen 5:31 The occurrence of the singular form with the plural days may raise questions regarding agreement in number, but the collective character of the expression , especially as all the days, poses no problem for the singular verb. There are some cases, however, of as in Gen 5:4. See 8.5 for further discussion of occurrences with .

8.2.1.6.3 Other References to Age, but without

Other references to a person’s age occur with the sequence + N + + NUM . There are eleven occurrences with this sequence. These examples highlight the contrast in narrative strategy between and . Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of water came upon the earth. Pc-np ncmsc-afs afp ncfs Pc-Pa- ncms vqp3ms ncmp Pp-Pa-ncbs + ; 80 3 Gen 7:6 177 Abram went forth as the LORD had spoken to him; and Lot went with him. Now Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. Pc-vqw3msXa np Pp-Pr vpp3ms PpX3ms np Pc-vqw3msXa PpX3ms np Pc-np ncmsc-afs ncfp Pc-amp ncfs Pp-vqcX3ms Pp-np 4 6+ ;5 4 8 ; Gen 12:4 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to him. Pc-np ncmsc-amp ncfs Pc-afs ncfp Pp-vqc-np Po-np Pp-np 8 C Gen 16:16 Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. Pc-np ncmsc-amp Pc-afs ncfs Pp- vncX3ms ncmsc ncfscX3ms 5 8 ; F ; 3 Gen 17:24 Abraham was one hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. Pc-np ncmsc-afsc ncfs Pp-vnc PpX3ms Po np ncmscX3ms 8 ; ; Gen 21:5 Afterward his brother came forth with his hand holding on to Esaus heel, so his name was called Jacob; and Isaac was sixty years old when she gave birth to them. Pc-Pd-Pd vqp3ms ncmscX3ms Pc- ncfscX3ms vqPfs Pp-ncmsc np Pc- vqw3ms ncmscX3ms np Pc-np ncmsc-amp ncfs Pp-vqc PoX3mp F ; ; 8 - Gen 25:26 Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh, king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and went through all the land of Egypt. Pc-np ncmsc-amp ncfs Pp-vqcX3ms Pp-ncbpc np ncms-np Pc-vqw3ms np Pp-Pp-ncbpc np Pc-vqw3ms Pp- ncmsc-ncbs np ; ? 9 + , 9 + 4 8 0 Gen 41:46 Moses was eighty years old and Aaron eighty-three, when they spoke to Pharaoh. Pc-np ncmsc-amp ncfs Pc-np ncmsc-afs Pc-amp ncfs Pp- vpcX3mp Pp-np ? ; 8 Exod 7:7 178 Aaron was one hundred twenty- three years old when he died on Mount Hor. Pc-np ncmsc-afs Pc-amp Pc-afsc ncfs Pp-vqcX3ms Pp-np Pa-ncms F ? ; 8 ; Num 33:39 Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died, his eye was not dim, nor his vigor abated. Pc-np ncmsc-afs Pc-amp ncfs Pp- ncmscX3ms Pn-vqp3fs ncfscX3ms Pc-Pn-vqp3ms ncmscX3ms F 8 ? ; ? ; Deut 34:7 Eli was ninety-eight years old, and his eyes were set so that he could not see. Pc-np ncmsc-amp Pc-afs ncfs Pc- ncfdcX3ms vqp3fs Pc-Pn vqp3ms Pp-vqc 5 8 + + ? 1 Sam 4:15 However, in 2 Sam 2:10 which states that Ish-Bosheth’s age is forty, there is neither nor . Ish-bosheth, Sauls son, was forty years old when he became king over Israel, and he was king for two years. The house of Judah, however, followed David. ncmsc-abp ncfs np ncmsc-np Pp- vqcX3ms Pp-np Pc-afd ncfp vqp3ms Pd ncmsc np vqp3cp Pd np 4 5 F ; 8 4 2 Sam 2:10 There will be further discussion of examples like these and other issues related to narrative strategy in Chapter 10.

8.2.1.7 Quantity