Genesis 25:8
in Genesis 25And at a ripe old age he breathed his last and died, old and contented, and was gathered to his people.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years, and was gathered to his people.
KJV
Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years; and was gathered to his people.
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This verse in Genesis 25
Commentary
8 notes on this verse(v. 8) And Abraham died in good old age, an old man and full, and he was gathered to his people. A wrong addition is made by the Septuagint translators, that Abraham died lacking: for it is not fitting for Abraham to fail and diminish. Also, what we have proposed, an old man and full in good old age: in the Greek manuscripts it is written, full of days.
This site's exposition
Abraham lived a total of 175 years
on Genesis 25:7-8
Abraham lives 175 years, a hundred years after he left Haran at seventy-five. God had promised him at 15:15 that he would go to his fathers in peace and be buried at a ripe old age, and the wording comes back in verse 8. He is gathered to his people before a grave is named.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
I am reviewing carefully the places in Scripture where I might find old age mentioned for the first time. Adam lived for 930 years, yet he is not called an old man. Methuselah's life was 969 years, and he is not called an old man. I am coming down all the way to the flood, and after the flood for almost three thousand years, and I find no one who has been called old. Abraham is the first one, and certainly he was much younger than Methuselah, but he is called an old man because his old age had been anointed with rich oil. In fine, it is written there in the Scripture, "Abraham died at a good old age; full of days." His was a good old age because it was full of days, for the whole of his life was day and not night.
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
He died in a good old age, an old man - So God had promised him. His death was his discharge from the burdens of his age: it was also the crown of the glory of his old age. He was full of years - A good man, though he should not die old, dies full of days, satisfied with living here, and longing to live in a better place.
He died in a good old age, an old man - So God had promised him. His death was his discharge from the burdens of his age: it was also the crown of the glory of his old age. He was full of years - A good man, though he should not die old, dies full of days, satisfied with living here, and longing to live in a better place.
Then Abraham gave up the ghost,....
He died in a good old age, an old man; so God had promised him. His death was his discharge from the burdens of his age: an old man would not so live always. It was also the crown of the glory of his old age.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Then Abraham gave up the ghost - Highly as I value our translation for general accuracy, fidelity, and elegance, I must beg leave to dissent from this version. The original word יגוע yigva, from the root גוע gava, signifies to pant for breath, to expire, to cease from breathing, or to breathe one’s last; and here, and wherever the original word is used, the simple term expired would be the proper expression.
The words behind it
10 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּגְוַ֨ע | vaiyigva' | and he expired | H1478 → | 24 times |
| וַיָּ֧מָת | vaiyamot | and he died | H4191 → | 839 times |
| אַבְרָהָ֛ם | ʾavraham | Abraham | H85 → | 175 times |
| בְּשֵׂיבָ֥ה | beseivah | in old age | H7872 → | 19 times |
| טוֹבָ֖ה | tovah | good | H2896 → | 538 times |
| זָקֵ֣ן | zaken | old | H2205 → | 178 times |
| וְשָׂבֵ֑עַ | vesavea' | and satisfied | H7649 → | |
| וַיֵּאָ֖סֶף | vaiyeasef | and he was gathered | H622 → | 200 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| עַמָּֽיו׃ | ʾamav | kinspeople<s> his | H5971 → | 1873 times |
וַיִּגְוַ֨עand he expired
vaiyigva'H1478 →24 times
וַיָּ֧מָתand he died
vaiyamotH4191 →839 times
אַבְרָהָ֛םAbraham
ʾavrahamH85 →175 times
בְּשֵׂיבָ֥הin old age
beseivahH7872 →19 times
טוֹבָ֖הgood
tovahH2896 →538 times
זָקֵ֣ןold
zakenH2205 →178 times
וְשָׂבֵ֑עַand satisfied
vesavea'H7649 →
וַיֵּאָ֖סֶףand he was gathered
vaiyeasefH622 →200 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
עַמָּֽיו׃kinspeople<s> his
ʾamavH5971 →1873 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Genesis 15:15You, however, will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a ripe old age.
it leads to
- Job 5:26
You will come to the grave in full vigor, like a sheaf of grain gathered in season.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Genesis 25:7–9
Abraham lived a total of 175 years.
- 2 Chronicles 34:28
‘Now I will indeed gather you to your fathers, and you will be gathered to your grave in peace. Your eyes will not see all the calamity that I will bring on this place…
- Numbers 27:13
After you have seen it, you too will be gathered to your people, as your brother Aaron was;
- Job 5:26
Through
1 Chronicles 29:28He died at a ripe old age, full of years, riches, and honor, and his son Solomon reigned in his place.
it leads to
- Genesis 15:15
You, however, will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a ripe old age.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Acts 13:36
For when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep. His body was buried with his fathers and saw decay.
- Genesis 35:29
Then he breathed his last and died and was gathered to his people, old and full of years. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 1 Chronicles 23:1
When David was old and full of years, he installed his son Solomon as king over Israel.
- Genesis 15:15
Where this verse is studied
About Genesis
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jerome, Hebrew Questions on Genesis; Jerome, HOMILIES ON THE PSALMS 21; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.