ἡλικία, ἡλικίας, ἡ (ἧλιξ mature, of full age, Homer, Odyssey 18, 373 (others of the same age; cf. Ebeling, Lex. Homer under the word; Papes Lexicon under the word)); from Homer down; 1. age, time of life; a. universally: Mat_6:21; Luk_12:25 (in these passages, 'term or length of life'; but others refer them to 2 below; see Field, Otium Norv. Pars iii., p. 4; James Morison, Commentary on Matthew, the passage cited) cf. πῆχυς, and DeWette, Meyer, Bleek on Matthew, the passage cited; παρά καιρόν ἡλικίας, beyond the proper stage of life (A. V. past age), Heb_11:11 (2Ma_4:40; 4Ma_5:4). b. adult age, maturity: ἔχειν ἡλικίαν (A. V. to be of age), Joh_9:21; Joh_9:23. c. suitable age for anything; with the genitive of the thing for which it is fit: τοῦ γάμου, Demosthenes; τοῦ ἤδη φρονεῖν, Plato, Eryx., p. 396 b.; metaphorically, of an attained state of mind fit for a thing: τοῦ πληρώματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ, the age in which we are fitted to receive the fullness (see πλήρωμα, 1) of Christ, Eph_4:13 (others refer this to 2; cf. Ellicott, in the place cited). 2. stature (Demosthenes, Plutarch, others): τῇ ἡλικία μικρός, Luk_19:3; προκόπτειν ἡλικία, i. e. in height and comeliness of stature (Bengel, justam proceritatem nactus est et decoram), Luk_2:52; cf. Meyer, Bleek, at the passage.

ἡλικία hēlikia 8x a particular period of life; the period fitted for a particular function, prime, Heb_11:11 ; full age, years of discretion, Joh_9:21 ; Joh_9:23 ; perhaps, the whole duration of life, Mat_6:27 ; Luk_12:25 ; otherwise, stature, Luk_2:52 ; Luk_19:3 ; Eph_4:13

ἡλικία , -ας , ἡ ( < ἧλιξ , of the same age, mature), [in LXX : Eze_13:18 ( H6967 ), Job_29:18 , Wis_4:9 , Sir_26:17 , freq . in 2-4 Mac;] always of age or maturity; "a stage of growth whether measured by age or stature"; 1. (a) age: Mat_6:27 , Luk_12:25 ( R , mg .), Heb_11:11 ; (b) full age, maturity: Joh_9:21 ; Joh_9:23 , Eph_4:13 . 2. stature: Luk_19:3 ( Mat_6:27 , Luk_12:25 , AV , R , txt .; but the prevailing usage in LXX and Papyri favours the former meaning in these doubtful passages; cf. , Ellic ., ICC , AR , on Eph, l.c .; Milligan , NTD , 74 f ., and esp ., MM , Exp., xv; e contra, Field, Notes , 6).†

ἡλικία [page 279] Luk_19:8 is the only NT passage where the word must mean stature ; apart from it (and the rather different Eph_4:18 ) the NT represents the general usus loquendi of our vernacular sources. We are indeed unable to quote any example from these (for the word in a theological fragment see below) in which stature is the natural meaning, and hardly any in which it is possible; while for age we can present a long list. Thus the word is very common in connexion with being under age or coming of age, which in Egypt took place at the age of 14 years : see e.g. P Ryl II. 256 .4 (late i/B.C.) νυὶ ( l. νυνὶ ) δ᾽ ἐμοῦ ἐν ἡλικι̣ᾳ γεγονότος , P Oxy II. 247 .13 (A.D. 90) ἀπογράφομ [αι τῷ ὁμογν ]η̣σίῳ μου ἀδελ [φῷ ] . . . προστρέχοντι τῇ ἐννόμῳ ἡλικίᾳ , approaching the legal age, ib. 273 .18 (A.D. 95) συνκεχωρηκέναι τῇ ἑαυτῆς θυγατρὶ . . . οὐδέπω οὔσῃ ἐν ἡλικίᾳ , ib. III. 496 .12 (A.D. 127) τε̣κ̣νων παρὰ τῇ μητρὶ διαιτ [ο ]υμένων ἕως ἡλικίας γέ [ν ]ωντ [α ]ι , P Ryl II. 153 .19 (A.D. 138 61) ἄχ ]ρ̣ι̣ ο̣ὗ̣ γένη̣[ται τῆ ]ς ἐννό [μο ]υ̣ [ἡ ]λικίας , BGU I. 86 .19 (A.D. 155) μέχρι ἐὰν ἐν τῇ νόμῳ ἡλικείᾳ γένο [νται , and P Flor III. 382 .11 (A.D. 222 3) where a man who has reached the age of 70 petitions to be freed from certain public duties (ἀπὸ τῶν λειτουργιῶν ἐλευθερωθῆναι ) διὰ τὴν ἡλικίαν . Other miscellaneous examples of the word are BGU I. 168 .5 (ii/iii A.D.) τοῖς ἀτελέσι ἔχουσι τὴν ἡλικίαν , P Oxy VII. 1020 .5 (A.D. 198 201) εἰ τὴν ἐκ τῆς ἡλικίας ἔχεις β̣[οήθιαν ,] ὁ̣ ἡγούμ [ενος ] τοῦ ἔθνους τὸν ἀγῶνα τῆς ἀφέσεως ἐκδικ [ήσει , if you can claim the assistance due to immature age, the praefect of the province shall decide the suit for release (Ed.), P Tebt II. 326 .3 ( c. A.D. 266) ὑπὲρ θυγατρὸς ὀρφανῆς καὶ καταδεοῦς τὴν ἡλικίαν . . . ἱκετηρίαν τιθεμένη , making supplication for my orphan daughter who is under age. The list of citations might be almost indefinitely increased, but it must be sufficient to summarize by stating that no one who reads the papyri can have any doubt that the word meant age in ordinary parlance. In the fragment of a lost Gospel referred to above, P Oxy IV. 655 .14 (not later than A.D. 250) τίς ἂν προσθη ( l. προσθείη ) ἐπὶ τὴν ἡλικίαν ὑμῶν ; αὐτὸ [ς δ ]ώσει ὑμῖν τὸ ἔνδυμα ὑμῶν , the editors translate who could add to your stature? He himself will give you your garment. We must not yield to the temptation of discussing the meaning of the word in Q ; but we cannot resist expressing amazement that anyone could call it ἐλάχιστον ( Luk_12:26 ) to add half a yard to one s height! The Twentieth Century translators boldly render, Which of you, by being anxious, can prolong his life a moment? and we cannot but applaud them. That worry shortens life is the fact which adds point to the irony. The desire to turn a six-footer into a Goliath is rather a bizarre ambition. See the admirable argument and citations in Wetstein ad Mat_6:27 . A quotation from an inscription in honour of a wealthy young citizen of Istropolis, near the mouth of the Danube, should be given, as a most interesting parallel to Luk_2:52 : Syll 325 .18 (i/B.C.) ὑπεστήσατό τε ἡλικίᾳ προκόπτων καὶ προαγόμενος εἰς τὸ θεοσεβεῖν ὡς ἔπρεπεν αὐτῷ πρῶτον μὲν ἐτείμησεν τοὺς θεούς κτλ .

ἡλικία [Etym: ἧλιξ] "time of life, age", Lat. aetas, Il. ;—acc. used absol. "in age", νέος ἡλικίην Hdt. ; so in dat., ἡλικίᾳ ὢν νέος Thuc. ; πόρρω τῆς ἡλ. advanced in "years", Plat. mostly, "the flower or prime of life" from about 17 to 45, "man's estate, manhood", ἐν ἁλικίᾳ πρώτᾳ Pind. ; ἐν ἡλικίᾳ εἶναι to be of age, Plat. , etc.; so, ἡλικίαν ἔχειν, εἰς ἡλ. ἐλθεῖν id=Plat. ; ἡλικίαν ἔχειν, c. inf., to be "of fit age" for doing, Hdt. ; οἱ ἐν ἡλικίᾳ men "of serviceable age", Thuc. "youthful heat and passion", ἡλικίῃ ἐπιτρέπειν Hdt. as collective Noun, = οἱ ἥλικες, "those of the same age, fellows, comrades", Il. , Thuc. "time", ταῦτα ἡλικίην ἂν εἴη κατὰ Λάϊον about the "time" of Laius, Hdt. "an age, generation", Lat. saeculum, Dem. , etc. of the body, "stature, growth", as a sign of age, Hdt. , Plat.

ἡλικία, -ας, ἡ (ἧλιξ, of the same age, mature), [in LXX: Eze.13:18 (קוֹמָה), Job.29:18, Wis.4:9, Sir.26:17, frequently in 2-4 Mac ;] always of age or maturity; "a stage of growth whether measured by age or stature"; __1. (a) age: Mat.6:27, Luk.12:25 (R, mg.), Heb.11:11; __(b) full age, maturity: Jhn.9:21, 23, Eph.4:13. __2. stature: Luk.19:3 (Mat.6:27, Luk.12:25, AV, R, txt.; but the prevailing usage in LXX and π. favours the former meaning in these doubtful passages; cf., Ellic., ICC, AR, on Eph, l.with; Milligan, NTD, 74 f., and esp., MM, Exp., xv; e contra, Field, Notes, 6).† (AS)