ἡλικία

ἡλικία — hēlikía

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.