τεσσαρακονταετής

forty years of age

Definition

The adjective τεσσαρακονταετής means 'forty years of age' or 'of forty years duration.' It is used in the New Testament specifically to denote a span of forty years, a period with significant symbolic weight in biblical history. In Acts 7:23, it describes Moses at the age of forty when he first visited his fellow Israelites. In Acts 13:18, it describes the period of God's patient endurance with Israel in the wilderness, translating a Hebrew idiom for the duration of their wanderings.

Biblical Usage

This word is used only twice in the New Testament, both times in the book of Acts within historical summaries. In Acts 7:23, Stephen uses it in his speech to pinpoint a specific age in Moses's life ('when he was forty years old'). In Acts 13:18, Paul uses it in his sermon at Pisidian Antioch to describe the entire time period ('he put up with them for about forty years'). Both uses anchor key moments in salvation history within the familiar biblical timeframe of forty years.

Etymology

Derived from the Greek words τεσσαράκοντα (tessarakonta, 'forty') and ἔτος (etos, 'year'). It is a compound adjective formed directly from these elements, literally meaning 'forty-year.' This straightforward construction is similar to other Greek numerical age designations.

Semantic Range

The term is theologically significant because it connects to the pervasive biblical motif of 'forty years' as a period of testing, transition, or divine preparation (e.g., Israel in the wilderness, Moses in Midian). Its use in Acts 7:23 and 13:18 explicitly ties the early church's preaching to this foundational salvation-historical pattern, showing how God works through defined periods of formation and probation. Understanding this Greek term highlights the deliberate scriptural echo of the forty-year theme.

In the ancient Mediterranean and Jewish world, forty years was a conventional way to describe a full generation or a complete period of testing and maturity. The number forty held symbolic weight, representing a substantial and divinely appointed timeframe. The New Testament authors, writing to audiences familiar with the Hebrew Scriptures, could use this specific term knowing it would evoke the entire narrative of the Exodus and wilderness wanderings.

τεσσεράκοντα (tesserakonta, G5062) — the cardinal number 'forty,' from which this adjective is derived. τεσσαρακονταετία (tessarakontaetia, G5064) — the noun form meaning 'a period of forty years.'

Word Details

Scripture References