τέλειος τὴν ἡλικίαν

ἡλικία, ας, ἡ (Hom.+)

① the period of time that one’s life continues, age, time of life

ⓐ gener. of time that is past. Mt 6:27=Lk 12:25 προσθεῖναι ἐπὶ τ. ἡλικίαν αὐτοῦ πῆχυν ἕνα, where acc. to the context the ref. is to someth. insignificant (Lk 12:26 has expressly ἐλάχιστον.—Paus. Attic. ς, 22 evaluates as τὸ ἐλάχιστον the expression σπιθαμὴ τοῦ βίου=a span [the distance between thumb and little finger of the extended hand] of life), may refer to length of life (so Goodsp. Probs. 24–26, following Wetstein), not to bodily size, and πῆχυς is then a measure of time (cp. Hebr. Ps 39:6 and s. πῆχυς). Likew. perh. in the par. Ox 655, 13–15 (GTh 67, 34; Fitzmyer 544) τίς ἄν προσθ‹εί›η| ἐπὶ τὴν εἱλικίαν| ὑμῶν; ‘who could add to your time of life?’ On the other hand, the context also speaks of nourishment and growth, and the saying may be one of the typically bold dominical sayings w. the sense: ‘Who grows by worrying about one’s height?’ (s. 3 below).—Fr. the context, ἡλ. in the sense of ‘age’ can be more closely defined as youthfulness (4 Macc 8:10, 20) IMg 3:1; MPol 3:1, or old age 7:2; 9:2 (cp. 4 Macc 5:6, 11, 36).

ⓑ of age gener., including the years lying ahead προκόπτειν ἐν (missing in many mss.) τ. ἡλικίᾳ increase in years (but s. 3 below) Lk 2:52 (cp. SIG 708, 17–19: ins in honor of a young man of Istropolis [II B.C.] [τῇ] τε ἡλικίᾳ προκόπτων καὶ προαγόμενος εἰς τὸ θεοσεβεῖν ὡς ἔπρεπεν αὐτῷ πρῶτον μὲν ἐτείμησεν τοὺς θεοὺς ‘advancing in years and growing in piety as became him, he showed honor first to the gods’; Biogr. p. 266.—On σοφία, ἡλικία, χάρις: AFridrichsen, SymbOsl 6, 1928, 33–38).

② the age which is sufficient or requisite for certain things, maturity (Jos., Ant. 1, 68; 2, 230a).

ⓐ the age of strength (2 Macc 5:24; 7:27; En 106:1), also of women (αἱ ἐν ἡλ. παρθένοι or γυναῖκες in Hippocr., Pla., Plut.) παρὰ καιρὸν ἡλικίας past the normal age (παρά C3) Hb 11:11 (s. καταβολή 1 and 2 and s. Philo, Abr. 195). Thus fig. Eph 4:13: εἰς ἄνδρα τέλειον, εἰς μέτρον ἡλικίας τοῦ πληρώματος τ. Χριστοῦ, ἵνα μηκέτι ὦμεν νήπιοι to the measure of the full maturity of Christ, who is a mature person (τέλειος), not a (νήπιος) minor (cp. Diod S 18, 57, 2 εἰς ἡλικίαν ἔρχεσθαι); but s. 3 below.

ⓑ the age of legal maturity, majority (oft. in pap) ἡλικίαν ἔχειν be of age (Pla., Euthd. 306d; Plut., Mor. 547a; BGU 168, 5 τοῖς ἀτελέσι ἔχουσι τ. ἡλικίαν) J 9:21, 23.

③ bodily stature (Hdt. 3, 16; Pla., Euthd. 271b; Demosth. 40, 56; Diod S 3, 35, 6; Plut., Philop. 362 [11, 2]; Lucian, Ver. Hist. 1, 40; Jos., Ant. 2, 230b) τῇ ἡλικίᾳ μικρὸς ἦν small of stature Lk 19:3. Some scholars hold that Mt 6:27; Lk 12:25 should be listed here (s. Field, Notes, 6f); many would prefer stature for Lk 2:52; Eph 4:13.—B. 956. DELG s.v. ἧλιξ. M-M. TW. Sv.