What Does Genesis 47:8 Mean in the King James?

And Pharaoh said unto Jacob, How old art thou?

Genesis 47:8 · KJV

The analysis reads the King James wording.

King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.

THE KEY

Beneath the question “How old art thou?” is a count of the days contained within the years of a life.

THE MEANING

A life has a span that can be counted in days and years. The question brings that lived time into view, with age attached to the reality of being alive.

THE ROOT

חַיֶּיךָ

ḥayyekha

GROWS FROM

חיה

ḥayah

To live; to be alive.

The Hebrew wording names life as days nested within years, so age is a count of lived time rather than a detached label. The root keeps that count connected to being alive.

ALSO GROWS

ḥay: Alive; living.

חַי

This branch holds the question’s count close to the state of being alive.

ḥayyim: Life; living existence.

חַיִּים

This related form shows the shared root behind the word for life in Pharaoh’s question.

THE PATTERN

A human life is described as a span made countable in days and years.

The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.

Psalm 90:10 · KJVThe verse measures life directly through the days held within its years.

Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with thee, thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass;

Job 14:5 · KJVA life’s span appears as a known number of days and months with a boundary.

Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

James 4:14 · KJVLife is presented as brief and passing, making its span tangible.

THE THREAD

And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, The days of the years of my pilgrimage are an hundred and thirty years: few and evil have the days of the years of my life been, and have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.

Genesis 47:9 · KJV

Jacob answers with the same “days of the years of my life” language, using the same life-root that Pharaoh’s question contains. His reply turns the count into a span he calls a pilgrimage.

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