Original Word: παλαιόω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: palaioó
Pronunciation: pah-lah-ee-OH-o
Phonetic Spelling: (pal-ah-yo'-o)
KJV: decay, make (wax) old
NASB: become old, becoming obsolete, made obsolete, wear
Word Origin: [from G3820 (παλαιός - old)]

1. to make (passively, become) worn out, or declare obsolete

decay, make obsolete.

From palaios; to make (passively, become) worn out, or declare obsolete -- decay, make (wax) old.

see GREEK palaios

Word Origin
from palaios
Definition
to make or declare old
NASB Translation
become old (1), becoming obsolete (1), made...obsolete (1), wear (1).

STRONGS NT 3822: παλαιόω

παλαιόω, παλαιῷ: perfect πεπαλαίωκα; passive, present participle παλαιουμενος; future παλαιωθήσομαι; (παλαιός);

a. to make ancient or old, the Sept. for בִּלָּה; passive to become old, to be worn out, the Sept. for בָּלָה, עָתַק: of things worn out by time and use, as βαλάντιον, Luke 12:33; ἱμάτιον, Hebrews 1:11 (cf. Psalm 101:27 (); Deuteronomy 29:5; Joshua 9:19 (); Nehemiah 9:21; Isaiah 50:9; Isaiah 51:6; Sir. 14:17). passive τό παλαιούμενον, that which is becoming old, Hebrews 8:13 (Plato, symp., p. 208 b.; Tim., p. 59 c.).

b. to declare a thing to be old and so about to be abrogated: Hebrews 8:13 (see γηράσκω, at the end).

Concept and Imagery

The verb underlying Strong’s 3822 conveys the aging, wearing out, or rendering obsolete of something that once appeared sound. Scripture employs the term not for mere chronology but for a qualitative decline that contrasts sharply with the enduring reality of God’s kingdom. By highlighting temporal decay, each passage directs attention to what remains perpetually new in Christ.

Occurrences in the New Testament

Luke 12:33: Jesus exhorts His disciples to “Provide yourselves with purses that will not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven”. Earthly containers “grow old,” yet generosity invests in assets untouched by corruption or time.

Hebrews 1:11: Citing Psalm 102, the writer affirms that the created order “will all wear out like a garment”, whereas the Son is immutable. Cosmic transience underscores the superiority of the exalted Christ.

Hebrews 8:13 (twice in the verse, with aorist and perfect forms): By declaring a “new covenant,” God “has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear”. The Mosaic covenant, good and purposeful in its era, now yields to the covenant mediated by Jesus, which will never age or pass away.

Old Covenant to New Covenant Transition

The Letter to the Hebrews situates the term within covenantal history. The first covenant’s sacrificial system pointed forward but could not perfect the conscience. Its obsolescence is not failure but fulfillment. As the high-priestly ministry of Jesus inaugurates the new covenant, the former economy naturally “ages,” preparing to “vanish.” This explains the pastoral urgency of Hebrews: readers must cling to the unchanging Mediator rather than retreat to rites soon to be removed (compare Hebrews 10:37-39).

Eternal Versus Temporal

In both Luke and Hebrews, what “grows old” belongs to the visible order. Money bags, garments, the heavens, and even religious institutions share the same destiny of decline. Eternal realities—heavenly treasure, the priesthood of Christ, the new covenant—share the character of their Source: “You remain” (Hebrews 1:11). Believers are therefore called to align affections and investments with that which cannot decay.

Historical Setting

Hebrews was written while the Jerusalem temple still stood but before its destruction in AD 70. The perfect tense (“has made obsolete”) and the present participle (“is aging”) capture a transitional moment: the Levitical system lingered physically even as its spiritual authority had ended at the cross. The looming disappearance of the temple gave concrete proof that the old order was truly passing away.

Pastoral and Ministry Application

1. Stewardship: Luke 12:33 frames generosity as a transfer from aging containers to imperishable accounts in heaven. Discipleship policies earthly resources for eternal gain.

2. Doctrinal Stability: Hebrews 1:11 safeguards Christ’s deity and immutability; any teaching that demotes Him below creation misreads the text’s contrast between aging universe and eternal Son.

3. Covenant Confidence: Ministry anchored in the new covenant proclaims complete forgiveness and bold access to God (Hebrews 10:19-22). Returning to ritual shadows not only ignores their obsolescence but risks spiritual stagnation.

4. Eschatological Hope: Recognition that the material cosmos will “wear out” engenders longing for “a kingdom that cannot be shaken” (Hebrews 12:28). Suffering believers gain perspective: present trials occur within an order already marked for replacement by a new heavens and earth.

Related Old Testament Motifs

Psalm 102:25-27 and Isaiah 51:6 present creation’s eventual wearing out as a backdrop for Yahweh’s enduring nature. The Septuagint employs cognate forms of παλαιόω, preparing the conceptual pathway for Hebrews. Thus, the New Testament usage is organically rooted in earlier revelation, demonstrating Scripture’s cohesive testimony.

Summary

Strong’s 3822 portrays more than aging; it signals the divinely ordained obsolescence of temporal systems in contrast to the everlasting sufficiency of Christ. The term warns against misplaced trust in decaying structures and urges wholehearted commitment to the unchanging Redeemer and His ever-new covenant.

επάλαιεν επαλαιώθη επαλαιώθην επαλαιώθησαν επαλαίωσαν επαλαίωσε παλαίειν παλαιουμενα παλαιούμενα παλαιουμένη παλαιουμενον παλαιούμενον παλαιούται παλαιστάς παλαιστής παλαιστού παλαιωθή παλαιωθήσεσθε παλαιωθήσεται παλαιωθησονται παλαιωθήσονται παλαιώμασιν παλαιώματα παλαιών παλαίωσιν παλαιώσουσιν πεπαλαίωκε πεπαλαιωκεν πεπαλαίωκεν πεπαλαιωμένα πεπαλαίωνται palaiothesontai palaiothḗsontai palaiōthēsontai palaiōthḗsontai palaioumena palaioúmena palaioumenon palaioúmenon pepalaioken pepalaiōken pepalaíoken pepalaíōkenInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts