Proverbs 16:31
29 A violent person entices his neighbor, and then leads him down a path that is terrible. 30 The one who winks his eyes devises perverse things, and one who compresses his lips has accomplished evil. 31 Gray hair is like a crown of glory; it is attained in the path of righteousness. 32 Better to be slow to anger than to be a mighty warrior, and one who controls his temper is better than one who captures a city. 33 The dice are thrown into the lap, but their every decision is from the Lord.
Sirach 25:4
Ben Sira, Ecclesiasticus2 I hate three kinds of people, and I loathe their manner of life: a pauper who boasts, a rich person who lies, and an old fool who commits adultery. 3 If you gathered nothing in your youth, how can you find anything in your old age? 4 How attractive is sound judgment in the gray-haired, and for the aged to possess good counsel! 5 How attractive is wisdom in the aged, and understanding and counsel in the venerable! 6 Rich experience is the crown of the aged, and their boast is the fear of the Lord.
Notes and References
"... Ageing is a biological process that affects both the human body and mind. As in many cultures, in Old Testament literature the physiognomy of old age is determined by bent posture and grey or white hair. Even in the time of eschatological salvation, old people will need a stick to walk (Zechariah 8:4). Since the second characteristic, grey hair, is such an important topos of old age, the term used in ancient Israel for old people is derived from it: the Hebrew śēbāh has two meanings, “grey hair” and “old age”. However, grey hair can also be regarded positively as a sign of honor and the righteous living of old and wise people, as two passages from the book of Proverbs illustrate: “Grey hair is a crown of glory; it is gained in a righteous life” (Proverbs 16:31) ... According to the Old Testament writings, wisdom and old age are closely related and lead to a privileged position of wise, old people in society. In many cases, the worldly wisdom of parents and the elderly is emphasized: “How attractive is sound judgment in the grey haired, and for the aged to possess good counsel! How attractive is wisdom in the aged, and understanding and counsel in the venerable! Rich experience is the crown of the aged, and their boast is the fear of the Lord” (Sirach 25:4–6) ..."
Neumann, Christian A. Old age Before Modernity: Case Studies and Methodological Perspectives, 500 BC-1700 AD (pp. 171-174) Heidelberg University Publishing, 2023