aiōn · age

What it means

aiōn (αἰών) is a Greek word of the Bible that means “age”.

A long period of the world's time; "forever", literally "into the ages".

How to say it

Approximate pronunciation. Vowels sound as in Spanish (a as in father, e as in bed, i as in machine, o as in note, u as in rule); the syllable in bold is stressed. The voice is your device's.

Its senses in the Bible

1. Time without end.
2. This present world, or the one to come.
3. The world, all that God made.

From Abbott-Smith (1922) · Thayer (1889)

Word study

Age: a long time, an age of the world; hence “forever” and, at times, the world. Abbott-Smith: a space of time; an age, eternity; forever; never; the worlds; the present age. Of the same family is αἰώνιος, “eternal” (G166).

• “Until the end of the age” Matthew 28:20
• “He will reign … forever”; “he will live forever” Luke 1:33John 6:51
• “This age”: the present age Romans 12:2Galatians 1:4
• “The worry of this age” Matthew 13:22
• “To the ages of the ages” Revelation 1:6
• “Through whom he also made the ages” Hebrews 1:2

How we translate it

“Ages” 43 times, “forever” 34, “age” 28, “ever” 9, “never” 2, “era” 1… This edition's glossary sets αἰών = “age” and αἰώνιος = “eternal”; εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα is translated “forever”, and with a negative, “never”.

How it is translated

The words this translation uses for it, most frequent first.

• ages ×43
• forever ×34
• age ×28
• ever ×9
• never ×2
• again ×1
• era ×1
• eternal purpose ×1
• eternity ×1
• long ago ×1
• others ×1

Related words

Words of the same family, by Strong’s numbering.

Where it appears

• Matthew×8
• Mark×4
• Luke×7
• John×13
• Acts×2
• Romans×4
• 1 Corinthians×8
• 2 Corinthians×3
• Galatians×3
• Ephesians×7
• Philippians×2
• Colossians×1
• 1 Timothy×4
• 2 Timothy×3
• Titus×1
• Hebrews×14
• 1 Peter×5
• 2 Peter×1
• 1 John×1
• 2 John×1
• Jude×3
• Revelation×27

• Matthew 12:32

  And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.

• Matthew 13:22

  And the one sown among the thorns, this is the one who hears the word, and the worry of this age and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

• Matthew 13:39

  and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; and the harvest is the end of the age; and the reapers are angels.

• Matthew 13:40

  So just as the darnel is gathered and burned with fire, so it will be at the end of the age.

• Matthew 13:49

  So it will be at the end of the age: the angels will go out and separate the evil from among the righteous

• Matthew 21:19

  And seeing a single fig tree by the road, he went to it and found nothing on it except leaves only; and he says to it, “May no more fruit come from you, forever.” And the fig tree withered immediately.

• Matthew 24:3

  And as he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

• Matthew 28:20

  teaching them to keep all things that I have commanded you. And look, I am with you all the days, until the end of the age.”

• Mark 3:29

  but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin.”

• Mark 4:19

  and the worries of the age and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things, coming in, choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

• Mark 10:30

  who will not receive a hundred times as much now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and fields, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life.

• Mark 11:14

  And he responded and said to it, “May no one ever again eat fruit from you.” And his disciples were listening.

• Luke 1:33

  and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

• Luke 1:55

  just as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”

• Luke 1:70

  just as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,

• Luke 16:8

  And the master praised the unrighteous manager because he had acted shrewdly; for the sons of this age are more shrewd than the sons of light in dealing with their own generation.

• Luke 18:30

  who will not receive back many times as much in this time, and in the age to come, eternal life.”

• Luke 20:34

  And Jesus said to them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage,

• Luke 20:35

  but those who are considered worthy to attain that age and the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage;

• John 4:14

  but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty, ever; but the water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

• John 6:51

  I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh, for the life of the world.”

• John 6:58

  This is the bread that came down from heaven, not as the fathers ate and died; whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.”

• John 8:35

  And the slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever.

• John 8:51

  Truly, truly, I tell you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death, ever.”

• John 8:52

  The Jews said to him, “Now we know that you have a demon! Abraham died, and so did the prophets, and you say, ‘If anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death, ever.’

• John 9:32

  Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind.

• John 10:28

  and I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, ever; and no one will snatch them out of my hand.

• John 11:26

  and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die, ever. Do you believe this?”

• John 12:34

  So the crowd answered him, “We have heard from the law that the Messiah remains forever. And how can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?”

• John 13:8

  Peter says to him, “You shall never wash my feet, ever!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.”

• John 14:16

  And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever,

• Acts 3:21

  whom heaven must receive until the times of the restoration of all things, of which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from long ago.

• Acts 15:18

  known from ages past.’

• Romans 1:25

  for they exchanged the truth of God for the lie and worshiped and served the creation rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

• Romans 9:5

  to them belong the fathers, and from them, according to the flesh, came the Messiah, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.

• Romans 11:36

  For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever. Amen.

• Romans 12:2

  And do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, so that you may discern what the will of God is: what is good and pleasing and complete.

• 1 Corinthians 1:20

  Where is the wise one? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has God not made foolish the wisdom of the world?

• 1 Corinthians 2:6

  Yet we speak wisdom among the mature, but a wisdom not of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away.

• 1 Corinthians 2:7

  But we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom, which God destined beforehand before the ages for our glory,

And 82 more times.