### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **kelach**, represented by `{{H3624}}`, signifies **maturity** or **full (old) age**. It derives from an unused root that means to be complete. This specific term appears **2 times** across **2 unique verses** in the Bible, focusing on the theme of a life reaching its intended fulfillment.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
The two uses of `{{H3624}}` appear in the book of Job, offering contrasting perspectives on a complete life. In [[Job 5:26]], it is presented as a blessing, where one comes to the grave in a **full age**, an event compared to a "shock of corn" that is gathered in its proper season. Conversely, [[Job 30:2]] describes a state of ruin where **old age** has "perished," resulting in a complete loss of strength and purpose in the hands of certain men.
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words help clarify the meaning of `{{H3624}}` within its biblical context:
* `{{H1430}}` **gâdîysh**: Meaning a **shock (stack) (of corn)**, this word is used in [[Job 5:26]] as a direct simile for a life that has reached a state of completeness. The dossier notes this word can also refer to a **tomb** [[Job 21:32]], reinforcing the connection between a full life and its final resting place.
* `{{H3581}}` **kôach**: This word for **vigor** or **strength** is what has been lost in the men described in [[Job 30:2]]. The perishing of their old age is directly linked to the loss of their strength, showing that **kelach** implies not just age but a vital maturity.
* `{{H6913}}` **qeber**: As the word for **grave** or **sepulchre**, this is the destination for one who has lived to a **full age** [[Job 5:26]]. It frames the end of life as a natural and timely conclusion to a fulfilled existence.
### Theological Significance
The concept of `{{H3624}}` carries significant weight regarding the biblical view of a well-lived life.
* **A Full Life as a Blessing:** The primary use of **kelach** portrays a long and complete life as a desirable state. The comparison to a harvest in its season [[Job 5:26]] suggests that reaching full maturity before death is a sign of a life that has run its proper course.
* **Maturity and Vitality:** The term implies more than just the passage of time. It is connected to strength and purpose. The loss of **kelach** is described as a perishing that renders a person's strength useless [[Job 30:2]], highlighting that true maturity is a state of vitality.
* **The Natural Order:** By using agricultural imagery, the scripture links **kelach** to the natural order of creation. A life ending in full age is presented as being in harmony with this order, much like a crop reaching its peak before being gathered.
### Summary
In summary, `{{H3624}}` provides a nuanced concept of **maturity** as a state of completeness. Though used only twice, it powerfully illustrates two sides of human existence: a life fulfilled and brought to its grave in its proper season as a blessing, and a life whose maturity has perished, resulting in a loss of all strength and purpose. It is a word that defines not just old age, but the value of a complete and vital life.
TRV