Well the definition of 'hoary-headed' is "having the gray or white hair of advanced age"
And the origin of this term began in 1590-1600.
Hmmmmm -- imagine that -- that is shortly before the King James Bible (KJV) was printed in 1611.
Why is that significant? Well, because the word 'hoary' is used in the KJV version of Proverbs 16:31 and it made a lot of sense to the readers then --
but now hoary is not a commonly used term and you might read that verse and wonder what it means.
So you go to a dictionary and discover that
Hoary - headed meant Gray hair in today's vernacular.
So the question now is
Do you have grey hair?
Perhaps just a few grey hairs that you are pulling out from time to time?
Or do you have a head that is actually really totally grey?
And are you worried about this?
And are you wanting to color your hair to 'hide' the grey?
Well, guess what. A Grey (hoary) head is a good thing!
A Good thing? what do you mean? you ask.
Well let's see what God thinks about Grey Hair in Proverbs 16:31 (in various popular Translations).
Proverbs 16:31 KJV
The Hoary (grey) head is a crown of glory,
if it be found in the way of Righteousness.
Proverbs 16:31 NIV
Grey hair is a crown of splendor:
it is attained by a righteous life
Proverbs 16:31 NAS
A grey head is a crown of glory;
it is found in the way of righteousness
Proverbs 16:31 Amplified Bible
The Hoary head is a crown of beauty and glory,
if it is found in the way of righteousness --
of spiritual and moral rectitude in every area and relation.
