The book of Proverbs speaks about many different types of men. There is the wise man and the foolish man, the righteous man and the wicked man, the prudent man and the lazy man. It’s possible for a man to cross these divisions at different times in life, for wisdom issues a public call to everyone to heed her voice. But in a few places, Proverbs highlights a distinction that obtains in the normal course of life, one that goes beyond character or circumstances. The consideration of the young man and the old man is one such passage.
“The glory of young men is their strength, and the splendor of old men is their gray head.” (Proverbs 20:29)
Here Proverbs is dealing with something more than attitudes, dispositions, or actions: The physical attributes of strength and gray hair. There is a peculiar glory which attaches to man, as man, in different stages of his life. To be sure, part of man’s glory has to do with the soul and virtue. But part of man’s glory is also connected with the body and time.
Scripture not only acknowledges but celebrates a defining characteristic of young men: Strength. Most naturally, the verse in Proverbs refers to physical strength. It is not presented as an alien attribute discordant with man’s true nature. It is fitting and glorious for young men to be strong. This truth is echoed in other places in Scripture (1 John 2:14, 1 Cor. 16:13) and finds parallel witness in nature.
If this is the case, it follows that it is fitting and glorious for men to use and develop their strength. Physical strength can only be revealed in action and thus its purpose is more functional than ornamental (though an aesthetic aspect is not out of the question here). Furthermore, while genetics and hormones play a role in male maturation, strength still needs to be developed. It’s possible to be a weak young man. So strength as the glory of young men is both a given and a potency—it can be increased or diminished, and it must be maintained through discipline.
Physical strength is good and glorious, but it does not last forever, nor is it the only mark of a man. Youth eventually fades, and so does strength—especially once a man’s head grows hoary (1 Pet. 1:24). Yet this is not the end of man’s splendor. Viewing a man’s life from a wider angle allows us to see degrees of glory emerge. There is a time and season for everything. As a man becomes old, he does well to continue to cultivate his strength, but his distinctive glory does not lie in strength.
In Scripture, the gray-headed man is honorable (Lev. 19:32, Prov. 16:31). Gray hair can imply wisdom or gravitas, but more basically it indicates long life and thus the riches of experience. It is a good thing for a man to live long, to testify of the Lord’s faithfulness, and to see his offspring (Psa. 37:25, 128:6). As a man ages, the center of his glory rises from the body to the head. Young man is like a king, going from strength to strength. His influence and power tend more toward the physical. Old man is like a prophet, his influence and power center on his word and wisdom. And from one standpoint, this movement from strength to gray hair is a maturation, a transition to a better state (Ecc. 7:8, 9:16).
Given this reality, a young man should leverage his strength where it is most useful and fruitful: building and defending. He should also look forward to the transition to old age and consider what kind of elder he will grow to become. It is glorious to be young and strong, but a man’s destiny is not simply to flame out in his youth and expect old age to be a period of dreadful futility, where one is “shorter of breath and one day closer to death” (to quote Pink Floyd). Likewise, an old man should not pine for the days of his youth but embrace the glory of the aged and take his seat as judge, counselor, and prophet.
Young men, your strength is your glory. Old men, your gray hair is your glory. Despise not God’s gifts, but render thanks to Him, who gives power and strength and wisdom to all, and has made everything beautiful in its time.
