The Greek noun gēras (γῆρας) means old age — the advanced stage of life. It appears once in the New Testament (Luke 1:36), where the angel Gabriel announces that Elizabeth has conceived 'in her old age' — emphasizing the miraculous nature of John the Baptist's conception, echoing the Old Testament births to Sarah and Hannah.
Gēras — old age — in Scripture is often the setting for divine breakthrough. Sarah conceived in old age. Hannah was barren. Zechariah and Elizabeth were 'well along in years' when Gabriel announced John's coming. God's pattern of choosing elderly, barren, or impossible circumstances for His most significant births underscores a consistent theological theme: divine power is most clearly displayed when human capacity has been exhausted. The God who brings life in gēras is the God who raises the dead.