Definition: The term "agelong" in the Old Testament comes from the Hebrew words "arithel", which means "to lie, to deceive or to mislead." It's a figurative term used by God, perhaps to indicate that He was not pleased with the behavior of His people Israelites due to their disobedience. In the Bible, God appears several times as a liar. For example, in Deuteronomy 28:9-10, He describes Himself as "a liar," and in Leviticus 26:45, God says, "I am your God who has made you a nation with a name that is not good; I have also chosen you from all the earth to rule over them. But you have done wrong, so I will discipline you." In Job 3:1-7, it's written that God said, "It is well for me that I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and thou art a great nation and hast done good to all the earth; but this day I have spied out thy evil deeds, and my eyes behold that thine iniquities are greater than the inhabitants of the earth." And in Job 4:10-12, God says, "My servants in Egypt will go to their fathers in peace, when they shall be clothed with strength, and they have found favor among men." So while agelong is a metaphorical term used as a punishment for disobedience, it's not clear what kind of punishment He intended.

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