To age prematurely/ to become suddenly old/ old age crept up on him
In the question: He became old suddenly. He grew old before his time.
("All the washing in the time of old age overtakes him" - Shabbat Kanev a"a, and so: "What does it say (Samuel 1:8) And it came to pass when Samuel was old?...And he was fifty-two years old, and he said to her: He died at fifty-two years old - this is the death of Samuel the Haramathi! - He said to her: This is what Rabbi Yochanan said: Old age overtakes him" - Ta'anit 5 a"b, And so: "I have warned you like a man, my salvation and my strength, even though old age has leapt upon me and my strength has failed, not upon you" - Mendelei Mos/ Masaot Binyamin Hashlishi, the third, the first, and so: "A new love from the consul's lover to Jacob, but old age that suddenly leapt upon the consul caused what it caused" - Agnon/ Ad Hena, Shevuat Emunim, 219, and so on: "When the word returned and he slept, they alluded to this: old age sprang upon him" - Chayim Sabato/ Ka'afafei Shahar, 112, and so on: "In the garden of the peeling leaves/ Which were my shade in the days of my childhood/ As the branches were broken/ Old age sprang suddenly" - Shlomo Artzi/ Nof Yaldut)
Translation
Expression (Hebrew)
זִיקְנָה קָפְצָה עָלָיו
Definition (Hebrew)
בְּהַשְׁאָלָה: הִזְדַּקֵּן בְּפִתְאוֹמִיּוּת. הִזְקִין קֹדֶם זְמַנּוֹ.
("כָּל הַשָּׁטוּף בְּזִמָּה זִקְנָה קוֹפֶצֶת עָלָיו"-שַׁבָּת קנב ע"א, וְכֵן:"מַאי דִּכְתִיב (שְׁמוּאֵל א' ח') וַיְהִי כַּאֲשֶׁר זָקֵן שְׁמוּאֵל?...וְהָא בַּר חֲמִשִּׁים וּשְׁתַּיִם הֲוָה, דְּאָמַר מַר: מֵת בַּחֲמִשִּׁים וּשְׁתַּיִם שָׁנָה- זֶהוּ מִיתָתוֹ שֶׁל שְׁמוּאֵל הָרָמָתִי!- אָמַר לֵהּ: הָכִי אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: זִקְנָה קָפְצָה עָלָיו"- תַּעֲנִית ה ע"ב, וְכֵן:"אָזַרְתִּי כְּגֶבֶר חֲלָצַי וְיָגַעְתִּי, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁזְּקֵנָה קָפְצָה עֲלֵי וְתַשׁ כּוֹחִי,לֹא עֲלֵיכֶם"- מֶנְדֵּלֵי מו"ס/ מַסְּעוֹת בִּנְיָמִין הַשְּׁלִישִׁי, הַקְדָּמָה, וְכֵן:"חִבָּה חֲדָשָׁה מְחַבֵּב הַקּוֹנְסוּל אֶת יַעֲקֹב, אֶלָּא שֶׁזְּקֵנָה שֶׁקָּפְצָה פִּתְאוֹם עַל הַקּוֹנְסוּל גָּרְמָה לְמָה שֶׁגָּרְמָה"- עַגְנוֹן/ עַד הֵנָּה, שְׁבוּעַת אֱמוּנִים, 219, וְכֵן:"כֵּיוָן שֶׁחָזַר הַדָּבָר וְנִשְׁנָה, רָמְזוּ זֶה לָזֶה: זִקְנָה קָפְצָה עָלָיו"- חַיִּים סָבָתוֹ/ כְּעַפְעַפֵּי שַׁחַר, 112, וְכֵן:"בְּגַן הָעֵצִים הַמִּתְקַלְּפִים/ אֲשֶׁר הָיוּ צִלִּי בִּימֵי יַלְדוּת/ כְּבָר נִשְׁבְּרוּ הָעֲנָפִים/ קָפְצָה זְקֵנָה פִּתְאוֹם"- שְׁלֹמֹה אַרְצִי/ נוֹף יַלְדוּת)