עָלַם
ʻâlam · aw-lam'
remote time, i.e. the future or past indefinitely; often adverb, forever
Lexicon
Derivation: (Aramaic) corresponding to H5769 (עוֹלָם);
remote time, i.e. the future or past indefinitely; often adverb, forever
- remote time, i.e. the future or past indefinitely
- often adverb, forever
Definition from Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890). Wording is Strong's own, including his etymological notes, which are not separate meanings.
KJV renderings: for (n-)ever (lasting), old.
Letters
- עAyin70
Picture: an eye
- Concrete
- eye · spring of water
- Extended
- to see · to know · experience · to watch
- לLamed30
Picture: shepherd's staff or goad
- Concrete
- staff · goad · yoke · cattle prod
- Extended
- authority · to lead · to teach · to bind · toward
- מMem40
Picture: waves of water
- Concrete
- water · sea · blood · liquid
- Extended
- chaos · mighty and uncontrollable · the masses · from / out of
Possible cultural reading (auto-composed)
to see and know › authority, the one who leads › water, chaos, the mighty deep
To see and know of authority, the one who leads of water, chaos, the mighty deep.
Interpretive, not lexical. The dictionary sense of עָלַם above is the attested meaning; this pictographic reading is a tradition about how the sign-shapes may have been heard. Both can be held at once, they are answering different questions.
Usage
20 occurrences · 20 OT · 0 NT · 13 distinct forms
KJV renderings of this word, by how often each one is used.
- for ever8 · 40%
- is an everlasting4 · 20%
- ever3 · 15%
- old2 · 10%
- and ever2 · 10%
- which shall never1 · 5%
Inflected forms found in the text.
Counts are computed from the tagged Hebrew and Greek text aligned to the King James Version, not from an estimate.