מאת: אבנר רמו
In Modern Hebrew the major meaning of the biblical word: עולם (or עלם, o’lam) is “world.” However, this Hebrew word which appears in the Bible more than four-hundred times was never translated as “world” by the ancient Greeks. In contrast to the Greeks in the original King James Version this Hebrew word was assumed to mean “world” in two biblical verses (Ps 73:12; Thr 3:6). The Greek translation of Ps 73:12 suggests that it was assumed that עולם (o’lam) here is a misspelled לעולם (leo’lam) meaning “always.” The phrase: כמתי עולם (kemetai o’lam) of Thr 3:6 is an exact opposite of לחיי עולם (lekhayei o’lam) - “to everlasting life” of Dan 12:2. Therefore, כמתי עולם (kemetai o’lam) should be comprehended as: “like the dead of long ago.”
These examples indicate that the biblical word עולם (or עלם, o’lam) is not space-related but a temporal concept.
In the Book of Joel we read:
עם רב ועצום--כמהו לא נהיה מן-העולם, ואחריו לא יוסף
“A great people and a mighty, there had not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after them” (Joel 2:2; see also Jer 28:8).
A shortened form of מן-העולם (min-hao’lam) meaning “ever,” “from everlasting,” or “of old” is מעולם (meo’lam). This word appears in the Bible 14 times (Gen 6:4; Jos 24:2; 1 Sam 27:8; Is 42:14; 46:9; 63:16, 19; 64:3; Jer 5:15; Eze 26:20; Ps 25:6; 93:2; 119:52; Pro 8:23).
The word לעולם (or לעלם – leo’lam) meaning “always” or “forever” appears in the Bible 166 times (91 of them in the Book of Psalms).
However we also find an odd phrase:
ויעמידם לעד לעולם;
“He had also established them for ever and ever” (Ps 148:6; see also: Ps111:8).
The Greek translators wrote here: “forever and forever and ever.”
Another odd phrase is found in the Book of Isaiah:
עתה בוא כתבה על-לוח אתם--ועל-ספר חקה; ותהי ליום אחרון, לעד עד-עולם
“Now go, write it before them on a tablet, and inscribe it in a book that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever” (Is 30:8).
The Greeks wrote here: “and even forever,” and it appears that they ignored the doubling of the word עד (a’d). However, when we read in the Book of Nehemiah the expression:
עד היום האחרון (a’d hayom haakharon) - “to the last day” (Neh 8:18), we may speculate that in verse Is 30:8 the word עד (a’d) was misplaced and we should read:
עתה בוא כתבה על-לוח אתם--ועל-ספר חקה; ותהי עד ליום אחרון, לעד עולם
“Now go, write it before them on a tablet, and inscribe it in a book that it may be until the time to come, fore ever and ever.”
The Chronicler had somewhat simplified the odd phrase לעד לעולם (laa’d leo’lam) by writing:עד-לעולם (a’d-leo’lam) - “forever” (1 Ch 23:25; see also 1 Ch 28:7). However, an even simpler expression with the same exact meaning: עד-עולם (a’d-o’lam), appears in the Bible 71 times.
The simplified phrase עד-עולם (a’d-o’lam) is also found in another expression that relate to the present time: מעתה ועד-עולם (mea’ta vea’d-o’lam) - “from now on and forever’ which appears in eight biblical verses (Is 9:6; 59:21; Mic 4:7; Ps 113:2; 115:18; 121:8; 125:2; 131:3).
There are also several expressions that include the simplified phrase and relate to the past. Such as: למן-עולם ועד-עולם (lemin-o’lam vea’d-o’lam) - “from of old and forever,” or “from everlasting to everlasting” (Jer 7:7; see also: Jer 25:5; Ps 106:48; Neh 9:5; 1 Ch 16:36), or in its abbreviated form: מעולם ועד-עולם (meolam vead olam) - “from everlasting to everlasting” (1 Ch 29:10; see also: Ps 41:14; 90:2; 103:17).
We find in the Bible another expression that may be a variant of the frequently occurring phrase: עד-עולם (a’d-o’lam) - “forever.” This is: עולם ועד (o’lam vae’d) that appears seven times (all in the Book of Psalms 10:16; 21:5; 45:7; 48:15; 52:10; 89:38; and 104:5). It was translated by the Greeks as: “forever and ever,” “forever and forever and ever,” or “forever even forever and ever.” Similarly, the phrase: לעולם ועד (leo’lam vae’d) - “forever and ever,” or “forever and forever and ever” (Ex 15:18; Mic 4:5; Ps 9:6; 45:18; 119:44; 145:1, 2, 21; Dan 12:3) could have been a variant of עד-לעולם (a’d-leo’lam) - “forever.”
In the Book of Isaiah we find the peculiar expression:
ישראל נושע ביהוה תשועת עולמים: לא-תבשו ולא-תכלמו, עד-עולמי עד.
“O Israel, that are saved by YHWH with an everlasting salvation; you shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end” (Is 45:17).
It is clear that the English translation of עד-עולמי עד (a’d-o’lmai a’d) is off the mark. The Greek translators ignored here again the doubling of the word עד (a’d), and just wrote: “forever.”
These examples suggest the biblical word עד (a’d) has been loosing its original meaning as “to,” or “until,” and has become a synonym of the word עולם (or עלם, olam) meaning: “ever’ or “forever.”
In fact we find in the Book of Job:
הזאת ידעת מני-עד; מני שים אדם עלי-ארץ.
“Knows you not this of old time, since man was placed upon earth” (Job 20:4)
It is likely that the מני-עד (mini-a’d) of this verse is synonymous with מן-העולם (min-hao’lam) of Joel 2:2 or Jeremiah 28:8.
The following verses demonstrate the equivalence between לעד (laa’d) and לעולם (leo’lam), both meaning: “forever” in the Book of Psalms.
כי-תשיתהו ברכות לעד; תחדהו בשמחה, את-פניך.
“For You make him most blessed for ever; You make him glad with joy in Your presence” (Ps 21:7).
ברוך יהוה לעולם:
“Blessed be YHWH for evermore” (Ps 89:53; see also: Ps 72:17).
צדיקים יירשו-ארץ; וישכנו לעד עליה.
“The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever” (Ps 37:29).
יודע יהוה ימי תמימם; ונחלתם לעולם תהיה
“YHWH knows the days of them that are wholehearted; and their inheritance shall be for ever” (Ps 37:18; see also: Is 60:21; Ps 37:27).
כן אזמרה שמך לעד-
“So will I sing praise to Your name for ever” (Ps 61:9).
וישמחו כל-חוסי בך, לעולם ירננו--
“So shall all those that take refuge in You rejoice, they shall ever shout for joy” (Ps 5:12; see also Ps 30:13).
ושמתי לעד זרעו; וכסאו כימי שמים.
“His seed also will I make to endure for ever, and his throne as the days of heaven” (Ps 89:30).
זרעו לעולם יהיה; וכסאו כשמש נגדי.
“His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before Me” (Ps 89:37).
הוד-והדר פעלו; וצדקתו עמדת לעד.
“His work is glory and majesty; and His righteousness endures for ever” (Ps 111:3; see also: Ps 112:3, 9).
צדקתך צדק לעולם; ותורתך אמת.
“Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and Your law is truth” (Ps 119:142; see also: Ps 119:144).
תהלתו עמדת לעד.
“His praise endures for ever” (Ps 111:10).
ואנחנו עמך וצאן מרעיתך- נודה לך לעולם: לדר ודר- נספר תהלתך.
“So we that are Your people and the flock of Your pasture will give You thanks for ever; we will tell of Your praise to all generations” (Ps 79:13).
The following verses demonstrate that the equivalence between לעד (laa’d) and לעולם (leo’lam), both meaning: “forever” is not limited to the Book of Psalms.
ויטרף לעד אפו, ועברתו שמרה נצח.
“And his anger did tear perpetually, and he kept his wrath for ever” (Amos 1:11).
אל-תקצף יהוה עד-מאד, ואל-לעד תזכר עון;
“Be not wroth very sore, YHWH, neither remember iniquity for ever” (Is 64:8).
הינטר לעולם, אם-ישמר לנצח;
“Will He bear grudge for ever? Will He keep it to the end?” (Jer 3:5; see also Jer 3:12).
הלעולם תאנף-בנו; תמשך אפך לדר ודר.
“Will You be angry with us for ever? Will You draw out Your anger to all generations?” (Ps 85:6).
יאכלו ענוים וישבעו-- יהללו יהוה דרשיו; יחי לבבכם לעד.
“Let the humble eat and be satisfied; let them praise YHWH that seek after Him; may your heart be quickened for ever!” (Ps 22:27).
ואכלתם אכול ושבוע, והללתם את-שם יהוה אלהיכם, אשר-עשה עמכם להפליא; ולא-יבשו עמי לעולם.
“And you shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and shall praise the name of YHWH your God, that has dealt wondrously with you; and My people shall never be ashamed” (Joel 2:26).
מלך שופט באמת דלים-- כסאו לעד יכון.
“The king that faithfully judges the poor, his throne shall be established for ever” (Pro 29:14).
ויהוה לעולם ישב; כונן למשפט כסאו.
“But YHWH is enthroned for ever; He hath established His throne for judgment” (Ps 9:8).
אם-תדרשנו ימצא לך, ואם-תעזבנו יזניחך לעד.
“If you seek Him, He will be found of you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off for ever” (1 Ch 28:9).
הלעולמים יזנח אדני; ולא-יסיף לרצות עוד.
“Will the Lord cast off for ever? And will He be favorable no more?” (Ps 77:8).
It seems that at a certain point in time the word עד (a’d) became identical to the word עולם (o’lam).
In the Aramaic part of the Book of Daniel we find the phrase:
עלמיא ועד עלם (vea’d o’lam o’lmaia” - “even for ever and ever” (Dan 7:18). This Aramaic phrase is similar to the Hebrew עדי-עד (a’dei-a’d) - “forever,” which appears in five biblical verses (Is 26:4; 65:18; Ps 83:18; 92:8; 132:14). The Greeks translated this phrase as: “forever,” “forever and ever,” and “forevermore.”
We read in the Book of Deuteronomy:
ומראש הררי-קדם; וממגד גבעות עולם.
“And for the tops of the ancient mountains, and for the precious things of the everlasting hills” (Deu 33:15; see also Gen 49:26; Hab 3:6).
Yet, a similar verse appears in the Book of Habakkuk:
ויתפצצו הררי-עד, שחו גבעות עולם;
“And the everlasting mountains are dashed in pieces, the ancient hills do bow” (Hab 3:6).
The comparison between these verses indicate that עולם (o’lam), and עד (a’d) have a similar meaning to that of קדם (qedem) - “ancient” or “everlasting.”