עֵילוֹם
𐤏𐤉𐤋𐤅𐤌
ʻêylôwm
H5865 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Masculine noun denoting a long, indefinite duration; often used poetically or conceptually for a period that extends beyond ordinary human comprehension, whether into the past or the future. In certain contexts, refers to 'antiquity,' 'ancient times,' or a 'distant future.' When used adverbially, implies 'forever,' 'perpetually,' or 'for all time.' The precise temporal reference is context-dependent.
Semantic Range
antiquity, ancient times, distant past, distant future, eternity, perpetuity, forever, always, for all time
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root עולם (ʿ-l-m), meaning 'to be hidden, concealed.' The form עֵילוֹם (ʻêylôwm) is related to, but less common than, עוֹלָם (ʽôlām), and likely shares the conceptual sense of something whose duration is obscure, out of view, or not readily limited.
Historical & Contextual Notes
עֵילוֹם (ʻêylôwm) is a rare form, appearing only a few times in the Hebrew Bible, and exclusively in poetic or archaic passages. Its usage strongly parallels עוֹלָם (ʽôlām), the more frequent form, though it may carry a slightly elevated or poetic nuance. Both terms share the sense of a duration that is indefinite or has no clearly perceived boundary. English translations often render it 'ever,' 'forever,' or 'eternity,' but these terms may impose notions of absolute infinity that are not always present in the original. In ancient Israelite usage, the word often designates a period so far removed (past or future) that its limits are hidden from ordinary perception. In post-exilic and Second Temple literature, עוֹלָם and its variants developed more theological connotations of eternity, which should not be retroactively assumed in earlier texts. The word should be distinguished from more specific temporal markers like דּוֹר (dôr, 'generation') or שָׁנָה (shānāh, 'year').
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
for עוֹלָם; {concealed, i.e. the vanishing point; generally, time out of mind (past or future), i.e. (practically) eternity; frequentatively, adverbial (especially with prepositional prefix) always}; ever.
Bantu Hebrew
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+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
עולם (ʿ-l-m) — to be hidden, to be concealed, to be beyond horizon
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5865-01 |
לְ/עֵילֽוֹם | leeylom | HR/Ncmsa |
for ever | for a hidden age | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5865-01 |
2 Chronicles 33:7 | לְ/עֵילֽוֹם | leeylom | HR/Ncmsa |
for ever | for a hidden age |