Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Eric Weiss" <eweiss AT gte.net>]

On 04/10/00, ""Harold R. Holmyard III" <hholmyard AT ont.com>" wrote:
> Dear Eric,
>      MELEK takes definition from the construct phrase: the king of the
> world, or the king of the age, or the king of eternity.

The New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology and Exegesis 
says that "world" is rarely the meaning of (WOLAM in Biblical Hebrew, so I 
would be hesitant to say "King of the world." And, as you know, I don't 
really like the others options. NIDOTTE also says that "eternal/eternity" 
should not have the philosophical sense of unbounded or unlimited time, if 
one translates the word as "eternity."

> The definite
> article in the second word makes the first word definite.

That's what I thought and remembered from my Hebrew.

> I have always
> heard that an exact equivalent for (WOLAM does not exist in English.

Yes, I'm afraid that is my problem. I could say it is equivalent in many 
ways to the Greek AIWN - but, then, there is no good English equivalent for 
AIWN!! :^)

I still think that translating it as an adjective - i.e., Eternal King, 
rather than King of/over Eternity - is possible, is it not?

Any further responses are welcome! Thanks!
 
>                                       Yours,
>                                       Harold Holmyard