Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Peter Kirk"<peter_kirk AT sil.org>]

This phrase may not be biblical, but it reminded me of the biblical 
phrase "Everlasting Father" in Isaiah 9:6 English, 9:5 Hebrew, which 
is used by Christians as a title of Jesus Christ in one of the regular 
readings for the period of preparation for Christmas (somewhat 
surprisingly, as Jesus Christ is usually described not as a father but 
as a son, as at the start of the verse). I was surprised to find that 
the Hebrew here (BHS) is just one word ):ABIY(AD . Presumably this is 
translated as if two words: ):ABIY = father (construct form) and (AD 
which can be a near synonym of (OWLFM = eternity. The construction 
seems similar, and both the root MLK and the word (OWLFM are used in 
the same context in the next verse. So perhaps the phrase MELEK 
HF(OWLFM (?) can be related to these verses. But then I assume it is 
used in the Jewish prayers as a title of God, and that can hardly be 
the interpretation of this passage - or can it?

I'm not sure if this helps your question, except perhaps to suggest a 
translation more like "Everlasting King" or "King for Ever".

Peter Kirk


______________________________ Reply Separator 
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Subject: MELEK HA(WOLAM
Author:  <eweiss AT gte.net> at Internet
Date:    10/04/2000 09:03


Please forgive my possible mistransliteration; it's usually spelled "melech 
haolam" in popular English transliteration.

I know this isn't a Biblical phrase, but it is in many Jewish liturgical 
prayers dating to Biblical times.

It's usually translated "King of the Universe" but (WOLAM to me has more of 
a time sense than an earth/solar system/galaxies sense (which is how I 
react to the word "universe"). I've checked Brown-Driver-Briggs, Holladay, 
Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, New International Dictionary of 
Old Testament Theology and Exegesis, and Ernest Klein's Etymological 
Dictionary of the Hebrew Language for meaning(s) of (WOLAM.

What would be a better translation?

[I am revising a personally-written Passover Haggadah, and this phrase is 
frequent. At present I have a footnote saying that there is not an English 
equivalent for (WOLAM or the phrase MELEK HA(WOLAM. Am I correct to say 
this?]

Some possibilities that come to me (none of which I really like) are:

King of the Ages
King of Eternity
Eternal King
Sovereign King or Sovereign Lord or Sovereign One 
King of Everything or King of All

Also, since (WOLAM is definite in this construct phrase(?) (my Hebrew is 
very rusty), then should the definite article precede MELEK - e.g., "THE 
King of Eternity" - as opposed to, e.g., "King of THE Ages/Eternity"?

Or is this actually to be understood as an adjectival phrase, i.e.: 
"Eternal King" or "THE Eternal King"?

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks!

Eric Weiss
eweiss AT gte.net

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