Biblical Hebrew Forum

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

My Hebrew is really rusty, but unless I know something about your expertise 
(no insult intended), I cannot be sure that it's as simple as you lay it 
out here. For the HA preceding (WLFM, if this phrase is adjectival in 
meaning (and construct phrases function for adjectives in adjective-poor 
Biblical Hebrew), would be applied to MELEK, i.e.: "THE Eternal King" as I 
recall Hebrew grammar. MELEK (WLFM would mean "(An) Eternal King" but MELEK 
HA(WLFM could mean either "King of Eternity" or "Eternal King" - I think.

On 04/11/00, "fistel AT webtv.net (Edward Fistel)" wrote:
> Olam means eternity in both time and Space.
> Melech HAolam=king of the universe
> Melech olam=eternal king

Also, in response to another post, my sources say the "philosophical" 
meaning of eternity - i.e., "unbounded time" or "limitless time" - is 
really not the Biblical Hebrew meaning of (WLFM, e.g.:

"It does not seem to mean eternity in the philosophical sense of the word 
(i.e., neither unbounded time nor eternal timelessness), although there are 
a few vv. where the meaning of the nom. is very much like the idea of 
eternity. In most cases, however, like other Heb. terms for time, the 
meaning of (WLFM is closely linked to the occurrence of events." - NIDOTTE

And ... on this subject ... I have read that our idea that God is "outside 
of space and time" is more Augustinian than Biblical, more Greek philosophy 
than Ancient Hebrew in concept. I.e., that this idea that God sits above 
and outside space and time and sees all things at once and there is no 
difference to Him between past, present, and future, is NOT what the Hebrew 
Bible really teaches about the nature of God. It may be true, but we're 
imposing a later mindset on the Scriptures when we perceive them to be 
teaching this about God. Or so I've read.