Biblical Hebrew Forum

["George F. Somsel" <gfsomsel AT juno.com>]

On Thu, 22 Jul 2004 21:36:40 -0400 "Noam Eitan" <neitian AT nyc.rr.com>
writes:
> Qedem is front, east and antiquity. I can understand that if you 
> stand with
> your back to the sea, the east is in front of you; but how did the 
> east
> become equated in BH with antiquity? - Noam
> 
> _______________________________________________

It is always a bit hazardous to attempt to state why a word came to have
a particular significance, but I suppose some accounting must be made. 
QDM signified that which was "in front" as that which has happened
likewise precedes the present and is thus "before" which the derived word
QDMH (see Ps. 129.6 YiH:YW. K.aXa:CiYR G.aG.oT $eQ.aD:MaT $fLaP YfB"$)
displays.

george
gfsomsel