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b-hebrew - Re: [b-hebrew] Daniel 6:27 (time indefinite) II

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  • From: "Harold R. Holmyard III" <hholmyard AT ont.com>
  • To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Daniel 6:27 (time indefinite) II
  • Date: Mon, 14 Nov 2005 11:46:29 -0600

Dear Solomon,

That may be so, Harold, for an English text written by an English speaker. But the English Bible is a translation of a Hebrew text, so we also have to
consider what "olam" meant to the Hebrew writers of the text.
Thus, it matters whether the Hebrew writers had in mind "eternity" as Westernized English speakers understand it, or something else. And if in the Bible
it signifies "eternity" some times, did its Hebrew writers always use the
term "olam" of things "eternal"? And if not, what did "olam" mean in those
instances?

"I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever [l'olam]: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption,
O LORD my God." -- Jonah 2:6 KJV

In this occurrence, "forever" lasted for only three days.

HH: No, they did not necessarily use the word of "eternity" in every occurrence. I believe we know they did not in reference to some past, earthly texts, where the idea is "antiquity" or "of old." This Jonah 2:6 text is interesting. Thank you for noting it, and it may be that the idea is "a terribly long time" from the perspective of a person who does not live under water. On the other hand, Jonah could have been saying that from an earthly perspective he was doomed; the earth with its bars was destined to be his prison forever (had not God intervened).

Yours,
Harold Holmyard




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