Biblical Hebrew Forum

[kgraham0938 AT comcast.net]

@Solomon:


Solomon: Well, that's a lot of guessing and speculating, but if you really 
want to 
> know the rationale behind the NWT's use of "time indefinite" for "olam," I 
> suggest you read the publication "Insight on the Scriptures," volume 2, 
> under 
> the 
> topic "Time Indefinite." 
> 
> The thought that "olam" can refer to an indefinite time is not unique to 
> the 
> NWT. As I noted earlier, at least one encyclopedia used the expression back 
> in 1915, and Gesenius' Hebrew-English Lexicon in 1836 defined "olam" as 
> "hidden time, i.e. obscure and long, of which the beginning or end is 
> uncertain 
> or indefinite." (My emphasis) 

Response: I understand your concern, but here is a few problems I see however.

1. Time indefinite is not talking about something LONG with it's beginning or 
end being uncertain or indefinite.  Time indefinite, just means not definite, 
so it does not have to be long at all.  It could be 10 seconds which is not 
what WLM is communicating.  So I don't think this lexicon is providing the 
same definition you are.h

2. Hidden time is different than time indefinite.  One is speaking of 
something not being revealed, the other is something that is simply not 
specific, it does not have to be hidden.

3. You said that WLM "Can" refer to an indefinite time, if that is so, then 
do you not agree that it is fair for one to argue against WLM being 
translated as time indefinite in every single usage?

----------------------------------

Solomon:> The term has nothing to do with Witness theology, since in most 
instances 
> the term "forever" fits quite well, i.e., the belief that the earth abides 
> forever, and that God is everlasting. Yet the NWT consistently uses "for 
> time 
> indefinite" or "from time indefinite to time indefinite" in verses 
> expressing 
> those concepts. 

Response; But one could argue that all that is communicating is "not 
specific" to "not specific."  That is not communicating what WLM means.  So 
one could say from 10 minutes to 20 minutes and be pretty accurate.

Solomon:However, when an augmenting Hebrew word such as "ad" is used, 
> as in "olam w'ad," the NWT translates as "time indefinite, even forever." 

Response: From not specific to forever??  I don' t think that flies.

--
Kelton Graham 
KGRAHAM0938 AT comcast.net
>From dwashbur AT nyx.net  Thu Nov 17 12:41:12 2005
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Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Daniel 6:27 (time indefinite) II
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On Thursday 17 November 2005 10:14, Karl Randolph wrote:
> Peter:
>
> This is where you disagree with not only Rolf, but many
> other people on this list.

Not this people.  Contextually, (WLM appears to mean "eternity" or "forever" 
more often than not.  Whether your diagnosis of its supposed "root meaning" 
is correct or not is really irrelevant, because roots and earlier meanings 
may or may not have anything to do with what it means in a particular 
context.

-- 
Dave Washburn
http://www.nyx.net/~dwashbur
"Maybe I'll trade it for a new hat."