Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Isaac Fried <if AT math.bu.edu>]

Karl,

I don't think that there is in the biblical sphere of thinking such a  
thing as 'unknown' in the general sense. The concept is a modern  
epistemological invention. English does not even have a word for it  
apart from the naive compound 'un-known'. A person may be ignorant (i- 
know-rant) of certain facts, but otherwise a thing is hidden or  
covered. Most instances of the verbal derivatives of (LM, עלם, in  
the Hebrew bible is clearly in the sense of 'to cover', especially  
the eyes and the ears. The opposite of (LM is GLH, גלה, 'bring up,  
un-cover, dis-cover'.
Job 6:16: (ALEYMO YIT(ALEM $ELEG, עָלֵימוֹ  
יִתְעַלֶּם-שָׁלֶג, is certainly "upon them snow will  
pile up", with a play on the words (ALEYMO and YIT(ALEM, connected by  
the common element AL, 'on'. Any other interpretation using 'hide'  
is, in my opinion, artificial. Indeed, according to NIV it is  
"swollen with melting snow".
In my opinion the word (OLAM, עולם, 'universe', is what swells up  
and up in space and time. You are right that it is mostly used in the  
sense of time going on and on, but occasionally it is used also for  
the ever extending space, as in Psalms 24:7. In any event, space and  
time are but one manifestation, and in this sense (OLAM means  
unending human existence and experience. It has nothing to do with  
knowledge, yet I can understand your interpretation of (AD (OLAM as  
meaning something like "until time is lost in the mists of eternity  
and we do not know anything anymore" but it is too poetical to my  
practical taste.
I am sorry, but your explanation of (ELEM, עלם, and (ALMAH,  
עלמה, as being yet "unknown" to the opposite sex appears to me  
unnatural and not becoming of the graceful and sensible ancient  
Hebrews. In my opinion (ELEM and (ALMAH mean just 'grown up' as  
indicated by the presence of AL, 'up, on' in both names. This basic  
sense of (LM is also inherent in the roots: BLM, GLM, HLM, XLM, QLM,  
CLM, $LM, TLM.
There is an ex-biblical )ALAM, אלם, (said to be "borrowed" from  
"Aramaic") in the sense of 'bully, brute, big-bodied, hulk', from  
which the now commonly used word ALIMUT = AL-HI-M-HU-AT, 'violence,  
strong-arm tactics', is derived.

Isaac Fried, Boston University

On Jun 11, 2007, at 9:36 PM, K Randolph wrote:

> Dear Isaac:
>
> I don't know where you get your etymology for the meaning of (LM  
> עלם, but it
> is not Biblical Hebrew.
>
> Modern Israeli Hebrew? ??
>
> As a verb it is used around 30 times ± about 2 times, every time it  
> is used
> to refer to something that is unknown.
>
> Derivatives, such as (WLM עולם again refer to something that is  
> unknown, in
> this case a duration of time that is unknown at the time it is  
> mentioned,
> and that included eternity as one option. We had a drawn out  
> discussion
> of its duration a while back. Only in post-Biblical Hebrew does it
> have a meaning referring to the totality of the compiled creation.
>
> (LM עלם and (LMH עלמה referring to people was of those whose
> youth and social position precluded them from having been married,  
> and sex
> outside of marriage was a no-no, so they were "unknown" in contrast to
> Genesis 4:1.
>
> It's a bit of a stretch to compare (LM עלם with )LM אלם to be  
> mute, though
> one could possibly say that one is not likely to be loquacious  
> about what
> one doesn't know.
>
> Karl W. Randolph.
>
> On 6/10/07, Isaac Fried <if AT math.bu.edu> wrote:
> > Kenneth,
> >
> > The situation in Isaiah 7:14 is crystal clear.
> >
> > 1. Since the Hebrew HA- is but a variant of the personal pronoun HU,
> > HI, 'he, she', HA-ALMAH is surely in reference to a person on which
> > the prophet and his listeners were in agreement as to her factual
> > identity. Insofar as the prophet did not have you and me in mind at
> > that time, he did not elaborate on the status of his ALMAH.
> >
> > 2. The fact that the prophet uses the bare form HARAH and not HA-
> > HARAH is a clear indication  that the ALMAH was not yet known by the
> > people of Jerusalem to be pregnant. If she had any difficulties
> > conceiving, or the nation was just awaiting the good tidings is lost
> > on us by the habitual brevity of the biblical text.
> >
> > 3. Now to the etymology of the word ALMAH. It is from the root (LM,
> > 'pile up, grow up, mature'. The presence of the letter L in the root
> > indicates that it refers to an elevated material state. As a verb it
> > means 'to cover up, to pile up upon, to wrap over', and hence by
> > analogy 'to hide, to conceal'. The derived words (ELEM, and (ALMAH
> > mean, to my understanding, correspondingly, a grown boy and a nubile
> > girl. Likewise, (ALUMIM is 'the days of youth', as in Job 33:25. It
> > is possible that HA-)ALMAH was in deferential use in the sense of Her
> > Royal Highness.
> > (OLAM is the totality of the compiled creation.
> > The root )LM is a variant of the root (LM. Derived from this root are
> > the words )ALUMAH, 'a pile or bundle of cut wheat, a sheaf' [in
> > present day spoken Hebrew )ALUMAH is also 'beam, shaft', as in )ALUM-
> > AT OR. 'a beam of light'], )ULAM, 'a large hall' and )ILEM, 'mute,
> > tight, shut, coiled up, seized, overwhelmed, convulsed, inert, faint,
> > unconscious'.
> >
> > Isaac Fried, Boston University
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