Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Ted Walther <ted AT reactor-core.org>]

I don't see a conflict in the Greek and Hebrew concepts of Olam and
Eternity.  Infinity  is really best defined, not as the biggest number,
but as a number bigger than we can count.  That is, something that is
out of sight and unknown, greater than anything we do know.

Ted

On Thu, Jan 29, 2009 at 09:18:53AM -0800, K Randolph wrote:
> John:
>
> On Thu, Jan 29, 2009 at 8:23 AM, John Estell <oldearther AT yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> > Karl,
> >
> > *"But outside of slang where thereis a deliberate attempt at obfuscation,
> > no where is that semantic range so
> > broad that a word can have one meaning and its opposite."
> > *
> >
> > **
> >
> > What about *olam* (and in Greek, *aion/aionios*) ?  Can't that refer to
> > both time and eternity?  Aren't these opposite meanings?
> >
> > The question of (WLM was debated in greater detail before. It comes from
> the same root as "to cause to be unknown" i.e. to hide, (LMWT alamut the
> unknown, T(LMH unknown thing, and in reference to time, it is to a time of
> unknown span. By extension, eternity also extends off into the unknown. So
> the two are related, not opposite.
>
> This has often led to misunderstanding of texts, as when people see (WLM
> they assume that eternity is meant, when only a time span of unknown length
> but which has a definite end is meant in the text.
>
> The Greek word refers to an eon, a very long span of time, and by extension,
> eternity. But that's Greek.
>
> > John Estell
>
> Karl W. Randolph.
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Name:    Ted Walther
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