Biblical Hebrew Forum

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

1. Whatever it means, SHRIYQOT OLAM is negligible. Some people will  
hiss or whistle "forever". So what. (BTW I think that the root SHRK  
is a variant of ZRQ, with SHRIQAH meaning ZRIYQAH, 'hurling out air'.)

2. The BRIT OLAM of Gen. 9:16 is indeed (in the words of King James)  
'everlasting covenant', where everlasting means 'unlimited in time',  
or 'irrevocable, not cancelable, to last AD OLAM'.

3. What do you think of HA-OLAM of Eccl. 3:11?

Isaac Fried, Boston University


On Dec 12, 2010, at 5:18 PM, fred burlingame wrote:

> Hello Isaac:
>
> Thanks for your responsive remarks.
>
> Please allow me to reply in inverse order.
>
> a. It seems to me that a fair reading of the tense and tenor of  
> jeremiah 17:4, and chapter 17 (your paragraph 2), ... yields the  
> reasonable conclusion that these events will happen; not might; not  
> maybe; not supposedly; not hypothetically ... happen.
>
> b. Taking the "forever" out of עד עולם here, appears to me  
> anyhow, as theology arriving; and facts departing. No factual  
> (versus theological) basis exists for dramatically changing the  
> meaning of עד עולם in genesis 13:15; and jeremiah 17:4.
>
> b. As for jeremiah 18:16 (your paragraph1), I would respond with
>
> והיתה הקשת בענן וראיתיה לזכר ברית  
> עולם בין אלהים ובן כל נפש חיה בכל בשר  
> אשר על הארץ
>
> genesis 9:16
>
> Does this covenant become a "world class" covenant or a "long term"  
> convenant (versus a "forever covenant"), given the missing little  
> עד ?
>
> I look forward to hearing from you, on your understanding of the  
> meaning of עולם in genesis 9:16? Does it mean "forever?" or  
> simply "world class?" or "long term?"
>
> regards,
>
> fred burlingame
> On Sun, Dec 12, 2010 at 3:36 PM, Isaac Fried <if AT math.bu.edu> wrote:
> 1. SHRIYQOT OLAM could be 'world class hissing' or 'hissing for a  
> long time'. The prophet is certainly not saying LA-SUM ARCAM LE- 
> SHAMAH AD OLAM. Otherwise, the hissing against this land is,  
> indeed, without end.
>
> 2. The AD OLAM in Jer. 17:4 is only for the anger that is  
> supposedly forever, the promise given to ABRAHAM is not claimed to  
> be revoked, because the prophet knows that it is irrevocable.
>
> Isaac Fried, Boston University