aionios

עוֹלָם time immemorial, obscurity of time, enduring, [age], [world]: “properly what is hidden; specially hidden time, long; the beginning or end of which is either uncertain or else not defined;” (Gesenius’ Hebrew Lexicon); “endurance” (pg. 1052, Jastrow), “long duration” [(BDB); compare root I. עָלַם “conceal” (BDB, pg. 761); “obscured”]; III. עָלַם “age, remote time” (BDB, pg. 761). “distant time” (HALOT), “a long time, long duration” (HALOT, pg 688); “time immemorial” (pg. 243, Langenscheidt), “duration” (ibid); “time immemorial” (pg. 1865, Reuben Alcalay); “time immemorial” (TDOT, Vol. 10, pg. 533). Olam refers to a time period whose end cannot be seen or detected if it has one—to time past or future that is so distant as to be obscured, forgotten, veiled, shrouded, concealed, covered, or otherwise misted over.

Depending on the context it can signify that time itself is forgotten or is not a relevant factor (thus equated with everlasting), or that the length of time is long enough to be forgotten to its finite denizens. The concealment of time is such that endpoints are invisible or unlocatable, and given context may not exist at all. What can be determined about endpoints must come from the nature of the object or subject itself. As long as the object does not derive from Yahweh or His own essential nature, its duration is relatively long, but not necessarily infinite.

Time immemorial means time past memory, or beyond the limits of memory. For the sake of the translation, the reader must extend the English definition to the sense of a time in the future distant enough to put the present beyond the limits of memory. In English, the usage is uni-directional into the past, meaning a time in the past that is not remembered in the present. But the application is bi-directional in Hebrew, which is concorded by ammending the definition of the English phrase, which is stated here: a time in the future that is beyond the memory of the present. This phrase is prefered because English provides us with the words nearest enough in usage to be adapted. Obscurity of time (see below) is more technically accurate, but needs too much explanation to be the best translation.

Obscurity of time can be as short as one lifetime. This is because a person does not remember time before his birth, or after his death. Thus it is said to be a period of time lasting the lifetime of a person, and when the person dies then time is obscured to that person. Time obscured in the past or in the future can be of any length beyond which one may say that time is hidden to its subject.

Enduring. This sense is when the context emphasizes the duration of the time and not so much some goal. Typically duration is meant when the word is not prefixed with לְ (to). And as mentioned below, the length of the duration depends on the inherent qualities of the subject to which it is applied, or that the subject is intented to be perpetually enduring until its maker says otherwise and probably a minimum duration implied is until time is obscured. So goal is intended too, but duration is emphasized.

[Age]. The sense “age” does not seem to truly occur in Biblical Hebrew, however, it is added by later Hebrew, and is equated to the Greek, αἰών (aeon, eon, age).

[World]. This sense is attested in later Hebrew. While “age” is supported in the NT, the sense of “world” is not so clear.

I. Adjective: enduring, lasting, time-enduring; the quality, or tendency to last an obscurely long time, time-immemorially-lasting. The adjective describes the nature of its object under normal or typical circumstances. “time-immemorially-lasting hills” (Gen. 49:26) describes the normal nature of the hills; it does not tell us that a particular hill is not bulldozed or dynamited and ceases to exist. The shortened translation “enduring hills” is more succinct. The word tells us about the qualitative or tendential nature of the object. For example, an “enduring statute” is a constant phrase in the Torah. This means the statute is invested with the nature of enduring validity. It cannot cease by its own nature. It has no expiration date. It cannot expire from within, but only from without by an act of its maker. Thus, by default, or left to itself, its validity remains. The word “enduring” is used in the English translation often to sum up this entire concept. To understand the Hebrew, one has to get the concept associated with the word, and as it would be too cumbersome to translate the whole concept into a long English phrase, this is left to the popup boxes for reminders and a link to this definition to explain the whole.

a. enduring to the obscurity of time [obscurity at one or both ends of the timeline]

b. enduring till time is forgotten [forgottenness at one or both ends of the timeline]

1. used with I: עַד (BDB), meaning: enduring onward of. The term עַד is listed in three definitions, but all derived from one root: עָדָה (go on, pass by) but I, and III may be unified in the sense of “onward (of)”; when used first (וְעַד־ע֭וֹלָם) it means “and onward of time-immemorial”, and when used afterward (עוֹלָ֣ם וָעֶ֑ד), “time-immemorial and onward”. The use of sense I is thus the same as sense III. Also certain usages of עַד are better explained as a construct, “onward of” instead of “until”. The sense then is at least “as far as” a point indicated but leaving undefined a continuance thereafter. “Onward of time immemorial” has the sense of “past time immemorial” though with עַד in Hebrew it is not defined how far “onward of” means. The prefixed עַד is like placing an arrow going up to your object: —>object--->. Time progresses with certainty to the object, and a bit beyond, but beyond the arrow becomes dashed, showing that it is uncertain how far beyond the object time passes by. For example, Mt. 24:34 might imply in English that the final generation does pass away as soon as the end time signs occur because it uses the word “until”. But in Hebrew it is, “onward of (going by) all these things occuring”, so if immortality is granted that generation will never pass away.

3. aeonian, eonian, age-lasting, age-enduring. These senses are possible, but they may be too short when the understood sense is everlasting, or too long when the understood sense is limited to a lifetime or less by the nature of the object, or subject, and tend to restrict the qualitative sense the adjective imparts to its object to a finite time period. Rotherham’s Emphasized Bible, Young’s Literal Translation, and the Concordant Version probably should not have compounded the term “age”.

II. Adverb: enduringly, lastingly, time-immemorial-enduringly, inscrutably long

1. modifying a verb, with לְ prefixed: לְעֹלָֽם, to obscurity—lasting to a concealed time, or lasting to a time whose limits are unseen or undefined.

III. Noun: age, aeon, eon, remote time, inscrutable aeon, an obscured time, time immemorial, i.e. a time so long that it is lost in obscurity, and becomes hidden (cf. Roots above).

1. with III: עַד (BDB), meaning: onward to the age, onward to the aeon, as far as the aeon.

αἰώνιος: time immemorially lasting: In the biblical context, exactly the same as the Hebrew adjective equivalent; “enduring”, (TDNT, pg. 208, vol. 1); “1. pertaining to a long period of time” (BDAG, pg. 33). Note: the Church has ascribed the sense of everlasting or eternal to this term in formal definitions, while denying any other use. This deception is promoted for various reasons of philosophy and doctrine, but is not supported by the linguistic evidence. In particular, the concept of “everlasting fire” for the lake of fire. See the relevant passages in the MISB. The concept of everlasting is only a pragmatic sense that is gained from the context and understanding the nature of the object of the word, i.e. “enduring life” pragmatically means everlasting life, not because the word means everlasting, but because of the perfect life that Yahweh gives. Perfect life by its nature endures forever. It does not cease because of external imposition, but endures because of its internal nature. It does not perish by its own mortality, because being perfect it has none. This kind of life can only be given to those who have fixed their will in commitment and support of the Almighty. When Yahweh’s tests of fidelity are passed, then the person’s commitment is united with enduring life. Enduring life has both a spiritual side, and a physical side. Eating from the tree of life is necessary to maintain the physical side. Passing Yahweh’s tests of loyalty are necessary to maintain the spiritual side and be united with him in commitment.

αἰών: The same as the Hebrew noun equivalent, but a new sense has now developed in the Greek of a defined “age” with beginning and end, which the Biblical Hebrew lacks.