כְּ/קֶֽדֶם
𐤊/𐤒𐤃𐤌
qedem
as of old
The primary lexical meaning of קֶדֶם (qedem) is 'the front' or 'that which is before,' with extended senses referring both to spatial position—particularly 'east' (the area in front when one faces sunrise)—and to temporal concepts such as 'ancient times,' 'antiquity,' or 'formerly.' In some contexts, it denotes 'former times' or 'the earliest period,' and can also function as an adverb meaning 'eastward' or 'formerly.'
Lamentations 5:21 · Word #8
Lexicon H6924
| Lemma | קֶדֶם |
| Lemma (Paleo) | 𐤒𐤃𐤌 |
| Transliteration | qedem |
| Strong's | H6924 |
| Definition | The primary lexical meaning of קֶדֶם (qedem) is 'the front' or 'that which is before,' with extended senses referring both to spatial position—particularly 'east' (the area in front when one faces sunrise)—and to temporal concepts such as 'ancient times,' 'antiquity,' or 'formerly.' In some contexts, it denotes 'former times' or 'the earliest period,' and can also function as an adverb meaning 'eastward' or 'formerly.' |
Morphology HR/Ncmsa
All morphology codes
| Part of Speech | N — Noun — A person, place, thing, or idea |
| Subtype | c — Common — Common noun |
| Gender | m — Masculine — Masculine |
| Number | s — Singular — Singular |
| State | a — Absolute — The noun stands independently |
Common Translation
| Phrase | as of old |
SIBI-P1 Translation H6924-02
like ancient times
| Morphological Notes | Noun, masculine singular absolute (קֶדֶם) with prefixed preposition כְ (“like/as”). |
| Rendering Rationale | The noun קֶדֶם denotes what is before—especially former or earliest times. With the prefixed כְ (“like/as”), the form expresses comparison: "like ancient times," preserving the root sense of temporal precedence. |
View full lexicon entry for H6924 →
SILEX v2
SIBI-P2 (Context-Aware)
like ancient times
| Same as P1 | Yes |
| Rationale | P1 is contextually correct, reflecting the temporal 'as formerly' meaning of the Hebrew; no adjustment needed. |