עוֹלָם

𐤏𐤅𐤋𐤌

ʻôwlâm

H5769 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A duration of time that is indefinitely long, either extending into the remote past, the indefinite future, or characterized by unending perpetuity; in some contexts, refers to ancient times, remote antiquity, or an ongoing period. Rarely, may denote a persistent status that endures for generations or ages. The term does not necessarily imply absolute, metaphysical eternity as later conceived, but rather a temporal span beyond clear human perception or memory.

Semantic Range

indefinitely long duration, remote antiquity, perpetual or enduring state, time beyond memory, ongoing generations, eternal, for ever, of old, always, continuous; rarely, world or cosmos (in poetic contexts)

Root / Etymology

From the root עלם (ʽ-l-m), which at the root level carries the meaning 'to conceal, hide, be hidden.' עוֹלָם (ʻôlâm) derives from this root, originally referring to what is hidden or beyond the horizon, hence by extension to remote times (past or future) that are hidden from immediate experience or understanding.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, עוֹלָם frequently describes categories such as 'ancient days' (remote past), perpetual covenants or statutes (an indefinite future), and enduring places (e.g., everlasting hills). Its precise meaning is context-dependent: it denotes very long duration or perpetuity in legal or ritual contexts (such as priestly service 'for olam'), but does not always signify absolute unending infinity as later interpreted in Jewish and Christian theological traditions. In wisdom and poetic texts, it may accentuate the mystery or unfathomable nature of past or future time. When contrasted with נֶצַח (neṣaḥ, 'perpetuity; forever') or עַד (ʽad, 'until; perpetually'), עוֹלָם tends to be broader or less specific. English translations such as 'eternity', 'everlasting', or 'forever' can obscure the more nuanced, relative sense of the term as used in ancient Israelite texts, sometimes implying total infinity where a very long or undetermined span is intended.

Translation Consistency

primary "forever" 50 occurrences

"Forever" is the most natural, commonly used English rendering for עוֹלָם’s primary sense of an indefinitely long duration or perpetual state. It is the single-word option most often found in existing renderings (highest frequency in the P2 data), is idiomatic in phrases like "from forever"/"for ever," and covers the typical usages (enduring/perpetual and extended past or future) better for consistent translation than more formal alternatives such as "eternal" or "perpetuity." Rare senses (e.g., poetic "world/age") are less common and can be handled by context notes or alternate phrasing where needed.

✓ All renderings match approved senses

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or עֹלָם; from עָלַם; properly, concealed, i.e. the vanishing point; generally, time out of mind (past or future), i.e. (practically) eternity; frequentatively, adverbial (especially with prepositional prefix) always; alway(-s), ancient (time), any more, continuance, eternal, (for, (n-)) ever(-lasting, -more, of old), lasting, long (time), (of) old (time), perpetual, at any time, (beginning of the) world ([phrase] without end). Compare נֶצַח, עַד.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

עלם (Yaelam) — to hide, to conceal, to be secret, to be young

Root עלם to conceal, hide, be hidden
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3281 יַעְלָם Yaʿlam
H492 אַלְמֹנִי anonymous one
H5867 עֵילָם in Elam
H5934 עָלוּם your youthful years
H5957 עָלַם age-long duration

Word Forms

13 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H5769-08 עוֹלָֽם olam HNcmsa forever hidden age forever 212
H5769-04 לְ/עוֹלָם֙ leolam HR/Ncmsa forever for an unseen age for forever 176
H5769-07 מֵ/עוֹלָ֖ם meolam HR/Ncmsa from of old from hidden antiquity from forever 16
H5769-03 הָ/עוֹלָ֖ם haolam HTd/Ncmsa everlasting the hidden duration the forever 14
H5769-09 עוֹלָמִֽים olamim HNcmpa everlasting hidden ages forever ages 9
H5769-13 וּ/מֵ֣/עֹלָ֔ם umeolam HC/R/Ncmsa even from everlasting and from hidden antiquity and from forever 3
H5769-01 הַ/לְ/עוֹלָ֥ם haleolam HTi/R/Ncmsa forever for the hidden age for the forever 2
H5769-02 הַֽ֭/לְ/עוֹלָמִים haleolamim HTi/R/Ncmpa forever? to the enduring ages to the enduring ages 1
H5769-05 לְ/עֹֽלָמִ֔ים leolamim HR/Ncmpa for hidden ages for ages past 1
H5769-06 מֵֽ֭/הָ/עוֹלָם mehaolam HR/Td/Ncmsa from everlasting from hidden antiquity from everlasting 1

Occurrences in Scripture

438 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H5769-04 Genesis 3:22 לְ/עֹלָֽם leolam HR/Ncmsa forever for an unseen age for forever
H5769-04 Genesis 6:3 לְ/עֹלָ֔ם leolam HR/Ncmsa forever for an unseen age for forever
H5769-07 Genesis 6:4 מֵ/עוֹלָ֖ם meolam HR/Ncmsa from of old from hidden antiquity from forever
H5769-08 Genesis 9:12 עוֹלָֽם olam HNcmsa everlasting hidden age forever
H5769-08 Genesis 9:16 עוֹלָ֔ם olam HNcmsa everlasting hidden age forever
H5769-08 Genesis 13:15 עוֹלָֽם olam HNcmsa ever hidden age forever
H5769-08 Genesis 17:7 עוֹלָ֑ם olam HNcmsa everlasting hidden age forever
H5769-08 Genesis 17:8 עוֹלָ֑ם olam HNcmsa everlasting hidden age forever
H5769-08 Genesis 17:13 עוֹלָֽם olam HNcmsa everlasting hidden age forever
H5769-08 Genesis 17:19 עוֹלָ֖ם olam HNcmsa everlasting hidden age forever
H5769-08 Genesis 21:33 עוֹלָֽם olam HNcmsa Everlasting hidden age forever
H5769-08 Genesis 48:4 עוֹלָֽם olam HNcmsa everlasting hidden age forever
H5769-08 Genesis 49:26 עוֹלָ֑ם olam HNcmsa of the everlasting hidden age forever
H5769-04 Exodus 3:15 לְ/עֹלָ֔ם leolam HR/Ncmsa forever for an unseen age for forever
H5769-08 Exodus 12:14 עוֹלָ֖ם olam HNcmsa everlasting hidden age forever
H5769-08 Exodus 12:17 עוֹלָֽם olam HNcmsa eternal hidden age forever
H5769-08 Exodus 12:24 עוֹלָֽם olam HNcmsa forever hidden age forever
H5769-08 Exodus 14:13 עוֹלָֽם olam HNcmsa forever hidden age forever
H5769-04 Exodus 15:18 לְ/עֹלָ֥ם leolam HR/Ncmsa forever for an unseen age for forever
H5769-04 Exodus 19:9 לְ/עוֹלָ֑ם leolam HR/Ncmsa forever for an unseen age for forever
H5769-04 Exodus 21:6 לְ/עֹלָֽם leolam HR/Ncmsa forever for an unseen age for forever
H5769-08 Exodus 27:21 עוֹלָם֙ olam HNcmsa eternal hidden age forever
H5769-08 Exodus 28:43 עוֹלָ֛ם olam HNcmsa forever hidden age forever
H5769-08 Exodus 29:9 עוֹלָ֑ם olam HNcmsa perpetual hidden age forever
H5769-08 Exodus 29:28 עוֹלָ֗ם olam HNcmsa forever hidden age forever
H5769-08 Exodus 30:21 עוֹלָ֛ם olam HNcmsa eternal hidden age forever
H5769-08 Exodus 31:16 עוֹלָֽם olam HNcmsa perpetual hidden age forever
H5769-04 Exodus 31:17 לְ/עֹלָ֑ם leolam HR/Ncmsa forever for an unseen age for forever
H5769-04 Exodus 32:13 לְ/עֹלָֽם leolam HR/Ncmsa forever for an unseen age for forever
H5769-08 Exodus 40:15 עוֹלָ֖ם olam HNcmsa everlasting hidden age forever
H5769-08 Leviticus 3:17 עוֹלָם֙ olam HNcmsa perpetual hidden age forever
H5769-08 Leviticus 6:11 עוֹלָם֙ olam HNcmsa eternal hidden age forever
H5769-08 Leviticus 6:15 עוֹלָ֕ם olam HNcmsa everlasting hidden age forever
H5769-08 Leviticus 7:34 עוֹלָ֔ם olam HNcmsa forever hidden age forever
H5769-08 Leviticus 7:36 עוֹלָ֖ם olam HNcmsa eternal hidden age forever
H5769-08 Leviticus 10:9 עוֹלָ֖ם olam HNcmsa eternal hidden age forever
H5769-08 Leviticus 10:15 עוֹלָ֔ם olam HNcmsa forever hidden age forever
H5769-08 Leviticus 16:29 עוֹלָ֑ם olam HNcmsa forever hidden age forever
H5769-08 Leviticus 16:31 עוֹלָֽם olam HNcmsa forever hidden age forever
H5769-08 Leviticus 16:34 עוֹלָ֗ם olam HNcmsa forever hidden age forever
H5769-08 Leviticus 17:7 עוֹלָ֛ם olam HNcmsa eternal hidden age forever
H5769-08 Leviticus 23:14 עוֹלָם֙ olam HNcmsa eternal hidden age forever
H5769-08 Leviticus 23:21 עוֹלָ֛ם olam HNcmsa eternal hidden age forever
H5769-08 Leviticus 23:31 עוֹלָם֙ olam HNcmsa eternal hidden age forever
H5769-08 Leviticus 23:41 עוֹלָם֙ olam HNcmsa forever hidden age forever
H5769-08 Leviticus 24:3 עוֹלָ֖ם olam HNcmsa forever hidden age forever
H5769-08 Leviticus 24:8 עוֹלָֽם olam HNcmsa everlasting hidden age forever
H5769-08 Leviticus 24:9 עוֹלָֽם olam HNcmsa forever hidden age forever
H5769-08 Leviticus 25:32 עוֹלָ֖ם olam HNcmsa perpetual hidden age forever
H5769-08 Leviticus 25:34 עוֹלָ֛ם olam HNcmsa eternal hidden age forever