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קֳדָם

𐤒𐤃𐤌

qŏdâm

H6925 preposition

SILEX Entry

Root קדם to be in front, to precede, to advance, to go before

Definition

A preposition meaning 'before,' indicating the spatial or temporal position of something or someone in relation to another; often used in the sense of being 'in front of' or 'previous to' in time, as well as 'in the presence of' or 'facing.' In some idiomatic uses, implies 'in the sight of' or 'in relation to.'

Semantic Range

before (spatial), before (temporal), in front of, in the presence of, in the sight of, in the face of, anterior to, at the audience of (a ruler), prior to (an event)

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root קדם (q-d-m), which holds the core meanings 'to be in front, to precede, to be before.' The Aramaic form קֳדָם (qŏdâm) is directly cognate to the Hebrew קֶדֶם (qedem), both conveying the notion of anteriority or precedence in space or time. The prepositional form is typical in Imperial Aramaic.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the biblical Aramaic of Daniel and Ezra, קֳדָם functions primarily as a preposition meaning 'before,' either spatially ('in front of [a person or place]') or with an abstract sense ('before [an event or time frame],' 'in the presence of [a person]'). The usage closely parallels the Hebrew קֶדֶם but more often refers to actual presence or being in audience with someone (i.e., a king or power figure), especially in courtly or administrative contexts typical of exilic and post-exilic Persian administration. Frequently appears with references to kings ('before the king,' i.e., in his presence), highlighting a function as a marker of deference or relational position rather than just bare anteriority. The sense of 'in the presence of' is contextually significant in official or formal settings. The semantic range in Aramaic is somewhat more focused on personal presence than the slightly broader Hebrew קֶדֶם, which retains more potential for abstract temporality. English translations using 'before' or 'in front of' generally capture the core physical meaning, but can miss nuances of audience or immediacy. The term's function is primarily administrative, relational, or formal, fitting the literature of Daniel and Ezra. Later rabbinic and Targumic Aramaic continues these uses, sometimes expanding to more abstract applications depending on context.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

(Aramaic) or קְדָם; (Aramaic) (Daniel 7:13), corresponding to קֶדֶם; before; before, [idiom] from, [idiom] I (thought), [idiom] me, [phrase] of, [idiom] it pleased, presence.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

קדם (q-d-m) — to be in front, to precede, to go before, to advance

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H6917 קָדוּם those from before
H6921 קָדִים the east
H6923 קָדַם I will go ahead to meet
H6924 קֶדֶם the front
H6926 קִדְמָה front/eastern region of

Word Forms

12 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H6925-07 קֳדָם qodam AR before before 20
H6925-02 קָֽדָמַ֔/י qadamay AR/Sp1cs before me before me 6
H6925-04 קָֽדָמ֥וֹ/הִי qadamohi AR/Sp3ms before him before him 4
H6925-11 קֳדָמ֑וֹ/הִי qodamohi AR/Sp3ms before him before him 3
H6925-08 קֳדָמַ֑/הּ qodamah AR/Sp3fs before her in front of her 2
H6925-06 קדמי/ך qdmykh AR/Sp2ms before you before you 2
H6925-01 קָֽדָמָ֗/ךְ qadamakhe AR/Sp2ms before you before you 2
H6925-05 קדמי/ה qdmyh AAamsd/Td before her before her 2
H6925-09 קֳדָמָ֑/י qodamay AR/Sp1cs before-me before me 2
H6925-10 קֳדָ֣מֵי/ה֔וֹן qodameyhon AR/Sp3mp before them before them 1

Occurrences in Scripture

46 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H6925-09 Daniel 2:6 קֳדָמָ֑/י qodamay AR/Sp1cs me before me
H6925-02 Daniel 2:9 קָֽדָמַ֔/י qadamay AR/Sp1cs before me before me
H6925-07 Daniel 2:10 קֳדָם qodam AR before before
H6925-07 Daniel 2:11 קֳדָ֣ם qodam AR before before
H6925-07 Daniel 2:15 קֳדָ֣ם qodam AR before before
H6925-07 Daniel 2:18 קֳדָם֙ qodam AR before before
H6925-07 Daniel 2:24 קֳדָ֣ם qodam AR before before
H6925-07 Daniel 2:25 קֳדָ֣ם qodam AR before before
H6925-07 Daniel 2:27 קֳדָ֥ם qodam AR before before
H6925-07 Daniel 2:36 קֳדָם qodam AR before before
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