H5769 — עוֹלָם (ʻôwlâm)¶

Core Data¶

Strong's: H5769
Original: עוֹלָם (also spelled עֹלָם)
Transliteration: ʻôwlâm
Pronunciation: o-lawm'
Part of Speech: Masculine noun
Root: From an unused root related to H5956 עָלַם (concealment); "the vanishing point"
Unique Verses: 406 in OT (432 tokens)
Books: 34
First Occurrence: Gen 3:22 — "lest he...live for ever (ʻôwlâm)"
Hapax Legomenon: No

Lexicon Definition¶

עוֹלָם or עֹלָם ʻôlâm; from [an unused root]; 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 (without end).

The word's core image is of a horizon that disappears from sight — time that recedes beyond the reach of human memory or perception, in either direction.

Translation Distribution (KJV)¶

Translation	Verses	%
for ever	195	48.0%
ever	63	15.5%
everlasting	54	13.3%
perpetual	22	5.4%
of old	13	3.2%
evermore	8	2.0%
for evermore	7	1.7%
old	7	1.7%
never	6	1.5%
from everlasting	5	1.2%
ancient	4	1.0%
always / alway	5	1.2%
other / minor	11	2.7%

Distribution by Book¶

Book	Count	Per 100 Verses
Psalms	134	5.4
Joel	4	5.5
Obadiah	1	4.8
Micah	5	4.8
Malachi	2	3.6
Isaiah	44	3.4
Ecclesiastes	7	3.2
Leviticus	21	2.4
Jeremiah	31	2.3
1 Chronicles	20	2.1
Jonah	1	2.1
Lamentations	3	1.9
Zephaniah	1	1.9
Habakkuk	1	1.8
2 Chronicles	12	1.5
Exodus	17	1.4
Deuteronomy	12	1.3
2 Samuel	9	1.3
1 Samuel	10	1.2
Ezekiel	14	1.1
Daniel	4	1.1
1 Kings	7	0.9
Genesis	13	0.8
Numbers	9	0.7
Ezra	2	0.7
Nehemiah	3	0.7
Proverbs	6	0.7
Amos	1	0.7
Joshua	4	0.6
Hosea	1	0.5
Zechariah	1	0.5
2 Kings	2	0.3
Job	3	0.3
Judges	1	0.2

Pattern: Heaviest in poetry and prophecy (Psalms 134x, Isaiah 44x, Jeremiah 31x). Psalms dominate by raw count; Joel and Obadiah are dense by concentration. Notably sparse in the narrative and wisdom books (Job, Proverbs, Kings).

Semantic Categories¶

1. Eternal Duration of God and His Attributes¶

God's own being, throne, name, and mercy described as extending infinitely in both directions.

Ps 90:2 — "Before the mountains were brought forth...even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God"
Ps 103:17 — "the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him"
Ps 29:10 — "the LORD sitteth King for ever"
Ps 45:6 — "Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever"
Lam 5:19 — "Thou, O LORD, remainest for ever; thy throne from generation to generation"

2. Everlasting Covenant and Promises¶

The formula בְּרִית עוֹלָם (berît ʻôlâm, "everlasting covenant") marks God's covenantal commitments as permanent and irreversible.

Gen 17:7 — "I will establish my covenant...for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee"
Gen 17:13 — "my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant"
Ps 89:2 — "Mercy shall be built up for ever: thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very heavens"
2 Sam 7:13 — "I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever"

3. Perpetual Cultic Ordinances¶

Statutes, feasts, and priestly offices established as binding "for ever" (לְעוֹלָם) or "perpetual" throughout Israel's generations.

Lev 3:17 — "a perpetual statute for your generations throughout all your dwellings, that ye eat neither fat nor blood"
Lev 6:18 — "a statute for ever in your generations"
Ex 31:16 — "the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath...for a perpetual covenant"
Num 10:8 — "the sons of Aaron shall blow with the trumpets...for an ordinance for ever throughout your generations"

4. The Immemorial Past ("of old")¶

ʻôwlâm can look backward — the hidden antiquity beyond living memory, "time out of mind" in the past direction.

Deut 32:7 — "Remember the days of old (ʻôlâm), consider the years of many generations"
Isa 51:9 — "awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old"
Jer 2:20 — "of old time I have broken thy yoke, and burst thy bands"
Prov 8:23 — "I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was"
Mic 5:2 — "whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting"

5. Eschatological / Age to Come¶

The future unlimited age — resurrection life, eternal righteousness, the coming kingdom — looking forward from a final judgment horizon.

Dan 12:2 — "many of them that sleep in the dust...shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt"
Dan 9:24 — "to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy"
Isa 9:6 — "his name shall be called...The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace"
Deut 33:27 — "The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms"

6. Permanent Judgment / Irreversible Desolation¶

Specific places, peoples, or situations permanently altered by divine judgment — "for ever" as a verdict, not a hope.

Josh 8:28 — "Joshua burnt Ai, and made it an heap for ever, even a desolation"
Jer 25:9 — "I will...make them an astonishment, and an hissing, and perpetual desolations"
Obad 1:10 — "thou shalt be cut off for ever"
Isa 32:14 — "the forts and towers shall be for dens for ever, a joy of wild asses"

Common Collocations¶

Word	Strong's	Co-occ	Typical Pattern
יְהֹוָה (Yᵉhôvâh)	H3068	156x	"the LORD...for ever" — his name, throne, decree, covenant
עַד (ʻad)	H5704	90x	לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד — "for ever and ever" (intensified double formula)
לֹא (lôʼ)	H3808	87x	לֹא...לְעוֹלָם — "shall never..."; "no more for ever"
אֱלֹהִים (ʼĕlôhîym)	H430	67x	"God...for ever" — parallel to YHWH pattern
יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisrâʼêl)	H3478	62x	"Israel for ever" / covenantal possession
חֶסֶד (cheçed)	H2617	58x	כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ — "for his mercy endureth for ever" (Ps 136 refrain)
דּוֹר (dôwr)	H1755	52x	מִדּוֹר לְדוֹר / לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד — "generation to generation"
שֵׁם (shêm)	H8034	41x	"his name shall endure for ever" / "my name be there for ever"
עַם (ʻam)	H5971	38x	"his people for ever" — elect status as permanent
פָּנִים (pânîym)	H6440	37x	"before him for ever" / "set his face for ever"

Word Family / Cognates¶

H5956 עָלַם (ʻâlam) — to conceal, hide (proposed root; "the concealed/vanishing point")
H5957 עָלַם (ʻâlam) [Aramaic] — remote time (Aramaic cognate, same concept; Dan 2:4–7:28)

Synonyms¶

No direct synonyms were returned by search_relationships.py for H5769.

Antonyms¶

No antonyms were returned by search_relationships.py for H5769.

Easily Confused Words¶

Word	Strong's	Shared KJV Translation	Key Difference
עַד (ʻad)	H5703	"for ever" (25v)	ʻad = a terminus, endpoint — "as far as"; ʻôwlâm = boundless span; combined in לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד ("for ever and ever")
נֶצַח (netsach)	H5331	"for ever" (21v), "never"	netsach = victory, finality, perpetuity as decisive outcome; ʻôwlâm = time itself as unbounded
תָּמִיד (tâmîyd)	H8548	"perpetual" (2v)	tâmîyd = unbroken continuity, regularity (the daily sacrifice); ʻôwlâm = limitless duration
קֶדֶם (qedem)	H6924	"of old" (14v)	qedem = primordial antiquity from a directional standpoint (east, front); ʻôwlâm = time hidden beyond view

Semantic Domains¶

UBS / Relationship Domains¶

[003002006] Temporal Referents — search_relationships.py places ʻôwlâm in the broader time-reference field alongside other temporal markers such as H227, H570, H1973, and H1988.

LXX Mapping¶

Greek Equivalent	Strong's	Co-occ	PMI Score	Notes
αἰών (aiṓn)	G165	287x	31.41	Primary LXX equivalent; carries the same temporal ambiguity (age, eternity)
αἰώνιος (aiṓnios)	G166	100x	26.16	Adjectival form of αἰών; "everlasting" in LXX and NT
γενεά (geneá)	G1074	51x	17.25	Used when ʻôwlâm pairs with דּוֹר — "generation to generation"
ἔλεος (éleos)	G1656	57x	15.61	Translating חֶסֶד + ʻôwlâm formulas ("mercy...for ever")
διαθήκη (diathḗkē)	G1242	30x	9.00	Translating בְּרִית עוֹלָם ("everlasting covenant")