"EVERLASTING", "ETERNAL", "FOR EVER", ETC.

I. In the Old Testament there are several words and expressions thus translated, the principal of which is

A. 'olam. This word is derived from 'alam (to hide), and means the hidden time or age, like aion (see below II.A), by which the word, or its Adjective aionios, it is generally rendered in the Sept. In Ezra 4 and Dan. 2-7, the Chaldee form 'alam is used. There are 448 passages where the word occurs.

i. It is doubled, "from 'olam to 'olam" in 11 places and is translated :-

1. "for ever and ever" in I Chron 16:36; 29:10. Neh 9:5. Jer 7:7; 25:5. Dan 2:20; 7:18.

2. "from everlasting to everlasting" in ps 41:13; 90:2; 103:17; 106:48.

ii. It is used in the plural 11 times, and translated: -

1. "for ever" in I Kings 8:13. II Chron 6:2. ps 61:4; 77:7.

2. "everlasting" in Ps 145:13 (see marg.). Isa 26:4. (see marg.); 45:17. Dan 9:24.

3. "of ancient times or old times" in Ps 77:5, Ecc 1:10.

4. "of old" in Isa 51:9.

iii. It is rendered "for ever" in Gen 3:22; 13:15. Ex 3:15; 12:14,17,24; 14:13; 19:9; 21:6; 27:21; 28:43; 29:28; 30:21; 31:17; 32:13. Lev 6:18,22; 7:34,336; 10:9, 15; 16:29,31; 17:7; 23:14,21,31,41; 24:3; 25:46. Num 10:8; 15:15; 18:8,11,19,23; 19:10. Deut.5:29; 12:28; 13:16; 15:17; 23:3,6; 28:46; 29:29; 32:40; Josh 4:7; 8:28; 14:9. I Sam 1:22; 2:30; 3:13,14; 13:13; 20:15,23,42; 27:12. II Sam 3:28; 7:13,15,18,24,25,26,29. I Kings 1:31; 2:53,45; 9:3,5; 10:9. II Kings 5:27; 21:7. I Chron 15:2; 16:34,41; 17:12,14,22,24,27; 22:10; 23:13,25; 28:4,7,8; 29:18 II Chron 2:4; 5:13; 7:3,6,16; 9:8; 13:5; 20:7,21; 30:8; 33:4,7. Ezra 3:11; 9:12. Neh 2:3; 13:1. Job 41:4. Ps 9:7; 12:7; 28:9; 29:10; 30:12; 33:11; 37:18,28; 41:12; 44:8; 45:2; 48:8; 49:8,11; 52:9; 61:7; 66:7; 72:17,19; 73:26; 75:9; 78:69; 79:13; 81:15; 85:5; 89:1,2,4,36,37; 102:12; 103:9; 104:31; 105:8; 106:1; 107:1; 110:4; 11:9; 112:6; 117:2; 118:1,2,3,4,29; 119:89,111,152,160; 125:1,2; 131:3; 135:13; 136:1-26; 138:8; 146:6,10. Prov 27:24. Ecc 1:4; 2:16; 3:14; 9:6. Isa 9:7; 32:14,17; 34:10,17; 40:8; 47:7; 51:6,8; 57:16; 59:21; 60:21. Jer 3:5,12; 17:4,25; 31:40; 33:11; 35:6; 49:33; 51:26,62. Lam 3:31; 5:19. Ezek 37:25; 43:7,9. Dan 2:4,44; 3:9; 4:34; 5:10; 6:6,21,26; 7:18; 12:7. Hos 2:19. Joel 3:20. Obad 10. Jonah 2:6. Mic 2:9; 4:7. Zech 1:5. Mal 1:4.

iv. In conjunction with 'ad (see below B) it is rendered: -

1. "for ever and ever" in Ex 15:18. Ps 9:5; 10:16; 21:4; 45:6,17; 48:14; 52:8; 111:8; 119:44; 145:1,2,21; 148:6. Isa 30:8. Dan 12:3. Mic 4:5.

2. "for ever" in Ps 104:5.

3. "world without end" in Isa 45:17. (*1)

v. With a negative it is rendered "never" in Judg 2:1. II Sam 12:10. Ps 15:5; 30:6; 31:1; 55:22; 71:1; 119:93. Prov 10:30. Isa 14:20; 25:2; 63:19. Ezek 26:21. Dan 2:44. Joel 2:26,27.

vi. Rendered "everlasting" in Gen 9:16; 17:7,8,13,19; 21:33; 48:4; 49:26. Ex 40:15. Lev 16:34; 24:8. Num 25:13. Deut 33:27. II Sam 23:5. I Chron 16:17. Ps 24:7,9; 93:2; 100:5; 105:10; 112:6; 119:142,144; 139:24. Prov 8:23; 10:25. Isa 24:5; 33:14; 35:10; 40:28; 51:11; 54:8; 55:3,13; 56:5; 60:19,20; 61:7,8; 63:12,16. Jer 10:10; 20:11; 23:40; 31:3; 32:40. Ezek 16:60; 37:26. Dan 4:3,34; 7:14,27; 12:2. Mic 5:2. Hab 3:6.

vii. Rendered "perpetual" in Gen 9:12. Ex 29:9; 31:16. Lev 3:17; 24:9; 25:34. Num 19:21. Ps 78:66. Jer 5:22; 18:16; 23:40; 25:9,12; 49:13; 50:5; 51:39,57. Ezek 35:5,9; 46:14. Hab 3:6. Zeph 2:9.

viii. Rendered "for evermore" in II Sam 22:51. I Chron 17:14. Ps 18:50; 37:27; 86:12; 89:28,52; 92:8; 106:13; 113:2; 115:18; 121:8; 133:3. Ezek 37:26,28.

ix. Rendered "of old" or "ever of old" in Gen 6:4. Deut 32:7. I Sam 27:8. Ps 25:6; 119:52. Isa 46:9; 57:11; 63:9,11. Jer 28:8. Lam 3:6. Ezek 26:20. Amos 9:11. Mic 7:14. Mal 3:4.

x. Rendered "old" or "ancient" in Ezra 4:15,19. Job 22:15. Prov 22:28; 23:10. Isa 44:7; 58:12; 61:4. Jer 5:15; 6:16; 18:15. Ezek 25:15; 36:2.

xi. Rendered "of" or "In old time" in Josh 24:2. Jer 2:20. Ezek 26:20.

xii. Rendered "alway" or "always" in Gen 6:3. I Chron 16:15. Job 7:16. Ps 119:112. Jer 20:17.

xiii. Rendered "ever" in Ps 5:11; 111:5; 119:98. Joel 2:2

xiv. Rendered "any more" in Ezek 27:36; 28:19; "long" in Ps 143:3. Ecc 12:5; "world" in Ps 73:12. Ecc 3:11; "continuance" in Isa 64:5; "eternal" in Isa 60:15; "lasting" in Deut 33:15; "long time" in Isa 42:14; "at any time" in Lev 25:32; and "since the beginning of the world" in Isa 64:4.

 

B. 'ad from the verb 'adah (to pass on), as a Noun is used of time past or future. It is also a Preposition or Conjunction, meaning "until" (see Oxford Gesenius, pp 723,4). The noun occurs 49 times, 19 or which occurrences are given above (A iv). The remaining 30 are rendered:

i. "for ever" in Num 24:20,24. I Chron 28:9. Job 19:24. Ps 9:18; 19:9; 21:6; 22:26; 37:29; 61:8; 83:17; 89:29; 92:7; 111:3,10; 112:3,9; 132:14. Prov 12:19; 29:14. Isa 26:4; 64:9; 65:18. Mic 7:18.

ii. "everlasting" in Isa 9:6. Hab 3:6.

iii. "eternity" in Isa 57:15; "evermore" in Ps. 132:12; "of old" in Job 20:4; and "perpetually" in Amos 1:11.

Other words are: -

C. nezach, which means "excellence" or "completeness", and is the word used in the subscription of 55 Psalms for "chief" in "chief musician". It is rendered: -

i. "for ever" in II Sam 2:26. Job 4:20; 14:20; 20:7; 23:7; 36:7. Ps 13:1; 44:23; 49:9; 52:5; 68:16; 74:1,10,19; 77:8; 79:5; 89:46. Jer 50:39. Lam 5:20. Amos 1:11.

ii. "never" (with a negative) in ps 10:11; 49:19. Isa 13:20. Amos 8:7. Hab 1:4.

iii. alway(s) in ps 9:18; 103:9. Isa 57:16.

iv. "perpetual" in Ps 9:6; 74:3. Jer 15:18.

v. "ever" in Isa 28:28; 33:20; "strength" in I Sam 15:29. Lam 3:18; "the end" in Job 34:36. Jer 3:5; "victory" in I Chron 29:11. Isa 25:8. "evermore" in Ps 16:11; "constantly" in Prov 21:28 and "for ever and ever" in Isa 34:10. In this last passage it is doubled, lenezach nezahim = completeness of completenesses.

 

D. kedem, from the verb kadam, to precede or prevent (II Sam 22:6, &c.), means that which is before, of time or place; hence often translated the east (Gen 3:24,&c.). It is always used of the past, and is rendered "ever" in Prov 8:23; "eternal" in Deut 33:27; "everlasting" in Hab 1:12; "old" or "ancient" in Deut 33:15. II Kings 19:25. Neh 12:46. Ps 44:1; 55:19; 68:33; 74:2,12; 77:5,11; 78:2; 119:152; 143:5. Isa 19:11; 23:7; 37:26; 45:21; 46:10; 51:9. Jer 46:26. Lam 1:7; 2:17; 5:12. Mic 5:2; 7:20; and "past" in Job 29:2.

 

E. zmithuth, from zamath (to cut), means "for cutting off". It occurs only in Lev 25:23 (see marg.), 30, and is rendered "for ever".

 

F. tamid = always, is rendered: -

"ever" in Lev 6:13. ps 25:15: 51:3; "evermore" in Ps 105:4, and (with a negative) "never" in Isa 62:6.

 

G. dor = generation, is translated (with a negative) "never" in Ps 10:6, and "for evermore" in Ps 77:8, where the margin in both cases gives "to generation to generation".

 

H. yom = day, occurs nearly 2,500 times. The expression orek yamin, "length of days", is translated "for ever" in Ps 23:6; 93:5. In both cases the margin gives "to length of days". Kal yamin, or kal hayyamin, "all days" or "all the days" is translated "for ever" in Gen 43:9; 44:32. Deut 4:40; 18:5. Josh 4:24. ISam 2:32,35; 28:2. I Kings 11:39; 12:7. II Chron 10:7; 21:7. Jer 31:36; 32:39; 35:19; "ever" in Deut 19:9. I Kings 5:1. Ps 37:26; and "evermore" in Deut 28:29. II Kings 17:37.

II. In the N.T. the words rendered "for ever", &c., are the Noun aion, the Adjectives aionios, aidios, akatalutos, and aperantos; the Adverbs aei and pantote, and the adverbial phrase eis to dienekes.

A. aion, which means "age" (Ap 129.2), is found 128 times in 105 passages, in 23 of which it is doubled (see below, ii 6,9,10). It occurs in its simple form 37 times, and with Prepositions 68 times.

i. In its simple form it is rendered: -

1. "age". Eph 2:7 (pl). Col 1:26 (pl).

2. "course". Eph 2:2.

3. "world". Matt 12:32; 13:22,39,40,49; 24:3; 28:20. Mark 4:19; 10:30. Luke 16:8; 18:30; 20:34,35. Rom 12:2. I Cor 1:20; 2:6,7 (pl),8; 3:18; 10:11 (pl). II Cor 4:4. Gal 1:4. Eph 1:21; 6:12. I Tim 6:17. II Tim 4:10. Tit 2:12. Heb 1:2(pl); 6:5; 9:26(pl); 11:3(pl).

4. "eternal". Eph 3:11. I Tim 1:17(lit."of the ages").

ii. In prepositional phrases: -

1. ap'aionos [from (Ap 104. iv) an (the) age], rendered "since the world began" in Luke 1:70. Acts 3:21; and "from the beginning of the world" in Acts 15:18.

2. apo ton aionon [from (Ap 104 iv) the ages], rendered "from the beginning of the world" in Eph 3:9.

3. ek tou ainos [out of (ap 104 vii) the age], rendered "since the world began" in John 9:32.

4. eis ton ainona [to (Ap 104 vi) the age], rendered-

a. "for ever" in Matt 21:19. Mark 11:14. Luke 1:55. John 6:51,58; 8:35; 12:34; 14:16. II Cor 9:9. Heb 5:6; 6:20; 7:17,21. I Pet 1:23,25. II Pet 2:17 (no Art). I John 2:17. II John 2. Jude 13.

b. "never" (with a negative) in Mark 3:29. John 4:14; 8:51,52; 10:28; 11:26; 13:8.

c. "ever" in Heb 7:24.

d. "for evermore" in Heb 7:28.

e. "while the world standeth" in I Cor 8:13.

5. eis hemeran aionos [to (Ap 104 vi) day of an age], rendered "for ever" in II Pet 3:18.

6. eis ton aiona tou aionos [to (Ap 104 vi) the age of an age], rendered "for ever and ever" in Heb 1:8.

7. eis tous aionas [to (Ap 104 vi) the ages], rendered: -

a. "for ever" in Matt 6:13. Luke 1:33. Rom 1:25; 9:5; 11:36; 16:27. Heb 13:8.

b. "for evermore" in II Cor 11:31.

8. eis pantas tous aionas [to (Ap 104 vi) all the ages], rendered "ever" in Jude 25.

9. eis tous aionas ton aionon [to (Ap 104 vi) to the ages of the ages], rendered: -

a. "for ever and ever" in Gal 1:5. Phil 4:29. I Tim 1:17. II Tim 4:18. Heb 13:21. I Pet 4:11; 5:11. Rev 1:6; 4:9,10; 5:13,14; 7:12; 10:6; 11:15; 14:11 (no Arts); 15:7; 19:3; 20:10; 22:5.

b. "for evermore" in Rev 1:18.

10. eis pasas tas geneas tou aionos ton aionon [to (Ap 104 vi) all the generations of the age of ages], rendered "throughout all ages, world without end" in Eph 3:21.

B. aionios, of or belonging to an age, occurs 71 times, and is rendered:-

i. "eternal" in Matt 19:16; 25:46. Mark 3:29; 10:17,30. Luke 10:25; 18:18. John 3:15; 4:36; 5:39; 6:54,68; 10:28; 12:25; 17:2,3. Acts 13:48. Rom 2:7; 5:21; 6:23. II Cor 4:17,18; 5:1. I Tim 6:12,19. II Tim 2:10. Tit 1:2; 3:7. Heb 5:9; 6:2; 9:12,14,15. I Pet 5:10. I John 1:2; 2:25; 3:15; 5:11,13,20. Jude 7:21.

ii. "everlasting" in Matt 18:8; 19:29; 25:41,46. Luke 16:9; 18:30. John 3:16,36; 4:14; 5:24; 6:27,40,47; 12:50. Acts 13:46. Rom 6:22; 16:26. Gal 6:8. II Thess 1:9; 2:16. I Tim 1:16; 6:16. Heb 13:20. II Pet 1:11. Rev 14:6.

iii. "for ever" in Philem 15.

iv. "Before or since the world began", in the phrases, chronois aioniois, or pro chronon aionion, (in, or before age-times), strangely rendered in the R.V. "through, or before times eternal", in Rom 16:25. II Tim 1:9. Tit. 1:2.

 

C. aidios, said to be from aei (see F below), but perhaps from a not and idein to see, = unseen or hidden, occurs twice and is rendered: -

i. "eternal" in Rom 1:20.

ii. "everlasting" in Jude 6.

 

D. akatalutos (indissoluble) occurs once, and is rendered "endless" in Heb 7:16.

 

E. aperantos (interminable) occurs once, and is rendered "endless" in I Tim 1:4.

F. aei (always) occurs 8 times, and is rendered: -

i. "ever" in Mark 15:8.

ii. "alway" or "always" in Acts 7:51. II Cor 4:11; 6:10. Tit 1:12. Heb 3:10. I Pet 3:15. II Pet 1:12.

 

G. pantote (always) occurs 42 times, and is rendered: -

i. "alway" or "always" in Matt 26:11. Mark 14:7. Luke 18:1. John 7:6; 8:29; 11:42; 12:8; 18:20. Rom 1:9. I Cor 1:4; 15:58. II Cor 2:14; 4:10; 5:6; 9:8. Gal 4:18. Eph 5:20. Phil 1:4,20; 2:12; 4:4. Col 1:3; 4:6,12. I Thess 1:2; 2:16; 3:6. II Thess 1:3,11; 2:13. Philem 4.

ii. "ever" in Luke 15:31. John 18:20. I Thess 4:17; 5:15. II Tim 3:7. Heb 7:25.

iii. "evermore" in John 6:34. I Thess 5:16.

 

H. eis to dienekes [to (Ap 104 vi) that which is continuous] occurs 4 times, rendered: -

i. "continually" in Heb 7:3; 10:1.

ii. "for ever" in Heb 10:12,14.