[B-Greek] Daniel 12:2 Eternal, everlasting, or?
Iver Larsen
iver at larsen.dk
Fri Jan 27 15:53:02 EST 2006
> Daniel 12:2 Eternal, everlasting, or?
> In the LXX in Dan 12:2 the word that is rendered in the English as eternal or everlasting is aiwnion. I have heard
> others state that it does not always mean eternal or everlasting. What does the forum say?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Gene Gardner
The English versions translate the Hebrew 'olam rather than the Greek AIWNIOS. The basic meaning of 'olam is "for ever",
i.e. a time period without an end envisaged at the time of speaking, like when a person says: "I will love you for
ever."
If a person is a slave "for ever", it means until death or until he might be freed. The exact nuance of the word depends
on context.
So, yes, it is correct that the word 'olam does not always mean eternal or everlasting, but together with "life" the
meaning is probably "eternal life", so in this passage it does mean eternal.
Iver Larsen
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