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"Who hath saved us- -according to his own purpose, and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus. (pro chronōn aiōōn, Lat. ante tempora secularia,) bejore the times of ages, or ancient periods." Titus i. 2, hope of eternal (aiōniou) life. which God, that cannot lie, promised, (pro chronōn aioniōn) before the ancient periods.

Parkhurst considers these phrases to signify. "the ages of the world, the times singe the beginning of its existence." Should we render them as the same words are rendered in other places, tho not in connexion, they would be eternal times.

*

The most usual Hebrew word which is translated for ever is LO-OOLEM. The Lis barely a prefix, answering to the Greek eis, and the English for.

O-OOLEM signifies “time indefinite. kidden or concealed from man as to its duration or length, ever, perpetual, of old everlasting ages."

PIKE'S HEB. LEXICON. «Time hidden or concealed from man, as well indefinite and eternal as finite; as well past, as future. It seems to be more frequently used for an indefinite, than for infinite time."

PARKHURST's HEB LEXICON. These definitions appear very natural. when we consider that o-ooem is derived from the verb OLEM, to hide. It is frequently rendered into English by eternal and everlasting, as well as ever, and answers to both the Greek words aion and aiōnios. Another Hebrew word, answering to these Greek and English words is OD. As a particle and noun, it is thus explained: "Unto a place, or until a time; while, as yet; for ever, eternity. The radical idea seems to be to pass on either to a specified time, or to pass without any limited end, when no period is mentioned.”

PIKE.

The Hebrew scholar will notice that these words are spelt in our letters, without any regard to the Masoretical points. The Hebrew Vau is rendered by oo.

"As a noun, Time onward. futurity, eternity to come: Also, Time backward aforetime. Job xx. 4."

PARKHURST. A third Hebrew word. not very frequently used, is As a noun and particle it denotes, "Beyond, onward, enduring, continuing, persevering."

кечнан.

The use and application of these words may be acquired from the following scriptures: Gen. xiii. 15, "For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed, (OD C-00LCM, Gr.* heōs aiōnos, Lat. usque ad seculum,) for ever." Exodus xii. 14, "And ye shall keep it a feast, (nequer O-OOLEM, Gr. nomion alōnion, Lat. statuto seculi or perpetuo,) by an ordinance for ever." Lev. xvi. 34, And this shall be, (LeneQUET O-COLEM, Gr. nomimon aiōnion, Lat. in sta'ulum sccuti.) an everlasting statute unto you " The reader will here perceive that the translators have rendered the Hebrew 0-00LeM and the Greek-aiōnios in one passage, for ever, and in another, everlasting, when connected with the same Hebrew and Greek words in both passages. By this we learn their opinion, that everlasting expresses continuance of duration, in the same manner as for ever; aiōnios as aiōn; all of which are used to express the meaning of the Hebrew 0-00LCM. Lev. 3. 17, "It shall be, (UQUET 0-00LCM, Gr. nomimon eis ton aiōnā.) a perpetual statute for your generations." Here the reader

will notice, that 0-00Lem is rendered, by the LXX, eis ton aiōna, whereas in the other texts this word in the same connexion is translated aiōnios. By this, we find they considered the meaning of aiōnios as near like aiōa, as the Latin temporalis is like tempus, or the English temporal like time.

The possession of the land of Canaan, to be, to

*These Greek phrases are taken from the Septuagint, and the Latin from Montanus' Interlinear Bible.

Abraham and his seed, an everlasting possession, is called o-oolem, aiōnios, Gen. xvii. 8. xlviii. 8.

The covenant of circumcision is called an everlasting (0-00Lem, aiōnios) covenant, Gen. xvii. 13. 19. But St. Paul says, "In Jesus Christ neither circum cision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love." Gal. v. 6. “As many as desire to make a fair show in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised,” Gal. vi. 12. Here we find those Hebrew and Greek words limited by scripture.

The priesthood of Aaron and his sons is called an everlasting (0-00Leм, eis ton aiōna) priesthood, Ex xl. 15; an everlasting (0-00Leм, aiōníos) priesthood, Num. xxv. 13 but St. Paul says, "For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law," Heb. vii. 12 This affords another scriptural limitation to these original words. The Jews, we find, have as good ground to plead for the endless continuance of circumcision, the priesthood of Aaron and his sons, and all the ordinances and statutes in the Mosaic law, which were to be for ever and everlasting, as Christians have to plead for endless misery, from the force of the same words.

In Gen. vi. 4, The giants were said to be of oli, Heb. мO-OOLCM, Gr. ap' aiōnos; yet there is an account of their origin, and it is said they became mighty. To translate these words from eternity, must be very far from their true meaning. The same Hebrew is applied to the nations of the Geshurites, Gezrites and Amalekites, which David and his men invaded, 1Sam. xxvii. 8.

O-OOLEM is rendered, besides the places beforementioned.

Of old, Deut. xxxii. 7, days of old; Job xx. 4,
Old time, Joshua xxiv. 2, of the flood in old time.
Long, Psal. cxliii. 3, that have been long dead.
For ever, everlasting, and eternal, are generally

ranslations of 0-00Lem in the Old Testament; but om etimes of OD and NEZHAн. Everlasting in the New Testament is always a translation of aiōnios; likewise eternal, except Rom. i. 20, and two other places, mentioned in this No. Ever with for prefixed, is uni-. formly a translation of aiōn, except Philemon, 15.

Heb. OD, Gr. ton aiōna. is translated cternity in Isai. Ivii. 15, the only place in which it is thus rendered in the Bible. "In Isai. ix. 6, the LXX. (Alex. and Complect.) render ABI OD by pater tou mellontos aiōnos, father of the future age" Our translation reads, the everlasting father.

The phrase for ever and ever is generally from different combinations of OD and o-ooLCM, as in the following passages: Isai. xxx. 8, "Now go, write it before them in a table, and note it in a book, that it may be for the time to come, (LOD on O-OOLEN, Gr. heōs eis ton aiōna. Lat. in perpetuum usque in scculum,) for ever and ever.” Jer. vii. 7, Then will I cause you to dwell in the place. in the land that I gave to your fathers, for ever and ever." (LeMEN O-OOLEM 00-0D O-OOLEM. Gr. ex aiōnos kai heōs aiōnos, Lat. a seculo. et usque in seculum,) literally, from the past age and unto the future age. Jer. xxv. 5, Turn ye again now every one from his evil way, and from the evil of you doings, and dwell in the land that the Lord hath given unto you and to your father (Lemen 0-OOLEM 00-OD O-OOLEM, Gr. ap' aiōnos kai heōs aiōnos, Lat. a seculo et usque in seculum, for ever and ever."

"If we were always to read, forever and ever, endless, we should set the scriptures at variance, and no criticism could ever reconcile them. Try, for instance, to reconcile Psalm cii. 25, 26 with Psalm cxlviii. 6, Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure; yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; and as a vesture shall. thou change them, and they shall be changed.

M

He hath also established them for ever and ever :* he hath made a decree which shall not pass."

WINCHESTER.

The passages now produced seem amply sufficient to illustrate the words under consideration. It is evident the Greek words, in the New Testament, rendered for ever, everlasting, and eternal, has the signification of the same word, in the Old. These words in the Old Testament must bear a meaning agreeable to their corresponding Hebrew words, which are here given on the authority of eminent lexicographers, and besides the introduction of some ancient translations, they are illustrated by examples. The writer of these remarks is sensible, that he has laid himself open to the severe criticisms of the learned; but he confesses his fears of the literati on this subject, are much less than his anxiety to open to his brethren, the true meaning of these indefinite terms. Any corrections from the judicious among them, will be gratefully received and carefully considered. The reader who is unacquainted with the languages, from which he finds frequent citations in this piece, is requested not to be deterred from a careful perusal, from the confused appearance of so many foreign words; for by carefully attending to them, he will find them mostly explained. The Hebrew is peculiar in its construction, admitting letters prefixed to a word for preposi tions and conjunctions, and postfixed for other uses, Thus, LO-OOLем and Mо-оOLEM is O-OOLEM with L and м prefixed, signifying for and from; LOD is OD with L prefixed; and oo-or is op with oo prefixed, signifying and. The single o is pronounced long, like o in tone.

LOD LO-OOLEM, Gr. eis ton aiōna tou aiōnos

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