עָלַ֔ם

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 עָלַ֔ם

   a-LAM

   everlasting
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 שָׁלְטָ֣ן עָלַ֔ם

   shal-TAN a-LAM

   a dominion everlasting
3. sentence🔊 וּלְקְצָ֣ת יוֹמַיָּ֩ה אֲנָ֨ה נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּ֜ר עַינַ֣י לִשְׁמַיָ֣א נִטְלֵ֗ת וּמַנְדְּעִי֙ עֲלַ֣י יְת֔וּב וְלְעִלָּא וּלְעִלָּאָה֙ בָּרְכֵ֔ת וּלְחַ֥י עָלְמָ֖א שַׁבְּחֵ֣ת וְהַדְּרֵ֔ת דִּ֖י שָׁלְטָנֵהּ֙ שָׁלְטָ֣ן עָלַ֔ם וּמַלְכוּתֵ֖הּ עִם־דָּ֥ר וְדָֽר׃

   u-le-KTSAT yo-ma-YA a-NA ne-vu-khad-ne-TSAR a-NAI lish-ma-YA nit-LET u-man-de-I a-LAI ye-TUV ve-le-i-LA u-le-i-la-A bar-KHET u-le-KHAI ol-ma shab-KHET ve-had-RET DI shal-ta-NEH shal-TAN a-LAM u-mal-khu-TEH im-DAR ve-DAR

   and at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar my eyes to heaven lifted and my understanding to me returned and the Most High and to the Most High blessed and the living one forever praised and honored who his dominion a dominion everlasting and his kingdom with generation and generation

Exegesis

The relative particle di {דִּי | dî} ‘whose/that’ introduces a descriptive relative clause: sholtaneh sholtan ʿalam umalkhuteh ʿim-dar vedar {שָׁלְטָנֵהּ שָׁלְטָן עָלַם וּמַלְכוּתֵהּ עִם־דָּר וְדָר | šāl-ṭā-nêh šol-ṭān ʿā-lam û-malk-khû-têh ʿim-dār wə-dār}. The emphatic repetition sholtaneh sholtan ‘His dominion, a dominion’ strengthens the idea of firm, unassailable sovereignty. The nouns ʿalam / ʿalma ‘ever, eternity’ and the phrase ʿim-dar vedar ‘with generation and generation’ function adverbially, expressing unending duration. To convey this naturally, the English renderings “an everlasting dominion” and “from generation to generation” are used, while retaining the key royal terms “dominion” and “kingdom” to reflect the contrast between Nebuchadnezzar’s temporary reign and God’s eternal rule.

Root and etymology

ע־ל־ם🔊 ע־ל־םayin–lamed–mem

“hidden duration, age, eternity”

• 🔊 עוֹלָםʿolameverlasting, age
• 🔊 עָלְמִיןin Hebrew (Psalm 90:2), ʿalminages, foreverDaniel 7:18