What does עַד (ʿad) mean in the Bible?
עַד (ʿad): Terminus point stretched into duration; signals both boundary and the perpetual advance beyond it
Hebrew · H5703
עַד
Properly, a (peremptory) terminus , i.e. (by implication) duration , in the sense of advance or perpetuity (substantially as a noun, either with or without a preposition)
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עַד H5703
Pronunciation ʿad
What does עַד (ʿad) mean in the Bible?
עַד (ʿad): Terminus point stretched into duration; signals both boundary and the perpetual advance beyond it
Full entry for עַד (H5703) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H5703?
The BSB source-word alignment has 48 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include forever (18), and ever (16), . . . (7), a witness (1), antiquity (1).
Where does עַד (ʿad) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Exodus 15:18. Its strongest book concentrations include Psalms (31), Isaiah (6), Job (2), Micah (2).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It forever 18× 1 Chronicles 28:9, Job 19:24, Psalms 9:18, Psalms 22:26
and ever 16× Exodus 15:18, Psalms 9:5, Psalms 10:16, Psalms 21:4
. . . 7× Psalms 19:9, Psalms 21:6, Psalms 83:17, Psalms 89:29
a witness 1× Isaiah 30:8
antiquity 1× Job 20:4
continually 1× Amos 1:11
eternity 1× Isaiah 57:15
everlasting 1× Isaiah 45:17
I will ever 1× Psalms 61:8
the ancient 1× Habakkuk 3:6
Show sample aligned rows
Exodus 15:18 וָעֶֽד׃ to and ever Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular 1 Chronicles 28:9 לָעַֽד׃ to forever Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular Job 19:24 לָ֝עַ֗ד to forever Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular Job 20:4 עַ֑ד to antiquity Noun - masculine singular Psalms 9:5 וָעֶֽד׃ to and ever Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular Psalms 9:18 לָעַֽד׃ to forever Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular Psalms 10:16 וָעֶ֑ד to and ever Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular Psalms 19:9 לָ֫עַ֥ד to . . . Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular Psalms 21:4 וָעֶֽד׃ to and ever Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular Psalms 21:6 לָעַ֑ד to . . . Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Exodus 15:18
Aligned rows 48
Books represented 10
Exodus 1 1 Chronicles 1 Job 2 Psalms 31 Proverbs 2 Isaiah 6 Daniel 1 Amos 1 Micah 2 Habakkuk 1
Source forms
וָעֶֽד׃ 10x wā·‘eḏ Exodus 15:18, Psalms 9:5, Psalms 21:4, Psalms 45:17
לָעַֽד׃ 6x lā·‘aḏ 1 Chronicles 28:9, Psalms 9:18, Psalms 22:26, Psalms 111:3
לָעַ֑ד 4x lā·‘aḏ Psalms 21:6, Psalms 61:8, Psalms 112:9, Proverbs 12:19
לָעַ֣ד 4x lā·‘aḏ Psalms 37:29, Psalms 89:29, Psalms 111:8, Psalms 148:6
עַ֑ד 4x ‘aḏ Job 20:4, Psalms 132:12, Psalms 132:14, Isaiah 26:4
עֲדֵי־ 4x ‘ă·ḏê- Psalms 83:17, Psalms 92:7, Psalms 132:12, Psalms 132:14
וָעֶ֑ד 3x wā·‘eḏ Psalms 10:16, Psalms 45:6, Psalms 48:14
וָעֶֽד׃פ 2x wā·‘eḏ Daniel 12:3, Micah 4:5
Parsing patterns
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular 21x 1 Chronicles 28:9, Job 19:24, Psalms 9:18, Psalms 19:9
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular 15x Exodus 15:18, Psalms 9:5, Psalms 10:16, Psalms 21:4
Noun - masculine singular 8x Job 20:4, Psalms 132:12, Psalms 132:14, Isaiah 26:4
Preposition 4x Psalms 83:17, Psalms 92:7, Psalms 132:12, Psalms 132:14
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Terminus point stretched into duration; signals both boundary and the perpetual advance beyond it
Source Gloss
properly, a (peremptory) terminus , i.e. (by implication) duration , in the sense of advance or perpetuity (substantially as a noun, either with or without a preposition)
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Terminus point stretched into duration; signals both boundary and the perpetual advance beyond it
properly, a (peremptory) terminus, i.e. (by implication) duration, in the sense of advance or perpetuity (substantially as a noun, either with or without a preposition) BDB: perpetuity Usage: eternity, ever(-lasting, -more), old, perpetually, world without end.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
A false witness's testimony does not endure or persist forever
Showing 1 selected witness from 51 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain