What does קֶדֶם (qedem) mean in the Bible?
קֶדֶם (qedem): Spatial-temporal anchor: eastward in place, antiquity in time; both convey primordial precedence and divine orientation
Hebrew · H6924
קֶדֶם
The front , of place (absolutely, the fore part , relatively the East ) or time ( antiquity ); often used adverbially ( before , anciently , eastward )
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קֶדֶם H6924
Pronunciation qedem
What does קֶדֶם (qedem) mean in the Bible?
קֶדֶם (qedem): Spatial-temporal anchor: eastward in place, antiquity in time; both convey primordial precedence and divine orientation
Full entry for קֶדֶם (H6924) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H6924?
The BSB source-word alignment has 87 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include of the east (13), of old (11), east (6), eastward (4), long ago (4).
Where does קֶדֶם (qedem) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 2:8. Its strongest book concentrations include Genesis (12), Psalms (11), Numbers (10), Isaiah (9).
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 of the east 13× Genesis 25:6, Genesis 29:1, Numbers 23:7, Judges 6:3
of old 11× 2 Kings 19:25, Psalms 44:1, Psalms 68:33, Psalms 77:5
east 6× Genesis 12:8, Numbers 34:11, Judges 8:11, Job 23:8
eastward 4× Genesis 11:2, Joshua 19:12, Joshua 19:13, 1 Kings 17:3
long ago 4× Nehemiah 12:46, Psalms 74:2, Psalms 119:152, Isaiah 45:21
on the east side 4× Genesis 3:24, Numbers 2:3, Numbers 10:5, Numbers 34:11
to the east 4× Genesis 12:8, Leviticus 1:16, Numbers 3:38, Joshua 7:2
On the east 3× Numbers 34:3, Numbers 35:5, Joshua 18:20
The east 3× Exodus 27:13, Leviticus 16:14, 2 Kings 13:17
and east 2× Genesis 13:14, Genesis 28:14
at the southeast corner 2× 1 Kings 7:39, 2 Chronicles 4:10
toward the east 2× Genesis 13:11, Ezekiel 8:16
- 1× Genesis 25:6
[with influences] from the east 1× Isaiah 2:6
and before 1× Psalms 139:5
and from ancient times 1× Isaiah 46:10
And the east 1× Exodus 38:13
And your eastern 1× Numbers 34:10
are of old 1× Micah 5:2
as in days of old 1× Jeremiah 30:20
as of old 1× Lamentations 5:21
before 1× Proverbs 8:22
began 1× Proverbs 8:23
for the ages 1× Psalms 55:19
from ancient times 1× Psalms 74:12
from everlasting 1× Habakkuk 1:12
from the east 1× Isaiah 9:12
from the eastern 1× Ezekiel 45:7
gone by 1× Job 29:2
in the east 1× Genesis 2:8
in the eastern 1× Genesis 10:30
is from antiquity 1× Isaiah 23:7
of eastern 1× Isaiah 19:11
of it 1× Jonah 4:5
of the ancient 1× Deuteronomy 33:15
past 1× Isaiah 51:9
the beginning 1× Psalms 78:2
The eastern 1× Joshua 15:5
The eternal 1× Deuteronomy 33:27
vvv 1× Numbers 34:15
were bowing to the east 1× Ezekiel 8:16
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 2:8 מִקֶּ֑דֶם to in the east Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular Genesis 3:24 מִקֶּ֨דֶם to on the east side Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular Genesis 10:30 הַקֶּֽדֶם׃ to in the eastern Article | Noun - masculine singular Genesis 11:2 מִקֶּ֑דֶם to eastward Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular Genesis 12:8 מִקֶּ֛דֶם to east Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular Genesis 12:8 מִקֶּ֔דֶם to to the east Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular Genesis 13:11 מִקֶּ֑דֶם to toward the east Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular Genesis 13:14 וָקֵ֥דְמָה to and east Conjunctive waw | Adverb | third person feminine singular Genesis 25:6 קֵ֖דְמָה to - Adverb | third person feminine singular Genesis 25:6 קֶֽדֶם׃ to of the east Noun - masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 2:8
Aligned rows 87
Books represented 22
Genesis 12 Exodus 2 Leviticus 2 Numbers 10 Deuteronomy 2 Joshua 5 Judges 5 1 Kings 3 2 Kings 2 2 Chronicles 1 Nehemiah 1 Job 3 Psalms 11 Proverbs 2 Isaiah 9 Jeremiah 3 Lamentations 3 Ezekiel 6 Jonah 1 Micah 2 Habakkuk 1 Zechariah 1
Source forms
קֶֽדֶם׃ 8x qe·ḏem Genesis 25:6, Genesis 29:1, Job 1:3, Psalms 44:1
קֶ֑דֶם 7x qe·ḏem Deuteronomy 33:15, Judges 8:10, 1 Kings 4:30, Job 29:2
מִקֶּ֑דֶם 6x miq·qe·ḏem Genesis 2:8, Genesis 11:2, Genesis 13:11, Nehemiah 12:46
קֶ֖דֶם 6x qe·ḏem Judges 6:3, Judges 6:33, 2 Kings 19:25, Proverbs 8:22
קֵ֖דְמָה 6x qê·ḏə·māh Genesis 25:6, 1 Kings 7:39, 2 Kings 13:17, 2 Chronicles 4:10
מִקֶּ֣דֶם 4x miq·qe·ḏem Numbers 34:11, Joshua 7:2, Psalms 77:11, Jonah 4:5
קֶ֔דֶם 4x qe·ḏem Numbers 23:7, Deuteronomy 33:27, Isaiah 51:9, Lamentations 2:17
קֵ֑דְמָה 4x qê·ḏə·māh Leviticus 16:14, Numbers 34:10, Joshua 18:20, 1 Kings 17:3
Parsing patterns
Noun - masculine singular 32x Genesis 25:6, Genesis 29:1, Numbers 23:7, Deuteronomy 33:15
Adverb | third person feminine singular 24x Genesis 25:6, Exodus 27:13, Exodus 38:13, Leviticus 1:16
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular 21x Genesis 2:8, Genesis 3:24, Genesis 11:2, Genesis 12:8
Conjunctive waw | Adverb | third person feminine singular 2x Genesis 13:14, Genesis 28:14
Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular 2x Jeremiah 30:20, Lamentations 5:21
Article | Noun - masculine singular 1x Genesis 10:30
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular 1x Psalms 139:5
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular 1x Isaiah 46:10
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Spatial-temporal anchor: eastward in place, antiquity in time; both convey primordial precedence and divine orientation
Source Gloss
the front , of place (absolutely, the fore part , relatively the East ) or time ( antiquity ); often used adverbially ( before , anciently , eastward )
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Spatial-temporal anchor: eastward in place, antiquity in time; both convey primordial precedence and divine orientation
the front, of place (absolutely, the fore part, relatively the East) or time (antiquity); often used adverbially (before, anciently, eastward) BDB: eastward Usage: aforetime, ancient (time), before, east (end, part, side, -ward), eternal, × ever(-lasting), forward, old, past. Compare 6926.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Word Origins
קֶדֶם is built from this root:
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