Lexical Summary
ad: Forever, perpetually, continually, until, eternity
Original Word:עַד
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:`ad
Pronunciation:ahd
Phonetic Spelling:(ad)
KJV: eternity, ever(-lasting, -more), old, perpetually, + world without end
NASB:forever, ever, all, continually, Eternal, old, perpetual
Word Origin:[fromH5710 (עָדָה - To pass on)]
1. (properly) a (peremptory) terminus
2. (by implication) duration, in the sense of advance or perpetuity (substantially as a noun, either with or without a preposition)
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
eternity, everlasting, old, perpetually, world without end
Fromadah; 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) -- eternity, ever(- lasting, -more), old, perpetually, + world without end.
see HEBREWadah
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
adahDefinitionperpetuity
NASB Translationall (1), continually (1), Eternal (1), ever (15), forever (26), forever* (1), forevermore* (2), old (1), perpetual (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
I. and (so always) (=
advancing time, compare Assyrian
adû, time at the present times); —
ofpast time:Job 20:4;Habakkuk 3:6ancient mountains (compare ). soGenesis 49:26 (read for ).
offuture time, (usually )for ever:
Psalm 21:7;Proverbs 29:14; of othersPsalm 9:19;Psalm 22:27;Psalm 61:9;Proverbs 12:19.
,Job 19:24.
of continuous existence, of nations, (of Babylon, compare )Isaiah 47:7 (yet see III.
); ,Amos 1:11; elsewherePsalm 83:18;Psalm 92:8;Isaiah 26:4;Isaiah 65:18.
,Isaiah 57:15; attributes,Psalm 111:3;Psalm 111:10;Psalm 112:3;Psalm 112:9; residence in Zion,Psalm 132:14; law of GodPsalm 19:10; promise as to dynasty of David,Psalm 89:30;Psalm 132:12; inheritance of land,Psalm 37:29; continuous relations between God and his people1 Chronicles 28:9;Isaiah 64:8;Micah 7:18 .
(see ):Psalm 9:6;Psalm 10:16;Psalm 21:5;Psalm 45:7;Psalm 45:18;Psalm 48:15;Psalm 52:10;Psalm 104:5;Psalm 119:44;Psalm 145:1;Psalm 145:2;Psalm 145:21;Exodus 15:18;Micah 4:5;Daniel 12:3;Psalm 111:8;Psalm 148:6;Isaiah 45:17. —Isaiah 30:8 read ()for a witness Ges Ew Di Che Du) for .
Topical Lexicon
Scope and DistributionThe term appears approximately fifty-three times across the Hebrew Scriptures, concentrated in Exodus, the Psalms, the historical books, and the prophets. In nearly every context it magnifies duration, continuity, and the permanence of divine purposes.
Eternal Nature of God
The first canonical use sets the tone for all others: “The LORD will reign forever and ever” (Exodus 15:18). Subsequent writers echo this confession.Psalm 10:16 proclaims, “The LORD is King forever and ever,” andPsalm 146:10 concludes the Psalter’s doxology, “The LORD reigns forever—your God, O Zion, for all generations.” In each case the word emphasizes that God’s kingship is neither subject to history’s rise and fall nor to the expiration of covenantal epochs.
From Everlasting to Everlasting
A recurring liturgical formula combines עַד with עוֹלָם, framing divine eternity in a double horizon: “from everlasting to everlasting.” David blesses the LORD “from everlasting to everlasting” in1 Chronicles 29:10. The Levites lead post-exilic worship with the same refrain inNehemiah 9:5. Moses applies it to God’s being, “From everlasting to everlasting You are God” (Psalm 90:2), while the psalmists apply it to His steadfast love: “From everlasting to everlasting the loving devotion of the LORD extends to those who fear Him” (Psalm 103:17).
Perpetual Covenant and Royal Grant
The term underscores the durability of covenant promises. Isaiah assures Israel, “You will not be put to shame or humiliated to the ages to come” (Isaiah 45:17). InPsalm 89, the promise to David’s house is described with the same vocabulary, binding the permanence of the throne to the character of God Himself. By using עַד, Scripture links the endurance of the covenant not merely to human lineage but to divine fidelity.
Liturgical and Doxological Use
Nearly half of the occurrences stand inside songs, prayers, or formal blessings, reinforcing worshipers in every generation. Typical examples include:
•Psalm 41:13—“Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Amen and Amen.”
•Psalm 72:19—“Blessed be His glorious name forever; may all the earth be filled with His glory.”
•Psalm 106:48—“Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Let all the people say, ‘Amen!’ Hallelujah!”
Such refrains keep the theme of unending praise before the congregation and guard against temporal, man-centered perspectives in worship.
Judgment and Salvation Horizons
While overwhelmingly positive, several passages deploy עַד to describe the unending ruin of the wicked (for example,Psalm 9:5) or the irrevocable destruction of enemy structures (Isaiah 34:10). The same term, therefore, frames both sides of divine justice: eternal salvation for the faithful, eternal loss for the impenitent, reinforcing the moral seriousness of history.
Eschatological Vision
Prophets link the word to the final peace of Zion.Isaiah 9:7 speaks of a government of peace upheld “from that time on and forever,” andMicah 4:5 contrasts the nations’ wandering with Israel’s permanent walk “in the name of the LORD our God forever and ever.” The Messianic kingdom is thus portrayed as the climactic realization of every prior “forever.”
Pastoral and Ministry Implications
1. Assurance. Believers ground confidence in promises that carry the stamp of eternity. God’s reign, love, and salvation are not subject to repeal.
2. Worship. Repetition of “forever and ever” models a God-centered liturgy that orients hearts toward the everlasting rather than the immediate.
3. Mission. Because God’s kingdom is everlasting, present labor in evangelism and discipleship participates in realities that will outlast the present age.
4. Ethics. The everlasting dimension of recompense and reward calls Christians to sobriety, holiness, and perseverance.
Summary
Wherever עַד appears, Scripture presses readers to lift their eyes beyond temporal horizons to the unending sovereignty, grace, and justice of God. It is the vocabulary of permanence in a transient world, anchoring every covenant, promise, warning, and song in the timeless character of the LORD.
Forms and Transliterations
אֲבִיעַ֖ד אביעד וָעֶ֑ד וָעֶֽד׃ ועד ועד׃ לָ֝עַ֗ד לָ֫עַ֥ד לָעַ֑ד לָעַ֖ד לָעַ֣ד לָעַ֥ד לָעַֽד׃ לָעַד֙ לעד לעד׃ עֲדֵ֥י עֲדֵי־ עַ֑ד עַ֔ד עַֽד׃ עַד֙ עַד־ עד עד־ עד׃ עדי עדי־ ‘ă·ḏê ‘ă·ḏê- ‘aḏ ‘aḏ- ‘ăḏê ‘ăḏê- ’ă·ḇî·‘aḏ ’ăḇî‘aḏ ad aDei aviAd lā‘aḏ lā·‘aḏ laAd vaEd wā‘eḏ wā·‘eḏ
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