Lexical Summary
alam: To hide, conceal, be hidden
Original Word:עָלַם
Part of Speech:Verb
Transliteration:`alam
Pronunciation:ah-lahm'
Phonetic Spelling:(aw-lam')
KJV: X any ways, blind, dissembler, hide (self), secret (thing)
NASB:hidden, hide, pay no attention, blind, escapes, ever, hides
Word Origin:[a primitive root]
1. to veil from sight, i.e. conceal (literally or figuratively)
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
blind, dissembler, hide self, secret thing
A primitive root; to veil from sight, i.e. Conceal (literally or figuratively) -- X any ways, blind, dissembler, hide (self), secret (thing).
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origina prim. root
Definitionto conceal
NASB Translationblind (1), disregard* (1), escapes (1), ever (1), hidden (10), hide (6), hides (1), melts (1), neglect (1), pay no attention (2), pretenders (1), secret (1), shuts (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
I. [] (Late Hebrew
id., derived species); —
Participle passPsalm 90:8 as substantiveour secret, i.e. hidden sin ("" ).
Perfect be concealed, of wisdom, 3 feminine singularJob 28:21; of a fact or condition, 2Chronicles 9:2, consecutiveLeviticus 5:2,3,4 (all with person),Leviticus 4:13;Numbers 5:13 (all P);Participle
concealed, with in periphrastic conjugation1 Kings 10:3 ( person); absoluteEcclesiastes 12:14.
feminine singularNahum 3:11mayest thou become obscured (as to the senses; figurative forswoon), but very doubtful, read perhaps ? [Dr].
pluralPsalm 26:4those who conceal themselves, i.e. their thoughts;dissemblers ("" ).
Perfect3masculine singular2 Kings 4:27; 3pluralEzekiel 22:26;Imperfect2masculine singularPsalm 10:1,Lamentations 3:56; 3masculine pluralLeviticus 20:4, etc.;Infinitive absoluteLeviticus 20:4;ParticipleJob 42:3;Proverbs 28:27; —conceal, hide, with person2 Kings 4:27 ("" ); usuallyhide the eyes from (), i.e.disregardIsaiah 1:15;Ezekiel 22:26,Leviticus 20:4, omittedProverbs 28:27;hide the eyes by () a bribe1 Samuel 12:3 (i.e. pervert justice, but see
);hide (cover) the earLamentations 3:56 (turn a deaf ear);hide (obscure) counsel ()Job 42:3;Psalm 10:1why dost thou []hide, that is, thine eyes (so most), orpractise concealment (= hide thyself)?
Perfect2masculine singular consecutiveDeuteronomy 22:1,4and thou hide thyself completely from them (utterly neglect to aid), soInfinitive construct ( omitted)Deuteronomy 22:3; so alsoImperfect with ,Psalm 55:2,Isaiah 58:7; once literalJob 6:16 whereinsnow hides itself.
Topical Lexicon
עָלַם (Strong’s H5956)
Central idea
The verb depicts deliberate concealment—of objects, facts, motives, guilt, or even entire persons—so that they escape notice. Scripture employs it to expose the futility of hiding from the LORD, to describe His sovereign right to withhold information, and to exhort His people toward transparent righteousness.
Distribution
The twenty-eight occurrences span historical narrative (Samuel–Kings), poetry and wisdom (Job, Psalms, Proverbs), and the prophets (Isaiah–Jeremiah). The consistent thread is secrecy placed under divine scrutiny.
Narrative use: hidden knowledge and the prophetic office
•2 Kings 4:27 marks a rare moment when Elisha confesses limitation: “the LORD has hidden it from me and has not told me.” The verse highlights that the prophet’s insight is never autonomous; revelation is granted or withheld at God’s discretion.
• In royal records (for example2 Kings 6:32; compare2 Kings 13:6), concealed plots or lingering idolatry reveal that what rulers attempt to suppress eventually surfaces under divine judgment.
Wisdom and poetry: the unreachable and the unethical
•Job 28:21 portrays the quest for wisdom: “It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing and concealed from the birds of the air.” Human inquiry meets a divine boundary; only God “understands its way” (Job 28:23).
•Proverbs 28:27 warns, “He who gives to the poor will lack nothing, but he who hides his eyes will receive many curses.” Here עָלַם exposes social indifference—turning one’s gaze away as a calculated concealment of need.
• Psalms employ the root for self-imposed silence or repression (for examplePsalm 39:2), showing how bottled-up anguish eventually erupts unless placed before God.
Prophetic preaching: nothing escapes the LORD
•Isaiah 40:27 rebukes Israel’s complaint, “My way is hidden from the LORD,” affirming that exile does not sever covenant oversight.
•Jeremiah 16:17 presents the divine vantage point: “My eyes are on all their ways; they are not hidden from Me, and their guilt is not concealed from My eyes.”
•Jeremiah 23:24 extends the warning universally: “Can a man hide in secret places where I cannot see him?” The rhetorical question dismantles every illusion of successful cover-up.
Theological themes
1. Omniscience. Every instance of human concealment is ultimately penetrated by God’s gaze (Hebrews 4:13 echoes the motif).
2. Revelation. God may withhold insight temporarily (2 Kings 4:27) to magnify dependence on Him; when He discloses truth, it is purely by grace (cf.Deuteronomy 29:29).
3. Sin and accountability. Concealment often accompanies unrighteousness (Proverbs 28:27); divine exposure is both warning and mercy, leading to repentance.
4. Hope. For the righteous, hiddenness also speaks of protection: “You hide them in the secret place of Your presence” (Psalm 31:20), showing that the same verb can denote safekeeping under God’s care.
Christological resonance
Jesus’ declaration, “Nothing is hidden that will not be revealed” (Luke 8:17), picks up the Old Testament trajectory of עָלַם. At the cross the secret thoughts of many hearts are unveiled (Luke 2:35), and in the gospel the mystery once concealed is made manifest (Colossians 1:26).
Ministry implications
• Preaching: expose the folly of secret sin and proclaim the freedom of confession (1 John 1:9).
• Pastoral care: help believers trust God’s timing when answers are “hidden,” affirming that He still governs unseen processes.
• Social ethics: challenge the instinct to “hide one’s eyes” from poverty or injustice; generosity is the ordained antidote.
• Personal devotion: adopt David’s prayer, “Search me, O God” (Psalm 139:23), inviting the light that dispels every concealed darkness.
In every sphere—prophetic discernment, personal holiness, and communal justice—עָלַם presses the enduring truth that concealment never outmaneuvers the sovereign, all-seeing LORD.
Forms and Transliterations
אַעְלִ֤ים אעלים הֶעְלִ֣ים הֶעְלִ֣ימוּ הַעְלֵ֣ם העלים העלימו העלם וְֽ֭נֶעֶלְמָה וְאַעְלִ֥ים וְהִתְעַלַּמְתָּ֖ וְנֶעְלַ֣ם וְנֶעְלַם֙ וּמַעְלִ֥ים ואעלים והתעלמת ומעלים ונעלם ונעלמה יִתְעַלֶּם־ יַעְלִימֽוּ֩ יעלימו יתעלם־ לְהִתְעַלֵּֽם׃ להתעלם׃ מַעְלִ֥ים מעלים נֶעְלַ֤ם נֶעְלָ֑ם נֶעְלָ֣ם נַ֝עֲלָמִ֗ים נַֽעֲלָמָ֑ה נעלם נעלמה נעלמים עֲ֝לֻמֵ֗נוּ עלמנו תִּ֝תְעַלַּ֗ם תִתְעַלָּֽם׃ תַּ֝עְלִ֗ים תַּעְלֵ֧ם תעלים תעלם תתעלם תתעלם׃ ‘ă·lu·mê·nū ‘ălumênū ’a‘·lîm ’a‘lîm aLim aluMenu ha‘·lêm ha‘lêm haLem he‘·lî·mū he‘·lîm he‘lîm he‘lîmū heLim heLimu lə·hiṯ·‘al·lêm ləhiṯ‘allêm lehitalLem ma‘·lîm ma‘lîm maLim na‘ălāmāh na‘ălāmîm na·‘ă·lā·māh na·‘ă·lā·mîm naalaMah naalaMim ne‘·lam ne‘·lām ne‘lam ne‘lām neLam ta‘·lêm ta‘·lîm ta‘lêm ta‘lîm taLem taLim tiṯ‘allam ṯiṯ‘allām tiṯ·‘al·lam ṯiṯ·‘al·lām titalLam ū·ma‘·lîm ūma‘lîm umaLim veaLim vehitallamTa Veneelmah veneLam wə’a‘lîm wə·’a‘·lîm wə·hiṯ·‘al·lam·tā wə·ne‘·lam wə·ne·‘el·māh wəhiṯ‘allamtā wəne‘elmāh wəne‘lam ya‘·lî·mū ya‘lîmū yaliMu yiṯ‘allem- yiṯ·‘al·lem- yitallem
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