5934. alumim

Lexical Summary

alumim: Youth, youthful vigor

Original Word: עָלוּם
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: `aluwm
Pronunciation: ah-loo-MEEM
Phonetic Spelling: (aw-loom')
KJV: youth
NASB: youth, youthful vigor
Word Origin: [passive participle of H5956 (עָלַם - hidden) in the denominative sense of H5958 (עֶלֶם - youth)]

1. (only in plural as abstract) adolescence
2. (figuratively) vigor

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

youth

Passive participle of alam in the denominative sense of elem; (only in plural as abstract) adolescence; figuratively, vigor -- youth.

see HEBREW alam

see HEBREW elem

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from the same as elem
Definition
youth, youthful vigor
NASB Translation
youth (2), youthful vigor (2).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

[עֲלוּמִים] noun plural abstract youth, youthful vigour; — only suffix עֲלוּמָיו Job 20:11 Qr (Kt עֲלוּמוֺ); עֲלוּמָיו Psalm 89:46; Job 33:25; עֲלוּמַיִךְ Isaiah 54:4.

III. עלם (√ of following, meaning dubious; compare Late Hebrew עוֺלָם (chiefly world, age); MI^{7, 10} עלם, Phoenician id., Aramaic עָֽלְמָא, , Nabataean עלם, Palmyrene עלמא; Arabic creation, world, etc.; Ethiopic aevum, saeculum, etc.; according to Thes and others from I. עלם the hidden, compare Kö^{ii. 1, 87}; Lag^{BN 115} compare quadril. primitive waters; Ew^{§ 77 a} compare Ethiopic time [√ Di⁹²³]; Ba^{ZMG xliv (1890), 685} compare Assyrian ullûti, ullâ [ullânu, remote time], compare Dl^{HWB 65} Jen^{ZA vii}).

Topical Lexicon

Overview

The term עָלוּם occurs four times in the Old Testament and consistently evokes the idea of early life marked by vigor, promise, and yet moral vulnerability. It appears in poetry and prophecy, giving the word both personal and national resonance.

Occurrences in Scripture

• Job 20:11 – Zophar warns that the unrepentant sinner’s “youthful vigor” descends to the grave with him, turning the season normally associated with strength into an emblem of judgment.
• Job 33:25 – Elihu holds out hope that divine mercy can cause the sufferer’s flesh to be “renewed like a child’s” so that “he regains the days of his youth,” showing that lost prime can be restored by God.
• Psalm 89:45 – In a psalm lamenting the apparent collapse of the Davidic king, God is said to have “cut short the days of his youth,” highlighting how national hopes invested in a young monarch can be dashed when divine favor is withdrawn.
• Isaiah 54:4 – Zion is promised future glory: “you will forget the shame of your youth,” meaning that the city’s early, humiliating disobedience will be wiped from memory in the coming era of covenant renewal.

Historical and Cultural Background

In the Ancient Near East, one’s youth was a brief window when physical power, procreative potential, and public honor converged. Yet it was equally a season when folly and sin most easily flourished (compare Proverbs 7:7; Ecclesiastes 11:9). Scripture therefore portrays youth as both gift and test. The four contexts above range from individual mortality (Job 20), personal healing (Job 33), dynastic promise (Psalm 89), to corporate restoration (Isaiah 54), demonstrating the breadth of the concept.

Theological Insights

1. Mortality of vigor – Job 20 reminds that youthful strength does not exempt anyone from death or divine justice.
2. Renewal by grace – Job 33 testifies that God can reverse the decay of sin and suffering, figuratively “resetting the clock.”
3. Covenant accountability – Psalm 89 links the truncation of a king’s youth to covenant curses, exposing the gravity of unfaithfulness.
4. Redemptive forgetfulness – Isaiah 54 shows that God not only removes guilt but also its memory, a foretaste of the new-covenant promise: “their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more” (Hebrews 10:17).

Christological and Prophetic Significance

Psalm 89’s focus on a youthful Davidic ruler finds ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ, “raised up” to reign forever (Acts 13:32-37). Though His earthly ministry was cut short by crucifixion, resurrection vindicated and eternalized His “days,” overturning the pattern of Psalm 89:45. Isaiah 54, situated in the Servant section of Isaiah, follows the atoning work of Isaiah 53; thus the removal of Zion’s youthful shame flows from the Servant’s sacrifice, prefiguring the church’s cleansing in Christ (Ephesians 5:25-27).

Ministry and Discipleship Implications

• Shepherding youth – Churches should honor the energy of young believers while warning against the fleeting nature of such strength (James 4:14).
• Proclaiming renewal – Job 33 authorizes preaching that no life stage is beyond God’s restorative reach; repentance can recover lost years (Joel 2:25).
• Encouraging perseverance – For leaders facing premature obstacles, Psalm 89 teaches that apparent truncation can serve larger covenant purposes.
• Healing past shame – Isaiah 54 supplies comfort for those burdened by early-life sin, offering assurance that the gospel frees both from guilt and its lingering disgrace.

Related Concepts

Youthful sin (Psalm 25:7); spiritual renewal (Psalm 103:5); discipling the next generation (1 Timothy 4:12); remembering Creator in youth (Ecclesiastes 12:1).

Forms and Transliterations

עֲלוּמַ֙יִךְ֙ עֲלוּמָ֑יו עֲלוּמָֽיו׃ עלומיו עלומיו׃ עלומיך ‘ă·lū·ma·yiḵ ‘ă·lū·māw ‘ălūmāw ‘ălūmayiḵ aluMav aluMayich

Englishman's Concordance

Job 20:11
HEB: [עֲלוּמֹו כ] (עֲלוּמָ֑יו ק) וְ֝עִמּ֗וֹ
NAS: are full of his youthful vigor, But it lies down
KJV: are full [of the sin] of his youth, which shall lie down
INT: his bones are full youth with with

Job 33:25
HEB: יָ֝שׁ֗וּב לִימֵ֥י עֲלוּמָֽיו׃
NAS: to the days of his youthful vigor;
KJV: to the days of his youth:
INT: return to the days of his youthful

Psalm 89:45
HEB: הִ֭קְצַרְתָּ יְמֵ֣י עֲלוּמָ֑יו הֶֽעֱטִ֨יתָ עָלָ֖יו
NAS: the days of his youth; You have covered
KJV: The days of his youth hast thou shortened:
INT: have shortened the days of his youth have covered with

Isaiah 54:4
HEB: כִּ֣י בֹ֤שֶׁת עֲלוּמַ֙יִךְ֙ תִּשְׁכָּ֔חִי וְחֶרְפַּ֥ת
NAS: the shame of your youth, And the reproach
KJV: the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember
INT: for the shame of your youth will forget and the reproach

4 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 5934
4 Occurrences

‘ă·lū·māw — 3 Occ.
‘ă·lū·ma·yiḵ — 1 Occ.