Lexical Summary alam: To hide, conceal, be hidden Original Word: עָלַם 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 Definition to conceal NASB Translation blind (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. [עָלַם] verb conceal (Late Hebrew id., derived species); — Qal Participle pass עֲלֻמֵנוּ Psalm 90:8 as substantive our secret, i.e. hidden sin ("" עֲוֺנֹת). Niph`al Perfect be concealed, of wisdom, 3 feminine singular נֶעֶלְמָה מֵעֵינֵי Job 28:21; of a fact or condition, נֶעְלַם2Chronicles 9:2, ׳וְנ consecutive Leviticus 5:2,3,4 (all with מִן person), מֵעֵינֵי ׳וְנ Leviticus 4:13; Numbers 5:13 (all P); Participle 1 נֶעְלָם concealed, with הָיָה in periphrastic conjugation 1 Kings 10:3 (מִן person); absolute כָּלנֶֿעְלָם Ecclesiastes 12:14. 2 feminine singular תְּהִי נַעֲלָמָה Nahum 3:11 mayest thou become obscured (as to the senses; figurative for swoon), but very doubtful, read perhaps נעלפה ? [Dr]. 3 plural נַעֲלָמִים Psalm 26:4 those who conceal themselves, i.e. their thoughts; dissemblers ("" מְתֵי שָׁוְא). Hiph`il Perfect3masculine singular הֶעְלִים 2 Kings 4:27; 3plural הֶעְלִימוּ Ezekiel 22:26; Imperfect2masculine singular תַּעְלִים Psalm 10:1,תַּעְלֵם Lamentations 3:56; 3masculine plural יַעְלִימוּ Leviticus 20:4, etc.; Infinitive absolute הַעְלֵם Leviticus 20:4; Participle מַעְלִים Job 42:3; Proverbs 28:27; — conceal, hide, with מִן person 2 Kings 4:27 ("" לֹא הִגִּיד לִי); usually hide the eyes from (מִן), i.e. disregard Isaiah 1:15; Ezekiel 22:26, ׳וגו ׳הַעְלֵם יַע Leviticus 20:4, מִן omitted Proverbs 28:27; hide the eyes by (ב) a bribe 1 Samuel 12:3 (i.e. pervert justice, but see עַיִן 3d); hide (cover) the ear Lamentations 3:56 (turn a deaf ear); hide (obscure) counsel (עֵצָה) Job 42:3; לָמָה ׳תַּע Psalm 10:1 why dost thou [׳י] hide, that is, thine eyes (so most), or practise concealment (= hide thyself)? Hithpa`el Perfect2masculine singular consecutive וְהִתְעַלַּמְתָּ מֵהֶם Deuteronomy 22:1,4 and thou hide thyself completely from them (utterly neglect to aid), so Infinitive construct (מֵהֶם omitted) לְהִתְעַלֵּם Deuteronomy 22:3; so also Imperfect with מִן, תִּתְעַלַּם Psalm 55:2, תִּתְעַלָּ֑ם Isaiah 58:7; once literal יִתְעַלֶּםשָֿׁ֑לֶג Job 6:16 wherein snow 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. 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). 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. Theological themes 1. Omniscience. Every instance of human concealment is ultimately penetrated by God’s gaze (Hebrews 4:13 echoes the motif). 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). 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- yitallemLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Leviticus 4:13 HEB: יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ יִשְׁגּ֔וּ וְנֶעְלַ֣ם דָּבָ֔ר מֵעֵינֵ֖י NAS: and the matter escapes the notice KJV: and the thing be hid from the eyes INT: of Israel commits escapes and the matter the notice Leviticus 5:2 Leviticus 5:3 Leviticus 5:4 Leviticus 20:4 Leviticus 20:4 Numbers 5:13 Deuteronomy 22:1 Deuteronomy 22:3 Deuteronomy 22:4 1 Samuel 12:3 1 Kings 10:3 2 Kings 4:27 2 Chronicles 9:2 Job 6:16 Job 28:21 Job 42:3 Psalm 10:1 Psalm 26:4 Psalm 55:1 Psalm 90:8 Proverbs 28:27 Ecclesiastes 12:14 Isaiah 1:15 Isaiah 58:7 28 Occurrences |
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