עָלַם
to veil from sight, i.e. conceal (literally or figuratively)
Definition
The Hebrew verb עָלַם (ʻâlam) fundamentally means to conceal, hide, or keep secret. In its literal sense, it describes physically hiding an object, such as a neighbor's lost property (Deuteronomy 22:1, 3). More significantly, it often refers to the concealment of knowledge or sin, especially in legal and ritual contexts where a community or individual is aware of a wrong but keeps it hidden (Leviticus 4:13, 5:2-4). In a figurative sense, it can describe God hiding His face as an expression of judgment (e.g., Deuteronomy 31:18) or a person acting deceptively.
Biblical Usage
This verb appears primarily in the Torah's legal sections, especially Leviticus and Deuteronomy, concerning hidden sins, undisclosed information, or concealed property. A key pattern is its use in contexts of communal or personal responsibility when wrongdoing is known but not publicly addressed. For example, Leviticus 5:1 uses it for failing to testify about something one has heard. It also appears in narrative, as in Numbers 5:13 regarding a wife's secret unfaithfulness. Its usage underscores themes of accountability for both overt and concealed actions.
Etymology
A primitive root, עָלַם is related to the noun עוֹלָם (ʻôlām, H5769), meaning 'long duration' or 'eternity,' conceptually linked to that which is hidden in the distant past or future. Cognates in other Semitic languages, like Arabic ʻalima ('to know'), suggest an original semantic field involving knowledge, with the Hebrew sense developing toward the concealment of knowledge. The verb form itself is the base for the concept of hiding or making obscure.
Semantic Range
This word is theologically significant as it highlights God's concern with both public and private sin. The biblical emphasis on sins done in secret (e.g., Leviticus 4:13) reveals that human accountability before God extends beyond visible actions to the heart and hidden deeds. It also relates to divine revelation; God is never described as 'concealing' Himself capriciously, but His hiding (as in Deuteronomy 31:18) is a covenantal response to human unfaithfulness. Understanding this Hebrew term enriches reading by showing that biblical law and prophecy treat hidden motives and secret knowledge as matters of serious spiritual consequence.
In ancient Israel's communal and covenant-based society, concealing knowledge—especially of sin, lost property, or legal testimony—was not merely a private matter but a breach of communal solidarity and justice. Hiding a neighbor's property (Deuteronomy 22:1-3) violated principles of social responsibility. The concept of 'hidden' sin in Leviticus reflects a culture where the community's purity before God was a collective concern, not just an individual one, differing from modern hyper-individualistic views of wrongdoing.
סָתַר (sāthar, H5641) — a more general term for hiding or covering, often physical; חָבָא (ḥāḇāʼ, H2244) — to hide oneself or take refuge; כָּסָה (kāsâ, H3680) — to cover, clothe, or conceal, often with a physical object.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
Full methodology & sources →