---
title: עָלַם — conceal · The Tanakh dictionary
description: עָלַם (5956), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 28 times: conceal. BDB 1906: vb. conceal. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# עָלַם

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«עָלַם» in the Tanakh dictionary: **conceal** — how often it is used, MACULA's glosses, its meanings in the printed dictionaries and why they were chosen, and 2 verses in layers.

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**Used:** 28 times · **Key:** 5956 · **BDB:** עָלַם

### Glosses

it.will.be.hidden (5); you.will.hide.yourself (3); I.will.hide (2)

### Meaning (OSHB)

conceal [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1506/5956/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

vb. conceal [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1506/5956/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** vb. conceal (NH id., der. spec.);— Pt. pass. עֲלֻמֵנוּ ψ 90:8 as subst. our secret, i.e. hidden sin (‖ עֲוֹנֹת). Pf. be concealed, of wisdom, 3 fs. נֶעֶלְמָה מֵעֵינֵי Jb 28:21; of a fact or condition, נֶעְלַם 2 Ch 9:2, וְנ׳ consec. Lv 5:2, 3, 4 (all c. מִן pers.), וְנ׳ מֵעֵינֵי Lv 4:13; Nu 5:13 (all P); Pt. נֶעְלָם concealed, c. הָיָה in periphrastic conjug. 1 K 10:3 (מִן pers.); abs. כָּל־נֶעְלָם Ec 12:14. fs. תְּהִי נַעֲלָמָה Na 3:11 mayest thou become obscured (as to the senses; fig. for swoon), but very doubtful, read perhaps נעלפה? \[Dr\]. pl. נַעֲלָמִים ψ 26:4 those who conceal themselves, i.e. their thoughts, dissemblers (‖ מְתֵי שָׁוְא). Pf. 3 ms. הֶעְלִים 2 K 4:27; 3 pl. הֶעְלִימוּ Ez 22:26; Impf. 2 ms. תַּעְלִים ψ 10:1, תַּעְלֵם La 3:56; 3 mpl. יַעְלִימוּ Lv 20:4, etc.; Inf. abs. הַעְלֵם v 4; Pt. מַעְלִים Jb 42:3; Pr 28:27;—conceal, hide, c. מִן pers. 2 K 4:27 (‖ לֹא הִגִּיד לִי); usually hide the eyes from (מִן), i.e. disregard Is 1:15; Ez 22:26, הַעְלֵם יַע׳ וגו׳ Lv 20:4, מִן om. Pr 28:27; hide the eyes by (ב) a bride 1 S 12:3 (i.e. pervert justice, but v. i. עַיִן 3 d); hide (cover) the ear La 3:56 (turn a deaf ear); hide (obscure) counsel (עֵצָה) Jb 42:3; לָמָה תַּע׳ ψ 10:1 why dost thou \[י׳\] hide, sc. thine eyes (so most), or practise concealment (= hide thyself)? Pf. 2 ms. consec. וְהִתְעַלַּמְתָּ מֵהֶם Dt 22:1, 4 and thou hide thyself completely from them (utterly neglect to aid), so Inf. cstr. (מֵהֶם om.) לְהִתְעַלֵּם v 3; so also Impf. c. מִן, תִּתְעַלַּם ψ 55:2, תִּתְעַלָּ֑ם Is 58:7; once lit. יִתְעַלֶּם־שָׁ֑לֶג Jb 6:16 wherein snow hides itself.

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 27 of its verses cited, 1 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (12 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 1 with the glosses (7 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «עָלַם» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1506/5956/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Job 6:16](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/JOB.6.16/)

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הַקֹּדְרִ֥ים מִנִּי־קָ֑רַח עָ֝לֵ֗ימוֹ יִתְעַלֶּם־שָֽׁלֶג׃

*Word for word:* (the).\[which are\].dark from ice over them it.hides.itself snow

*JPS 1917:* Which are black by reason of the ice, and wherein the snow hideth itself;

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[Psalms 10:1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PSA.10.1/)

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לָמָ֣ה יְ֭הוָה תַּעֲמֹ֣ד בְּרָח֑וֹק תַּ֝עְלִ֗ים לְעִתּ֥וֹת בַּצָּרָֽה׃

*Word for word:* why? O.Yahweh do.you.stand at a.distance do.you.hide? to times of.trouble

*JPS 1917:* Why standest Thou afar off, O LORD? Why hidest Thou Thyself in times of trouble?

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