Mike,

I emailed you about the Hebrew word ad. Well, my friend’s reply is below. Tell me what you think.
You will find the word ad used in Jdg 3:26, “And Ehud escaped while [ ad] they were tarrying.” Also in 2Ki 9:22, “What peace, as long as [ ad] the harlotries of your mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many?”
It is obvious from these verses that the word ad does not mean “forever”. It has to do with:
until
as far as
as long as
while (during the time of)
The time is indefinite, but not infinite. In that way, it is the same as the word olam, which many also translate “forever” when it should read “indefinitely”.

J____

Hi J____,

I did check out the meaning of the Hebrew word ‘ad’ , and after looking at many entries, I came to the same conclusion as your friend.
Here are the KJC e- sword entries if you want to check them out for yourself. KJC e- sword is not complete, but it does give many entries, and it is obvious that eternity or forever is not the sense of this Hebrew word. It is rather an indefinite period of time with a distinct beginning and a distinct end.

H5703
ad
Total KJV Occurrences: 55
ever, 43
Exo_15:18 (2), Num_24:20, Num_24:24, 1Ch_28:9, Job_19:24, Psa_9:5, Psa_9:18, Psa_10:16, Psa_19:9, Psa_21:4, Psa_21:6, Psa_22:26, Psa_37:29, Psa_45:6, Psa_45:17, Psa_48:14 (2), Psa_61:8 (2), Psa_83:17, Psa_89:29, Psa_92:7, Psa_104:5, Psa_111:3, Psa_111:8, Psa_112:3, Psa_112:9, Psa_119:44, Psa_132:14, Psa_145:1-2 (2), Psa_145:21, Psa_148:6, Pro_12:19, Pro_29:14, Isa_26:4, Isa_64:8-9 (2), Isa_65:18, Dan_12:3, Mic_4:5, Mic_7:18
nor, 3
1Sa_30:19 (3)
everlasting, 2
Hab_3:6 (2)
end, 1
Isa_45:17
eternity, 1
Isa_57:15
evermore, 1
Psa_132:12
old, 1
Job_20:4
perpetually, 1
Amo_1:11
until, 1
Gen_28:15
without, 1
Isa_45:17

As your friend puts it “the time is indefinite, but not infinite”, and the same can be said of the Hebrew word olam. It is speaking of an indefinite period of time but not an infinite period of time.

Your brother in Christ,
Mike