Beyond

be-yond': Found in the Hebrew only in its application to space and time, and for these ideas three words are employed: hale'ah (Gen 35:21) = "to the distance"; `abhar = "to go beyond" "to cross" derivative `ebher (Chald. `abhar) = "across," "beyond" (Deut 30:13; Josh 18:7; Judg 3:26; 1 Sam 20:36; 2 Chr 20:2; Ezra 4:17; Ezra 4:20; Jer 25:22); and `al (Lev 15:25) = "beyond the time." In the New Testament peran, is used to express "beyond" in the spatial sense (Matt 4:15), while other words and phrases are employed for adverbial ideas of degree: huperperissos (Mark 7:37); huper (2 Cor 8:3; 2 Cor 10:16); kathuperbolen (Gal 1:13). In the King James Version be`eher, is occasionally translated "beyond," and when this word is joined to ha- yarden, "Jordan," as it usually is, it becomes critically important. In the American Standard Revised Version, be`ebher ha- yarden is translated "beyond the Jordan," in Gen 50:10; Gen 50:21; Deut 3:20; Deut 3:25; Josh 9:10; Judg 5:17; "on this side Jordan" in Deut 1:1; Deut 1:5; Josh 1:14; Josh 1:15; "on the other side Jordan" in Deut 11:30; Josh 12:1; Josh 22:4; Josh 24:2; Josh 24:8 (compare the King James Version and the Revised Version (British and American), Josh 24:14; Josh 24:25; see River, The), Judg 10:8; 1 Sam 31:7; and "on the side of Jordan" in Josh 5:1. the American Standard Revised Version gives "beyond the Jordan" throughout. me`ebher, is used with ha-yarden in Num 34:15; Num 35:14; Josh 13:32; Judg 7:25; and `ebher, alone in Deut 4:49 (the King James Version "on this side"); Josh 13:27 (the King James Version "on the other side"). It is clear that the phrase may be translate d "across Jordan"; that it is used of either side of the Jordan (Deut 3:8 speaks of the eastern, Deut 3:20; Deut 3:25 of the western); that "beyond Jordan" may be used of the side of the Jordan on which the writer stands (Josh 5:1; Josh 9:1; Josh 12:7); but from the fact that Deut 1:1; Deut 1:5; Deut 4:41; Deut 4:46; Deut 4:47; Deut 4:49, where statements are made about Moses, the reference is to the country East of the Jordan, while in Deut 3:20; Deut 3:25; Deut 11:30, where Moses is represented as speaking, the West is indicated, critics have concluded that the author (at least of Deuteronomy) must have lived after Moses, being careful to distinguish between himself and the prophet.

Frank E. Hirsch