The meaning of Hitherto in the Bible
(From International Standard Bible Encyclopedia)
hith'-er-too (to this): Used of both place and time. It is the translation of various words and phrases:
(1) Of place, 'adh halom (II Samuel 7:18, "Thou hast brought me hitherto," the Revised Version (British and American) "thus far"; I Chronicles 17:16; perhaps I Samuel 7:12, 'adh hennah, "Hitherto hath Yahweh helped us" (in connection with the setting up of the stone Ebenezer)) belongs to this head; hennah is properly an adverb of place; it might always be rendered "thus far."
(2) Of time, 'adh koh, "unto this" (Exodus 7:16, "Hitherto thou hast not hearkened"; Joshua 17:14, "Hitherto Yahweh hath blessed me"); me'az, "from then" (II Samuel 15:34, the Revised Version (British and American) "in time past"); hale'ah, "beyond," etc. (Isaiah 18:7, "terrible from their beginning hitherto," the Revised Version (British and American) "onward"); 'adh kah, Aramaic (Daniel 7:28, the Revised Version (British and American) "here," margin "hitherto"); 'adh hennah, "unto here" (Judges 16:13; I Samuel 1:16; Psalms 71:17, etc.); achri tou deuro (Romans 1:13, "was let (the Revised Version (British and American) "hindered") hitherto"); heos arti, "until now" (John 5:17, "My Father worketh hitherto, and I work" the Revised Version (British and American) "even until now," that is, "on the Sabbath as well as on other days', and I do as He does"; John 16:24, "Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive," that is "up till now"; "now ask in my name and ye shall receive"); oupo, "not yet" (I Corinthians 3:2, "Hitherto ye were not able to bear it," the Revised Version (British and American) "not yet").
W. L. Walker
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