### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **tsᵉmîythuth**, represented by `{{H6783}}`, signifies a state of perpetuity or extinction. Its root meaning is related to excision or destruction, and it is used adverbially to mean **for ever**. Appearing only 2 times in 2 verses, its specific usage in scripture is highly focused on legal permanence regarding property.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
Both occurrences of `{{H6783}}` are found in Leviticus and establish critical principles of ownership under the Mosaic Law. It is first used to declare that the land `{{H776}}` "shall not be sold **for ever**" because it ultimately belongs to God [[Leviticus 25:23]]. In contrast, the word is used again to state that a house in a walled city, if not redeemed within a year, "shall be established **for ever**" to its buyer, making the sale permanent and exempt from the Jubilee release [[Leviticus 25:30]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words clarify the legal and theological framework surrounding this concept of permanence:
* `{{H4376}}` **mâkar** (to sell): This primitive root defines the action of selling property. Its power is explicitly limited by `{{H6783}}` in the case of the land, which cannot be sold permanently [[Leviticus 25:23]]. This contrasts with instances where people sold themselves due to their iniquities [[Isaiah 50:1]].
* `{{H6965}}` **qûwm** (to rise... establish): This word signifies making something stand or endure. It is used alongside `{{H6783}}` to finalize the ownership of a house that is not redeemed, making the sale "established for ever" [[Leviticus 25:30]]. This shows that God's law provided for certain transactions to be made permanently binding.
* `{{H1350}}` **gâʼal** (to redeem): Redemption is the key action that can prevent a sale from becoming permanent. A house only becomes established "for ever" if it is not redeemed in time [[Leviticus 25:30]]. This concept of a kinsman-redeemer is central to the law, and God Himself is identified as the Redeemer of Israel [[Isaiah 54:5]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H6783}}` is significant for understanding God's relationship with Israel and their land.
* **Divine Ownership:** The word is used to protect God's ultimate sovereignty. The prohibition against selling land "for ever" is based on the declaration, "for the land is mine" [[Leviticus 25:23]], establishing that all human ownership is secondary to God's.
* **Human Stewardship:** The laws using `{{H6783}}` define Israel's role as temporary stewards. They are described as "strangers" `{{H1616}}` and "sojourners" `{{H8453}}` on God's land, preventing them from treating it as an absolute, perpetual possession that could be permanently alienated from a family.
* **The Finality of Law:** The term establishes a state of legal finality. While the land is protected from this irreversible state, a dwelling within a walled city could be permanently lost if not redeemed `{{H1350}}`, demonstrating that failing to act within the provisions of the law had perpetual consequences [[Leviticus 25:30]].
### Summary
In summary, `{{H6783}}` is a precise legal term that means far more than a simple "forever." It is a cornerstone for Old Testament laws of property, drawing a sharp distinction between what humans may possess temporarily and what God owns eternally. It defines the limits of human commerce, underscores Israel's role as stewards, and illustrates the principles of redemption and permanent consequence within God's covenant.
TRV