Bible Lexicons

טֶרֶם pr. a cutting off, a part cut off (der Abfchnitt, die Stelle, wo ein Zweig vom Baume frifch abgefchnitten ift); hence beginning [“although I do not lay this derivation down as certain”]. Always used as an adverb.

(1) בְּטֶרֶם prop. in the beginning, before the beginning, i.e. before that, previously, followed by a preterite, Psalms 90:2; Proverbs 8:25 also, sometimes followed by a future in a future signification, Isaiah 66:7. Job 10:21, בְּטֶרֶם אֵלֵךְ “before I shall go;” but more often in a past sense, Jeremiah 1:5, “I sanctified thee בְּטֶרֶם תֵּצֵא before thou camest forth.” Ruth 3:14; 2 Kings 2:9 followed by an inf. Zephaniah 2:2, בְּטֶרֶם לֶדֶת. Ibid. twice pleonast. בְּטֶרֶם לֹא יָבוֹא, comp. the Germ. ehe er nicht kommt. (The usage is similar of the particles טֶרֶם and ملَاَّ not yet, and אָז then: a future seems to be placed with them for a preterite, because after these particles the action is contemplated as future.)

(2) מִטֶּרֶם i.q. בְּטֶרֶם properly from the beginning, for before the beginning, Haggai 2:15. Compare מִן in the phrase מֵרֵאשִׁית, מִקֶּדֶם Isaiah 46:10.

(3) מֶרֶם (in acc.)

(a) not yet, followed by a pret. 1 Samuel 3:7 but more often followed by a fut. applied to a past action, Genesis 2:5; Exodus 10:7; Joshua 2:8; 1 Samuel 3:3.

(b) i.q. בְּטֶרֶם before that, followed by a future, of a past action, Joshua 3:1; Exodus 12:34 of something future, Isaiah 65:24.

בְּטֶ֖רֶם בְּטֶ֙רֶם֙ בְּטֶ֛רֶם בְּטֶ֣רֶם בְּטֶ֣רֶם ׀ בְּטֶ֤רֶם בְּטֶ֤רֶם ׀ בְּטֶ֥רֶם בְּטֶ֨רֶם בְּטֶרֶם֩ בְּטֶרֶם֮ בטרם הֲטֶ֣רֶם הטרם וְטֶ֛רֶם וּבְטֶ֙רֶם֙ וּבְטֶ֛רֶם ובטרם וטרם טֶ֖רֶם טֶ֚רֶם טֶ֣רֶם טֶ֥רֶם טֶ֨רֶם טֶֽרֶם־ טֶרֶם֮ טרם טרם־ לְנֶ֣גֶד לנגד מִטֶּ֧רֶם מטרם bə·ṭe·rem beTerem bəṭerem hă·ṭe·rem haTerem hăṭerem lə·ne·ḡeḏ leNeged ləneḡeḏ miṭ·ṭe·rem mitTerem miṭṭerem ṭe·rem ṭe·rem- Terem ṭerem ṭerem- ū·ḇə·ṭe·rem ūḇəṭerem uveTerem veTerem wə·ṭe·rem wəṭerem