טֶ֫רֶם54 H2958
[ketiv] before, not yet; temporal adverb indicating precedence (variant spelling)
This is the Ketiv (written) form appearing only in Ruth 3:14, a variant spelling of the common adverb meaning 'before' or 'not yet.' The Qere (read) form is the standard 'terem.' Boaz and Ruth rise early, 'before one could recognize another,' maintaining discretion about their nighttime encounter on the threshing floor. The variant spelling doesn't change meaning, just reflects different scribal traditions. This single occurrence shows the textual variants that preserve both written and traditional reading forms.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Ruth 3:14 uses this variant form in the narrative of Boaz's careful protection of Ruth's reputation. The bracketed notation in translations acknowledges this is a Ketiv variant of the standard word for 'before.' The phrase 'before dawn' or 'before recognition' emphasizes the discretion both characters showed, rising early to avoid scandal before their honorable intentions could be fulfilled in marriage. 1×
AR["[قَبْلَ]"]·ben["[আগে]"]·DE["[[בטרום]]"]·EN["[ketiv]"]·FR["[cétiv]"]·heb["ב-טרם"]·HI["[पहले]"]·ID["[ketiv]"]·IT["[ketiv]"]·jav["[saderengipun]"]·KO["[전에]"]·PT["[antes-de]"]·RU["[кетив]"]·ES["[antes]"]·SW["[kabla]"]·TR["[önce]"]·urd["پہلے"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
טֶ֫רֶם54 once (Ru 3:14 Kt) טְרוֹם, adv. of time, not yet, ere, before that (deriv. unknown: not found in cogn. languages)—construed mostly with the impf. (with the pf. only Gn 24:15 (v 45 impf.), 1 S 3:7a (v b impf.), and בְּטֶרֶם ψ 90:2 Pr 8:25):— 1. †טֶרֶם in an independent sentence, not yet, Gn 2:5 and all the plants of the field טרם יהיה בארץ were not yet in the earth, etc., 19:4 טרם ישׁכבו…