This technical legal term appears in Leviticus' laws about land redemption and permanent property transfer. Land in Israel could not be sold 'in perpetuity' because it belonged to God and was merely leased to families. However, houses in walled cities could be sold permanently, 'in perpetuity,' if not redeemed within a year. The word emphasizes finality and completeness—a transfer beyond recovery, cutting off all future claims. It relates to terms for destruction and cutting off, underscoring the permanent nature of such transactions.