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FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD.—The phrase êáôáâïëὴ êüóìïõ occurs in Mat_25:34, Luk_11:50, Joh_17:24 ( êüóìïõ is doubtful in Mat_13:35, see RVm). It is a common expression in the NT, e.g. Eph_1:4, Heb_4:3; Heb_9:26, 1Pe_1:20, Rev_13:8; Rev_17:8. In general it denotes a time sense, implying a strong declaration of priority. It always occurs with the prepositions ἀðü or ðñü . êáôáâïëÞ primarily means the laying down or founding of anything, hence the absolute beginning. êüóìïò is a word of much more varied meaning, into the different phases of which we need not here enter. Its present use as applied to the Universe is well established. The whole expression is equivalent to the phrase found in Mar_10:6; Mar_13:19 ‘from the beginning of the creation’ ( ἀðὸ ἀñ÷ῆò êôßóåùò ). ‘Old Testament Hebrew has no term which would quite correspond to the Greek ὁ êüóìïò ’ (Dalman, Words of Jesus, p. 162). Mat_13:35 is an unliteral rendering of Psa_78:2 ñִðִּéÎ÷ָøָí , which the LXX translates ἀð ʼ ἀñ÷ῆò . ‘The foundation of the world’ stands for the definite epoch when this present Universe was originated.
W. S. Kerr.