SG Heritage Dictionary

The Past Roget’s Thesaurus §122

N. the past, past time, days of yore, times of yore, days of old, times of old, days past, times past, days gone by, times gone by, bygone days, old times, ancient times, former times, fore time, the good old days, the olden time, good old time, auld lang syne, eld|, antiquity, antiqueness, status quo, time immemorial, distance of time, remote age, remote time, remote past, rust of antiquity paleontology, paleography, paleology, paleozoology, palætiology|, archaeology, paleogeography, paleoecology, paleobotany, paleoclimatoogy, archaism, antiquarianism, medievalism, pre-raphaelitism, paleography, retrospect, retrospection, looking back, memory, laudator temporis acti, medievalist, pre-raphaelite, antiquary, antiquarian, archmologist &c, oldbuck, dryasdust, ancestry

V. be past, have expired, have run its course, have had its day, pass, pass by, go by, pass away, go away, pass off, go off, lapse, blow over, look back, trace back, cast the eyes back, exhume

Adj. past, gone, gone by, over, passed away, bygone, foregone, elapsed, lapsed, preterlapsed, expired, no more, run out, blown over, has-been, that has been, extinct, antediluvian, antebellum, never to return, gone with the wind, exploded, forgotten, irrecoverable, obsolete, former, pristine, quondam, ci-devant, late, ancestral, foregoing, last, latter, recent, over night, preterperfect, preterpluperfect, looking back, retrospective, retroactive, archaeological

Adv. paleo-, archaeo-, formerly, of old, of yore, erst, whilom, erewhile, time was, ago, over, in the olden time, anciently, long ago, long since, a long while, a long time ago, years ago, yesteryear, ages ago, some time ago, some time since, some time back, yesterday, the day before yesterday, last year, ultimo, lately, retrospectively, ere now, before now, till now, hitherto, heretofore, no longer, once, once upon a time, from time immemorial, from prehistoric times, in the memory of man, time out of mind, already, yet, up to this time, ex post facto

Phr. time was, the time has been, the time hath been, you can't go home again, fuimus troes, fruit ilium, hoc erat in more majorum, "o call back yesterday, bid time return", tempi passati, "the eternal landscape of the past", ultimus romanorum, "what's past is prologue", "whose yesterdays look backward with a smile", 2. time with reference to a particular period

King James Bible KJV Bible

Berean Standard Bible BSB Bible

1 KJV and 19 BSB verses contain “Formerly”

Genesis 13:3

And he went on his journeys from the south even to Bethel, unto the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Hai;

From the Negev he journeyed from place to place toward Bethel, until he came to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had formerly been pitched,

Joshua 11:10

And Joshua at that time turned back, and took Hazor, and smote the king thereof with the sword: for Hazor beforetime was the head of all those kingdoms.

At that time Joshua turned back and captured Hazor and put its king to the sword, because Hazor was formerly the head of all these kingdoms.

Joshua 15:15

And he went up thence to the inhabitants of Debir: and the name of Debir before was Kirjath-sepher.

From there he marched against the inhabitants of Debir (formerly known as Kiriath-sepher).

Judges 1:10

And Judah went against the Canaanites that dwelt in Hebron: (now the name of Hebron before was Kirjath-arba:) and they slew Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai.

Judah also marched against the Canaanites who were living in Hebron (formerly known as Kiriath-arba), and they struck down Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai.

Judges 1:11

And from thence he went against the inhabitants of Debir: and the name of Debir before was Kirjath-sepher:

From there they marched against the inhabitants of Debir (formerly known as Kiriath-sepher).

Judges 1:23

And the house of Joseph sent to descry Bethel. (Now the name of the city before was Luz.)

They sent spies to Bethel (formerly known as Luz),

Judges 3:2

Only that the generations of the children of Israel might know, to teach them war, at the least such as before knew nothing thereof;

if only to teach warfare to the subsequent generations of Israel, especially to those who had not known it formerly:

Judges 18:29

And they called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who was born unto Israel: howbeit the name of the city was Laish at the first.

They named it Dan, after their forefather Dan, who was born to Israel—though the city was formerly named Laish.

1 Samuel 9:9

(Beforetime in Israel, when a man went to enquire of God, thus he spake, Come, and let us go to the seer: for he that is now called a Prophet was beforetime called a Seer.)

(Formerly in Israel, a man on his way to inquire of God would say, “Come, let us go to the seer.” For the prophet of today was formerly called the seer.)

1 Samuel 10:11

And it came to pass, when all that knew him beforetime saw that, behold, he prophesied among the prophets, then the people said one to another, What is this that is come unto the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?

All those who had formerly known Saul and saw him prophesying with the prophets asked one another, “What has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?”

1 Chronicles 4:40

And they found fat pasture and good, and the land was wide, and quiet, and peaceable; for they of Ham had dwelt there of old.

There they found rich, good pasture, and the land was spacious, peaceful, and quiet; for some Hamites had lived there formerly.

John 9:8

The neighbours therefore, and they which before had seen him that he was blind, said, Is not this he that sat and begged?

At this, his neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging began to ask, “Isn’t this the man who used to sit and beg?”

Romans 11:30

For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:

Just as you who formerly disobeyed God have now received mercy through their disobedience,

Galatians 1:23

But they had heard only, That he which persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed.

They only heard the account: “The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.”

Galatians 4:8

Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods.

Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods.

Ephesians 2:11

Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;

Therefore remember that formerly you who are Gentiles in the flesh and called uncircumcised by the so-called circumcision (that done in the body by human hands)—

1 Timothy 1:13

Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.

I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a violent man; yet because I had acted in ignorance and unbelief, I was shown mercy.

Philemon 1:11

Which in time past was to thee unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and to me:

Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.

Hebrews 4:6

Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief:

Since, then, it remains for some to enter His rest, and since those who formerly heard the good news did not enter because of their disobedience,

2 Maccabees 5:18

For had they not been formerly wrapped in many sins, this man, as soon as he had come, had forthwith been scourged, and put back from his presumption, as Heliodorus was, whom Seleucus the king sent to view the treasury.