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אֶלֶף

𐤀𐤋𐤐

ʼeleph

H505 adjective

SILEX Entry

Definition

A grouping or total of one thousand units or individuals, frequently used to designate a large, often literal, number or to indicate a military or tribal unit of considerable size. The word can also refer to a group, clan, or subdivision within a tribe, particularly in social or military contexts. Less commonly, may denote a 'clan' or 'family division' within Israelite society.

Semantic Range

one thousand (literal number), large quantity, military division or company, clan or family group, grouping of cattle (rare)

Root / Etymology

From the Hebrew root אלף, which carries the core idea of 'to learn, be familiar, associate, lead.' The nominal form אֶלֶף likely originated in reference to a herd or association (possibly of cattle or people). Its development includes use as a numerical value ('thousand') and as a term for a kin or military group. The use of 'ox' as root meaning comes from the pictograph aleph, but this is not lexically primary here.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the earliest biblical narratives (e.g., the Pentateuch), אֶלֶף most often denotes the number one thousand, which could refer to a literal tally or to a substantial but potentially generalized amount. In military or tribal lists (notably in Numbers and Joshua), the term can denote a subdivision within a tribe or clan, often interpreted as a military company or family group. This sense is debated; some scholarship suggests flexibility between 'thousand' and 'clan,' with interpretation depending on context—especially where population numbers in ancient Israel appear symbolically large. Later, in post-exilic and Second Temple texts, the term is used in straightforwardly numerical senses. English translations reliably render the numerical meaning, but may obscure more nuanced tribal or social senses. The word is distinct from פָּר (par, 'bull/ox') and מִשְׁפָּחָה (mishpachah, 'family/clan'), though it overlaps in certain administrative contexts. The letter aleph (א) was originally represented by an ox-head pictograph, but the link between 'ox' and 'thousand' is historical only in script development, not in lexical meaning of אֶלֶף.

Translation Consistency

primary "thousand" 220 occurrences

אֶלֶף most commonly denotes the number 1,000 or a large grouping used as a unit (including military/tribal companies or clans). Corpus counts show overwhelmingly numeric uses ("thousand(s)"). "Thousand" is the natural, concise English rendering that covers the typical literal and unit senses and will read naturally and consistently across all forms.

Alternatives (287 occurrences):
"thousand-unit" (220x) "thousand-group" (67x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

prop, the same as אֶלֶף; hence (the ox's head being the first letter of the alphabet, and this eventually used as a numeral) a thousand; thousand.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

אלף (ʾ-l-p) — to associate, to become familiar, to train, to lead

Root אלף to be familiar, to associate, to discipline, to lead
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H441 אַלּוּף clan chief
H502 אָלַף the one training us
H503 אָלַף causing to multiply by thousands (feminine plural)
H504 אֶלֶף your clans
H506 אֲלַף one thousand

Word Forms

28 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H505-08 אֶ֤לֶף elef HAcbsa thousand thousand-unit thousand-unit 221
H505-01 אֲלָפִים֙ alafim HAcbpa thousand thousands thousands 119
H505-02 אָֽלֶף alef HAcbsa thousand thousand-group thousand-group 65
H505-04 אַלְפַּ֕יִם alepayim HAcbpa two thousand two thousand two thousand 28
H505-09 הָ/אֲלָפִים֙ haalafim HTd/Acbpa the thousands the thousands the thousands 14
H505-03 אַלְפֵ֖י alefey HAcbpc thousand thousands of thousands of 12
H505-26 וְ/אֶלֶף֩ veelef HC/Acbsa and a thousand and a thousand-group and a thousand 8
H505-14 לַ/אֲלָפִ֑ים laalafim HR/Acbpa to thousands to thousands to thousands 4
H505-18 לְ/אֶ֥לֶף leelef HR/Acbsa for a thousand to a thousand-group to a thousand 3
H505-17 לְ/אַלְפֵ֣י lealefey HR/Acbpc for thousands to thousands of to thousands of 3

Occurrences in Scripture

507 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H505-08 Genesis 20:16 אֶ֤לֶף elef HAcbsa a thousand thousand-unit thousand-unit
H505-17 Genesis 24:60 לְ/אַלְפֵ֣י lealefey HR/Acbpc thousands of to thousands of to thousands of
H505-08 Exodus 12:37 אֶ֧לֶף elef HAcbsa thousand thousand-unit thousand-unit
H505-01 Exodus 18:21 אֲלָפִים֙ alafim HAcbpa thousands thousands thousands
H505-01 Exodus 18:25 אֲלָפִים֙ alafim HAcbpa thousands thousands thousands
H505-14 Exodus 20:6 לַ/אֲלָפִ֑ים laalafim HR/Acbpa to thousands to thousands to thousands
H505-03 Exodus 32:28 אַלְפֵ֖י alefey HAcbpc thousand thousands of thousands of
H505-14 Exodus 34:7 לָ/אֲלָפִ֔ים laalafim HRd/Acbpa for thousands to thousands to thousands
H505-26 Exodus 38:25 וְ/אֶלֶף֩ veelef HC/Acbsa and a thousand and a thousand-group and a thousand
H505-08 Exodus 38:26 אֶ֨לֶף֙ elef HAcbsa thousand thousand-unit thousand-unit
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