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אֵלִיָּה

𐤀𐤋𐤉𐤄

Eliyah

H452 noun

SILEX Entry

Root אלי to be strong, mighty; God

Definition

Personal name meaning 'My God is YHWH'; refers primarily to the prominent Israelite prophetic figure active in the northern kingdom during the reigns of Ahab and Ahaziah, but also designates two lesser-known Israelites in later texts. The name expresses allegiance to or declaration of the deity YHWH, integrating the divine elements 'El' (God) and a shortened form of the tetragrammaton 'Yah' (YHWH).

Semantic Range

personal name expressing allegiance to YHWH, name of a prophet, name of other Israelites; theophoric declaration 'My God is YHWH'

Root / Etymology

Constructed from אֵל (El, 'God') and יָהּ (Yah, a truncated form of YHWH), literally meaning 'El is YHWH' or 'My God is YHWH.' The name forms a theophoric statement commonly found in Israelite personal names, representing theological affirmation and public identification with the Israelite deity.

Historical & Contextual Notes

The name אֵלִיָּה appears most prominently as the designation of the 9th-century BCE prophet from Tishbe in Gilead, active in opposition to Baal worship in the northern kingdom (1 Kings 17–2 Kings 2). The well-known spelling variant אֵלִיָּהוּ ('Eliyahu') occurs primarily in narrative and historical prose, while the shorter form אֵלִיָּה ('Eliyah') appears in late biblical and postexilic contexts, as well as in lists and genealogies (e.g., Ezra 10:21,26). The translation 'Elijah' in English Bibles standardizes the vocalization but erases the direct theophoric affirmation. While in later Jewish tradition 'Elijah' becomes a symbol of prophetic continuity and eschatological hope, in the biblical period, his name functioned simply as a personal name, though with explicit theological significance. There is no evidence in the Hebrew Bible that 'Elijah the prophet' was identified as a Judean; he is depicted as an Israelite in the northern kingdom. The name was borne by at least two other Israelites, not all of whom are clearly identified with the prophet. Later developments in translation (including the term 'Elijah the Tishbite' or 'the Jew' in post-biblical tradition) reflect post-biblical reception rather than biblical usage.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or prolonged אֵלִיָּהוּ; from אֵל and יָהּ; God of Jehovah; Elijah, the name of the famous prophet and of two other Israelites; Elijah, Eliah.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

אלי (ʾ-l-y) — strength, might, God; El

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H451 אַלְיָה the stout fat-tail

Word Forms

5 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H452-02 אֵלִיָּ֨הוּ eliyahu HNp Elijah My God is YHWH 60
H452-01 אֵלִיָּ֣ה eliyah HNp Elijah My God is Yah 5
H452-04 וְ/אֵֽלִיָּה֙ veeliyah HC/Np and Elijah and My-God-is-YHWH 3
H452-05 וְ/אֵ֨לִיָּ֜הוּ veeliyahu HC/Np And Elijah and My-God-is-YHWH 2
H452-03 מֵֽ/אֵלִיָּ֥הוּ meeliyahu HR/Np from Elijah from My-God-is-YHWH 1

Occurrences in Scripture

71 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H452-02 1 Kings 17:1 אֵלִיָּ֨הוּ eliyahu HNp Elijah My God is YHWH
H452-02 1 Kings 17:13 אֵלִיָּ֨הוּ֙ eliyahu HNp Elijah My God is YHWH
H452-02 1 Kings 17:15 אֵלִיָּ֑הוּ eliyahu HNp of Elijah My God is YHWH
H452-02 1 Kings 17:16 אֵלִיָּֽהוּ eliyahu HNp Elijah My God is YHWH
H452-02 1 Kings 17:18 אֵ֣לִיָּ֔הוּ eliyahu HNp Elijah My God is YHWH
H452-02 1 Kings 17:22 אֵלִיָּ֑הוּ eliyahu HNp of Elijah My God is YHWH
H452-02 1 Kings 17:23 אֵלִיָּ֜הוּ eliyahu HNp Elijah My God is YHWH
H452-02 1 Kings 17:23 אֵ֣לִיָּ֔הוּ eliyahu-2 HNp Elijah My God is YHWH
H452-02 1 Kings 17:24 אֵ֣לִיָּ֔הוּ eliyahu HNp Elijah My God is YHWH
H452-02 1 Kings 18:1 אֵ֣לִיָּ֔הוּ eliyahu HNp Elijah My God is YHWH
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