← H463 H465 →

אֱלִיפַז

𐤀𐤋𐤉𐤐𐤆

Elifaz

H464 noun

SILEX Entry

Root אלףז God, deity; pure gold, purity, refinement; strength

Definition

Personal name meaning 'El (God) is strength' or 'My God is (fine) gold/pure.' Used as the name of a prominent Edomite chieftain, son of Esau, and as the name of a friend of Job in the poetic dialogues. The semantic range is restricted to a personal name, with its theophoric structure reflecting aspects of divine association or virtue.

Semantic Range

personal name; name of Esau's son (Edomite leader); name of Job's friend; theophoric name expressing relationship to the deity and/or virtue such as purity, value, or strength

Root / Etymology

Root = אֵל ('el, 'God,' a common Semitic word for a deity) + פָּז (paz, 'fine gold' or 'purity'). The construction is theophoric, joining 'El' with a term for value or purity. Alternative scholarly proposals suggest the second element could be linked to a root meaning 'strength' or 'refined.' Exact etymology is debated, though the most likely sense is 'My God is (pure) gold' as a statement of value or excellence.

Historical & Contextual Notes

The name אֱלִיפַז occurs in two distinct biblical contexts: (1) Genesis 36 and 1 Chronicles 1, as Esau's eldest son, making him an ancestor of Edomite clans; (2) in the book of Job as one of Job's three friends, where he is styled 'the Temanite,' suggesting an Edomite background. The usage in Genesis reflects the prominence of theophoric names wherein the deity 'El' is combined with an attribute of value. In Job, the name likely functions to situate the character within a wider Semitic milieu, emphasizing Edomite intellectual tradition. English translations retain the transliterated name. The Strong's gloss 'God of gold' reflects a possible, though not universally accepted, reading of the second element פָּז ('gold'). Some suggest a more poetic rendering such as 'God is purity' or 'God is strength,' considering broader usage of פָּז for both literal gold and metaphorical purity. The name does not appear with theological significance attached in the text but operates in genealogical and literary settings. The KJV tradition's 'Eliphaz' directly follows the transliteration but does not capture semantic nuance.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from אֵל and פָּז; God of gold; Eliphaz, the name of one of Job's friends, and of a son of Esau; Eliphaz.

Bantu Hebrew

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

+ Add Bantu Hebrew Word

Root Family

אלףז (ʾ-l-p-z) — God, deity; pure gold, purity, refinement; strength

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H464-01 אֱלִיפָ֑ז elifaz HNp Eliphaz My God is Pure Gold Elifaz 13
H464-02 לֶֽ/אֱלִיפַז֙ leelifaz HR/Np of Eliphaz to My-God-is-Pure-Gold to Elifaz 2

Occurrences in Scripture

15 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H464-01 Genesis 36:4 אֱלִיפָ֑ז elifaz HNp Eliphaz My God is Pure Gold Elifaz
H464-01 Genesis 36:10 אֱלִיפַ֗ז elifaz HNp Eliphaz My God is Pure Gold Elifaz
H464-01 Genesis 36:11 אֱלִיפָ֑ז elifaz HNp Eliphaz My God is Pure Gold Elifaz
H464-02 Genesis 36:12 לֶֽ/אֱלִיפַז֙ leelifaz HR/Np of Eliphaz to My-God-is-Pure-Gold to Elifaz
H464-02 Genesis 36:12 לֶ/אֱלִיפַ֖ז leelifaz-2 HR/Np to Eliphaz to My-God-is-Pure-Gold to Elifaz
H464-01 Genesis 36:15 אֱלִיפַז֙ elifaz HNp Eliphaz My God is Pure Gold Elifaz
H464-01 Genesis 36:16 אֱלִיפַז֙ elifaz HNp Eliphaz My God is Pure Gold Elifaz
H464-01 Job 2:11 אֱלִיפַ֤ז elifaz HNp Eliphaz My God is Pure Gold Elifaz
H464-01 Job 4:1 אֱלִיפַ֥ז elifaz HNp Eliphaz My God is Pure Gold Elifaz
H464-01 Job 15:1 אֱלִיפַ֥ז elifaz HNp Eliphaz My God is Pure Gold Elifaz
← H463 Hebrew Lexicon H465 →