אֱלִיפָל

𐤀𐤋𐤉𐤐𐤋

Elifal

H465 noun

SILEX Entry

Root אלפλ God, to intervene, to judge, to deliver

Definition

Proper name, designating an Israelite individual. The name is likely constructed theophorically and conveys the meaning 'El (God) is deliverance' or possibly 'El has judged,' reflecting either a testament to divine intervention or a commemoration of an act of deliverance or judgment by the deity. It functions exclusively as a personal name within biblical texts.

Semantic Range

proper name of an Israelite, personal name, El is deliverance, El has judged; no common noun usage

Root / Etymology

Formed from אֵל (El, God) and probably from a verb related to פָּלַל (palal, to intervene, mediate, judge, or pray). The personal name expresses a relationship or action associated with the deity (El), commonly found in theophoric names. Root components: אֵל (God, power) + פלא/פלל (to judge, intervene), though the precise second element is debated.

Historical & Contextual Notes

The name אֱלִיפָל occurs in contexts listing Israelite individuals during the monarchic period (e.g., in genealogies or in lists of David’s warriors, 1 Chronicles 11:35; 1 Chronicles 12:6). Its occurrence is limited strictly to a personal name; there are no common noun or verbal forms attested. The meaning reflects a theophoric construction, a typical pattern in which Israelite personal names declare an attribute or act of Israel's God. Later biblical and translation traditions rendered this name directly (as 'Eliphal'), often without explicating its underlying meaning. While the Strong's gloss included 'judgment,' more recent scholarship prefers 'El is deliverance' or simply treats the specific meaning as uncertain beyond identifying the theophoric element. The use and form of the name fit the broader ancient Near Eastern practice of embedding divine names in personal names.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from אֵל and פָּלַל; God of judgment; Eliphal, an Israelite; Eliphal.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

אלפל (ʾ-l-p-l) — God, to intervene, to judge, to deliver

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H465-01 אֱלִיפַ֥ל elifal HNp Eliphal El-is-Deliverance 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H465-01 1 Chronicles 11:35 אֱלִיפַ֥ל elifal HNp Eliphal El-is-Deliverance