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עֵילָם

𐤏𐤉𐤋𐤌

Eylam

H5867 noun

SILEX Entry

Root עלם to conceal, hide, be distant

Definition

Elam – the name of an ancient region located to the east of Babylonia, along with its people and, in specific contexts, individuals named Elam. The term also designates a son of Shem and several Israelite individuals. Primarily denotes the territory and populace known historically as Elam, but also serves as a personal name in certain genealogical or narrative passages.

Semantic Range

Elam (the eastern region historically bordering Babylonia), the people of Elam, progenitor of the Elamites (son of Shem), personal name of several Israelites, variant spelling as עוֹלָם in some later biblical books

Root / Etymology

From the root עָלַם (ʽ-l-m), which means 'to conceal, hide, be distant.' The connection between the root sense ('hidden' or 'distant') and the historical name Elam is uncertain and may reflect a folk etymology rather than an actual semantic relationship. The term עֵילָם is used both of a geographic region and a people, and also functions as a personal name in genealogical lists. Some textual variants or later texts use the spelling עוֹלָם, which is more commonly associated with the concept of 'eternity' or 'perpetuity' but likely represents a phonetic variation here.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, Elam (עֵילָם) most commonly refers to a territory located to the east of Babylonia (modern southwestern Iran, particularly the region around Susa). It was known in the wider ancient Near Eastern world as a major polity distinct from the Mesopotamian empires. In genealogical contexts (Genesis 10:22; 1 Chronicles 1:17), Elam is listed as a son of Shem, thus providing an ethnic genealogy for the Elamite people. In Ezra–Nehemiah and other post-exilic texts, it also appears as a personal name among returning Israelites, likely reflecting either an individual's foreign ancestry or the adoption of geographic names as personal names. Standard English translations often render עֵילָם as 'Elam' uniformly in both geo-ethnic and personal name contexts, but do not convey the shifting nuances between proper name, people, and region. The form עוֹלָם occurs in select later passages (Ezra 10:2; Jeremiah 49:36), likely reflecting textual variation rather than a distinct meaning. Modern English 'Elamite' for the person or language is used in academic contexts but does not appear in the biblical text. Throughout the biblical period, references to Elam generally imply a distant eastern power, sometimes a threat (e.g., Isaiah 11:11; Jeremiah 49), but also a constituent of the wider exilic world (e.g., Daniel 8:2). There is no evidence that 'Elam' in the biblical text refers to a Judean or Israelite crowd identity, though multiple bearers of the name appear among the returned exiles, indicating the name's migration into the Israelite onomasticon.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or עוֹלָם; (Ezra 10:2; Jeremiah 49:36), probably from עָלַם; hidden, i.e. distant; Elam, a son of Shem and his descendants, with their country; also of six Israelites; Elam.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

עלם (ʿ-l-m) — to conceal, hide, be distant

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3281 יַעְלָם Yaʿlam
H492 אַלְמֹנִי anonymous one
H5769 עוֹלָם for the hidden age
H5934 עָלוּם your youthful years
H5956 עָלַם I will conceal

Word Forms

5 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H5867-02 עֵילָ֣ם eylam HNp Elam Elam 22
H5867-04 וְ/עֵילָם֙ veeylam HC/Np and Elam and Elam 3
H5867-01 בְּ/עֵילָ֑ם beeylam HR/Np in Elam in Elam 2
H5867-05 עולם vlm HNcmsa Elam Elam 2
H5867-03 וּ/מֵ/עֵילָ֤ם umeeylam HC/R/Np and from Elam and from Elam 1

Occurrences in Scripture

30 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H5867-02 Genesis 10:22 עֵילָ֣ם eylam HNp Elam Elam
H5867-02 Genesis 14:1 עֵילָ֔ם eylam HNp Elam Elam
H5867-02 Genesis 14:9 עֵילָ֗ם eylam HNp of Elam Elam
H5867-03 Isaiah 11:11 וּ/מֵ/עֵילָ֤ם umeeylam HC/R/Np and from Elam and from Elam
H5867-02 Isaiah 21:2 עֵילָם֙ eylam HNp O Elam Elam
H5867-04 Isaiah 22:6 וְ/עֵילָם֙ veeylam HC/Np And Elam and Elam
H5867-02 Jeremiah 25:25 עֵילָ֔ם eylam HNp Elam Elam
H5867-02 Jeremiah 49:34 עֵילָ֑ם eylam HNp Elam Elam
H5867-02 Jeremiah 49:35 עֵילָ֑ם eylam HNp of Elam Elam
H5867-02 Jeremiah 49:36 עֵילָ֜ם eylam HNp Elam Elam
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