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עַלְוָה

𐤏𐤋𐤅𐤄

Alevah

H5933 noun

SILEX Entry

Root עלה to go up, ascend, rise

Definition

Proper noun: 'Alvah' – a personal name of an Edomite (Idumaean) chief mentioned in genealogical lists. The name's meaning is uncertain, though it may be related to the root meaning 'to ascend' or 'to be high.' In biblical context, it functions solely as a personal name and is not used as a common noun or appellative.

Semantic Range

proper name of an Edomite chief; no independent lexical meaning outside the personal name

Root / Etymology

The term appears to derive from the root עלה (ʿ-l-h), 'to go up, to ascend.' However, as a proper noun, its etymology and intended meaning are uncertain, and it may simply be an anthroponym borrowed or adapted in Edomite genealogies.

Historical & Contextual Notes

עַלְוָה occurs in Genesis 36:40 and 1 Chronicles 1:51 as the name of an Edomite chief (translated 'duke' in some older English versions, though 'chieftain' is more accurate). The variant spelling עַלְיָה ('Aliah') appears in Chronicles, likely due to scribal variation or dialectal difference. The name is not tied to Israelite identity but occurs strictly in Edomite genealogy. English translations following the KJV tradition sometimes use 'Alvah' or 'Aliah', but these transliterations do not clarify the name's meaning. Later Rabbinic and lexicographic traditions attempt to derive meaning from the root עלה ('to ascend'), but there is no evidence in the text that it functions as more than a proper name. The Edomite context further complicates etymological certainty, as the name may reflect local naming traditions.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or עַליָה; the same as עַלְוָה; Alvah or Aljah, an Idumaean; Aliah, Alvah.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

עלה (ʿ-l-h) — go up, ascend, rise

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H421 אָלָה Lofty One
H422 אָלָה he ascended
H4605 מַעַל upward
H4607 מֹעַל in hand-raising
H4608 מַעֲלֶה at the ascent

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H5933-01 עַֽלְוָ֖ה alevah HNp Alvah Alvah 2
H5933-02 עליה lyh HNp Aliah Alvah 1

Occurrences in Scripture

3 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H5933-01 Genesis 36:40 עַֽלְוָ֖ה alevah HNp Alvah Alvah
H5933-02 1 Chronicles 1:51 עליה lyh HNp Aliah Alvah
H5933-01 1 Chronicles 1:51 עַֽלְוָ֖ה alevah HNp Alvah Alvah
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