עֶלְיוֹן (H5945) — Hebrew Lexicon

עֶלְיוֹן

𐤏𐤋𐤉𐤅𐤍

ʻelyôwn

H5945 adjective

SILEX Entry

Definition

ʻelyôwn functions primarily as an adjective meaning 'high, upper, exalted.' As a substantive or title, it refers to 'the Most High,' indicating the highest status, most often applied to deities, especially the God of Israel. It is employed in geographic, architectural, and social contexts to denote something set above others. As a divine title, it emphasizes supreme authority or position.

Semantic Range

high, upper, exalted, uppermost, highest, Most High (divine title), upper part (of a place or structure), highest rank or position

Root / Etymology

The word derives from the root ע־ל־ה (עלה), meaning 'to go up, ascend, be high.' ʻelyôwn is the qal adjective form denoting the quality of height or loftiness, applied literally or metaphorically.

Historical & Contextual Notes

ʻelyôwn appears throughout the Hebrew Bible to indicate physical height (e.g., upper rooms, upper regions), but its most prominent use is as a divine epithet, particularly in psalms and poetic passages (e.g., Psalm 7:18[17], 78:35), emphasizing the transcendent status of Israel's deity over all other gods, rulers, or powers. In non-Israelite literature and some inscriptions from surrounding cultures, comparable titles are given to supreme gods, which may reflect near eastern concepts of divine hierarchy. Early Israelite texts use 'Elohim ʻelyôwn' (God Most High), sometimes seen alongside El Elyon, which may reflect a period when divine titles were more fluidly applied. English translations traditionally render ʻelyôwn as 'Most High,' particularly when it refers to the God of Israel; however, in architectural or geographic contexts (as in 'upper city' or 'upper room'), this is rendered as 'upper' or 'highest.' Care must be taken not to read later theological connotations of 'supreme being' or 'monotheistic uniqueness' back into every occurrence. In post-exilic and Second Temple literature, ʻelyôwn as a title becomes more prominent and increasingly specialized as the supreme divine epithet, often reflected in Greek as 'Hypsistos.'

Translation Consistency

primary "high" 4 occurrences

ʻelyôwn primarily means “high/upper/exalted” in both physical and figurative senses. Choosing the uninflected adjective “high” gives a natural, versatile base that covers geographic/architectural uses (upper, uppermost), social or rank senses (exalted, highest), and can be rendered as the conventional title “the Most High” when the substantive/divine sense is required. “High” is the most neutral, widely applicable English headword for consistent rendering.

Alternatives (49 occurrences):

"highest one" (30x) "upper" (13x) "highest" (2x) "uppermost" (1x) "heap of ruins" (1x) "upper ones" (1x) "exalted" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from עָלָה; an elevation, i.e. (adj.) lofty (compar.); as title, the Supreme; (Most, on) high(-er, -est), upper(-most).

Bantu Hebrew

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

+ Add Bantu Hebrew Word

Root Family

עלה (ʿ-l-h) — to go up, to ascend, to be high

Root עלה to go up, to ascend, to be high

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
H4609	מַעֲלָה	in the ascents
H5766	עֶוֶל	ascending-offerings
H5866	עִילַי	Elevated-one
H5921	עַל	upon you
H5922	עַל	he ascended
H5927	עָלָה	I will cause to ascend
H5928	עֲלָה	for ascension-offerings
H5929	עָלֶה	leaf-of
H5930	עֹלָה	in ascending-offering
H5933	עַלְוָה	Alvah
H5935	עַלְוָן	Lofty One
H5940	עֱלִי	my pestle
H5941	עֵלִי	Eli
H5942	עִלִּי	upper ones
H5944	עֲלִיָּה	his upper chambers
H5946	עֶלְיוֹן	Highest ones
H5952	עַלִּית	in his upper chamber
H8585	תְּעָלָה	in the irrigation channel

Word Forms

6 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2	Occurrences
`H5945-01`	עֶלְיֽוֹן	eleyon	`HAamsa`	Most High	Highest One	Highest One	32
`H5945-02`	הָֽ/עֶלְי֔וֹן	haeleyon	`HTd/Aamsa`	the upper	the Most High	the upper	11
`H5945-03`	הָֽ/עֶלְיוֹנָ֔ה	haeleyonah	`HTd/Aafsa`	the upper	the uppermost	the highest	4
`H5945-06`	וְ/עֶלְי֖וֹן	veeleyon	`HC/Aamsa`	and the Most High	Exalted One	and the High One	3
`H5945-05`	לְ/עֶלְיֽוֹן	leeleyon	`HR/Aamsa`	the Most High	to the Highest One	to the Highest One	2
`H5945-04`	הָ/עֶלְיוֹנֹ֖ת	haeleyonot	`HTd/Aafpa`	upper	the upper ones	the upper ones	1

Occurrences in Scripture

53 occurrences

Filter by SIDANCE:

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2
`H5945-01`	Genesis 14:18	עֶלְיֽוֹן	eleyon	`HAamsa`	Most High	Highest One	Highest One
`H5945-01`	Genesis 14:19	עֶלְי֔וֹן	eleyon	`HAamsa`	Most High	Highest One	Highest One
`H5945-01`	Genesis 14:20	עֶלְי֔וֹן	eleyon	`HAamsa`	Most High	Highest One	Highest One
`H5945-01`	Genesis 14:22	עֶלְי֔וֹן	eleyon	`HAamsa`	Most High	Highest One	Highest One
`H5945-02`	Genesis 40:17	הָֽ/עֶלְי֔וֹן	haeleyon	`HTd/Aamsa`	uppermost	the Most High	the uppermost
`H5945-01`	Numbers 24:16	עֶלְי֑וֹן	eleyon	`HAamsa`	of the Most High	Highest One	Highest One
`H5945-01`	Deuteronomy 26:19	עֶלְי֗וֹן	eleyon	`HAamsa`	high	Highest One	high
`H5945-01`	Deuteronomy 28:1	עֶלְי֔וֹן	eleyon	`HAamsa`	high	Highest One	Highest One
`H5945-01`	Deuteronomy 32:8	עֶלְיוֹן֙	eleyon	`HAamsa`	the Most High	Highest One	Highest One
`H5945-01`	Joshua 16:5	עֶלְיֽוֹן	eleyon	`HAamsa`	the upper	Highest One	the upper
`H5945-06`	2 Samuel 22:14	וְ/עֶלְי֖וֹן	veeleyon	`HC/Aamsa`	and-the-Most-High	Exalted One	and the High One
`H5945-01`	1 Kings 9:8	עֶלְי֔וֹן	eleyon	`HAamsa`	a-heap-of-ruins	Highest One	a heap of ruins
`H5945-02`	2 Kings 15:35	הָ/עֶלְיֽוֹן	haeleyon	`HTd/Aamsa`	the upper	the Most High	the upper
`H5945-03`	2 Kings 18:17	הָֽ/עֶלְיוֹנָ֔ה	haeleyonah	`HTd/Aafsa`	the upper	the uppermost	the upper
`H5945-03`	Isaiah 7:3	הָ/עֶלְיוֹנָ֔ה	haeleyonah	`HTd/Aafsa`	upper	the uppermost	the highest
`H5945-05`	Isaiah 14:14	לְ/עֶלְיֽוֹן	leeleyon	`HR/Aamsa`	the Most High	to the Highest One	to the Highest One
`H5945-03`	Isaiah 36:2	הָ/עֶלְיוֹנָ֔ה	haeleyonah	`HTd/Aafsa`	the upper	the uppermost	the upper
`H5945-02`	Jeremiah 20:2	הָֽ/עֶלְי֔וֹן	haeleyon	`HTd/Aamsa`	the upper	the Most High	the upper
`H5945-02`	Jeremiah 36:10	הָ/עֶלְי֗וֹן	haeleyon	`HTd/Aamsa`	upper	the Most High	the upper
`H5945-02`	Ezekiel 9:2	הָ/עֶלְי֜וֹן	haeleyon	`HTd/Aamsa`	the upper	the Most High	the upper
`H5945-03`	Ezekiel 41:7	הָ/עֶלְיוֹנָ֖ה	haeleyonah	`HTd/Aafsa`	the highest	the uppermost	the highest
`H5945-04`	Ezekiel 42:5	הָ/עֶלְיוֹנֹ֖ת	haeleyonot	`HTd/Aafpa`	upper	the upper ones	the upper ones
`H5945-01`	Psalms 7:18	עֶלְיֽוֹן	eleyon	`HAamsa`	Most High	Highest One	Highest One
`H5945-01`	Psalms 9:3	עֶלְיֽוֹן	eleyon	`HAamsa`	O Most High	Highest One	Highest One
`H5945-06`	Psalms 18:14	וְ֭/עֶלְיוֹן	veeleyon	`HC/Aamsa`	and the Most High	Exalted One	and the High One
`H5945-01`	Psalms 21:8	עֶ֝לְי֗וֹן	eleyon	`HAamsa`	of the Most High	Highest One	Highest One
`H5945-01`	Psalms 46:5	עֶלְיֽוֹן	eleyon	`HAamsa`	Most High	Highest One	Highest One
`H5945-01`	Psalms 47:3	עֶלְי֣וֹן	eleyon	`HAamsa`	Most High	Highest One	Highest One
`H5945-05`	Psalms 50:14	לְ/עֶלְי֣וֹן	leeleyon	`HR/Aamsa`	to the Most High	to the Highest One	to the Highest One
`H5945-01`	Psalms 57:3	עֶלְי֑וֹן	eleyon	`HAamsa`	Most High	Highest One	Highest One
`H5945-06`	Psalms 73:11	בְ/עֶלְיֽוֹן	veeleyon	`HR/Aamsa`	with the Most High	Exalted One	and the High One
`H5945-01`	Psalms 77:11	עֶלְיֽוֹן	eleyon	`HAamsa`	of the Most High	Highest One	Highest One
`H5945-01`	Psalms 78:17	עֶ֝לְי֗וֹן	eleyon	`HAamsa`	the Most High	Highest One	Highest One
`H5945-01`	Psalms 78:35	עֶ֝לְיוֹן	eleyon	`HAamsa`	Most High	Highest One	Highest One
`H5945-01`	Psalms 78:56	עֶלְי֑וֹן	eleyon	`HAamsa`	Most High	Highest One	Highest One
`H5945-01`	Psalms 82:6	עֶלְי֣וֹן	eleyon	`HAamsa`	the Most High	Highest One	Highest One
`H5945-01`	Psalms 83:19	עֶ֝לְי֗וֹן	eleyon	`HAamsa`	Most High	Highest One	Highest One
`H5945-01`	Psalms 87:5	עֶלְיֽוֹן	eleyon	`HAamsa`	will establish	Highest One	Highest One
`H5945-01`	Psalms 89:28	עֶ֝לְי֗וֹן	eleyon	`HAamsa`	highest	Highest One	Highest One
`H5945-01`	Psalms 91:1	עֶלְי֑וֹן	eleyon	`HAamsa`	of the Most High	Highest One	Highest One
`H5945-01`	Psalms 91:9	עֶ֝לְי֗וֹן	eleyon	`HAamsa`	Most High	Highest One	Highest One
`H5945-01`	Psalms 92:2	עֶלְיֽוֹן	eleyon	`HAamsa`	Most High	Highest One	Highest One
`H5945-01`	Psalms 97:9	עֶלְי֥וֹן	eleyon	`HAamsa`	Most High	Highest One	Highest One
`H5945-01`	Psalms 107:11	עֶלְי֣וֹן	eleyon	`HAamsa`	the Most High	Highest One	Highest One
`H5945-01`	Lamentations 3:35	עֶלְיֽוֹן	eleyon	`HAamsa`	the Most High	Highest One	Highest One
`H5945-01`	Lamentations 3:38	עֶלְיוֹן֙	eleyon	`HAamsa`	the Most High	Highest One	Highest One
`H5945-02`	Nehemiah 3:25	הָֽ/עֶלְי֔וֹן	haeleyon	`HTd/Aamsa`	the upper	the Most High	the upper
`H5945-02`	1 Chronicles 7:24	הָ/עֶלְי֑וֹן	haeleyon	`HTd/Aamsa`	the upper	the Most High	the upper
`H5945-01`	2 Chronicles 7:21	עֶלְי֔וֹן	eleyon	`HAamsa`	high	Highest One	exalted
`H5945-02`	2 Chronicles 8:5	הָֽ/עֶלְי֔וֹן	haeleyon	`HTd/Aamsa`	the upper	the Most High	the upper
`H5945-02`	2 Chronicles 23:20	הָֽ/עֶלְי֖וֹן	haeleyon	`HTd/Aamsa`	upper	the Most High	the upper
`H5945-02`	2 Chronicles 27:3	הָ/עֶלְי֑וֹן	haeleyon	`HTd/Aamsa`	upper	the Most High	upper
`H5945-02`	2 Chronicles 32:30	הָֽ/עֶלְי֔וֹן	haeleyon	`HTd/Aamsa`	the upper	the Most High	the upper

← H5944 Hebrew Lexicon H5946 →