Ἐλύμας
Elýmas
G1681 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Proper name designating an individual known as Elymas, identified in Acts 13:8 as a practitioner of magic or sorcery. Used specifically as a personal appellation, it does not describe a category or role, but denotes an individual recognized in the narrative as opposing Paul and Barnabas.
Semantic Range
proper name for an individual magician or wise man; applies only to the person in Acts 13:8; by extension, possibly referencing a title for magicians in Semitic contexts
Root / Etymology
Foreign in origin; precise linguistic derivation is uncertain, but may be related to the Semitic root for 'wise' or 'magician' (possibly Arabic ʿalīm, 'learned, wise man'). The name is referenced as a title or nickname and is paired in the text with the description μάγος ('magician').
Historical & Contextual Notes
Ἐλύμας occurs only in Acts 13:8, applied to a figure also named Bar-Jesus. The text itself explains τοῦτο (i.e., 'Elymas') as being interpreted “the magician.” The name appears to be of Semitic (possibly Aramaic or Arabic) origin, and was likely a title signifying expertise in magical or esoteric arts. In the New Testament world, μάγος (magician, magus) designated someone practicing or claiming esoteric or occult arts, not always with the negative connotations that would develop later. The translation 'wizard' or 'magician' is interpretive; the Greek itself transliterates a non-Greek name, and it functions as a proper noun. The rendering 'Elymas' in English translations preserves the form of the Greek without further semantic content. The term does not appear elsewhere in Greek literature, and its meaning is contextually established by the Acts narrative itself, rather than by a wider Greek usage.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
of foreign origin; Elymas, a wizard:--Elymas.
Root Family
Ἐλύμας (Elymas) — proper name, designation for a magician, wise man title
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1681-01 |
Ἐλύμας | elumas | N NOM M SG |
Elymas | Elymas | Elymas | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1681-01 |
Acts 13:8 | Ἐλύμας | elumas | N NOM M SG |
Elymas | Elymas | Elymas |