Λευΐ

Leuḯ

G3017 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

Proper name: Levi. Used as a male personal name, referring (1) to the third son of Jacob (Israel) and Leah, ancestor of the tribe of Levi; (2) to a designated ancestor or member of a Levitical line; (3) a personal name in later genealogies and social contexts. The primary lexical meaning is as a proper noun denoting persons with the name Levi, especially in genealogical or narrative contexts.

Semantic Range

third son of Jacob/Israel, ancestor of the tribe of Levi, a descendant named Levi, the individual tax collector Levi (Mark 2:14; Luke 5:27), personal name in genealogical and narrative contexts

Root / Etymology

Transcribed from the Hebrew לֵוִי (Lewi), possibly meaning 'joined' or 'attached,' from the Hebrew root לוה (l-w-h, 'to join, to attach').

Historical & Contextual Notes

Λευΐ is the transliteration of the Hebrew name לֵוִי, appearing in the Septuagint, New Testament, and related Jewish-Greek literature. In the Septuagint, it always refers to the Israelite tribal ancestor Levi as son of Jacob or to descendants classed as Levites. In the New Testament, Λευΐ refers specifically to the Israelite tribe's ancestor (Luke 3:24, 3:29), to an individual called Levi identified as a tax collector and follower of Jesus (Mark 2:14; Luke 5:27, 29), and elsewhere in genealogical contexts. The designation sometimes carried associations with priestly or Levitical status, but not every bearer of the name was necessarily a Levitical official. Later translation traditions use 'Levi', but the term denotes a personal name rather than a title or socio-religious category. Cognate forms appear as Λευΐς and Λευΐτης ('Levite'). Use in Greek always signals a distinctly Israelite identity, sometimes emphasizing descent, sometimes simply used as a given name.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

of Hebrew origin (לֵוִי); Levi, the name of three Israelites:--Levi. Compare Λευΐς.

Root Family

Λευΐ- (Leuḯ) — proper name, Levi, ancestor, individual

Root Λευΐ- proper name, Levi, ancestor, individual
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
G3019 Λευΐτης Levitical functionaries

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G3017-01 Λευεὶ leuei N GEN M SG Levi of Levi Leui 4
G3017-02 Λευεὶν leuein N ACC M SG Levi Levi Leui 2
G3017-03 Λευεὶς leueis N NOM M SG Levi Levi Leui 2

Occurrences in Scripture

8 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G3017-02 Mark 2:14 Λευεὶν leuein N ACC M SG Levi Levi Leui
G3017-01 Luke 3:24 Λευεὶ leuei N GEN M SG Levi of Levi Leui
G3017-01 Luke 3:29 Λευεὶ leuei N GEN M SG Levi of Levi Leui
G3017-02 Luke 5:27 Λευεὶν leuein N ACC M SG Levi Levi Leui
G3017-03 Luke 5:29 Λευεὶς leueis N NOM M SG Levi Levi Leui
G3017-01 Hebrews 7:5 Λευεὶ leuei N GEN M SG Levi of Levi Leui
G3017-03 Hebrews 7:9 Λευεὶς leueis N NOM M SG Levi Levi Leui
G3017-01 Revelation 7:7 Λευεὶ leuei N GEN M SG Levi of Levi Leui