אֵילוֹת
𐤀𐤉𐤋𐤅𐤕
Eylot
H359 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Proper name referring to a port city situated at the northern end of the Gulf of Aqaba (northern Red Sea), known in the Hebrew Bible as 'Eloth' or 'Elath.' The primary sense is that of a geographic location, occasionally understood in tradition as connected to palm trees or groves, but this is secondary and based on possible root association. The term always refers to the place, not to trees themselves within biblical contexts.
Semantic Range
geographic location (seaport at northern Gulf of Aqaba), possible secondary association with palm trees or groves due to root connection, no independent use for 'tree' or 'grove' in biblical Hebrew
Root / Etymology
From the root אַיִל (ayin-yod-lamed), which in other contexts means 'ram,' 'mighty tree,' or 'pillar.' The proper name אֵילוֹת (Eyloth) is the feminine plural (construct form in some cases) possibly indicating 'place of trees' or 'place of pillars,' though the city name is not necessarily intended to literally reference trees. The derivation as a toponym is established, but the associative meaning is less certain.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Eloth/Elath appears in texts describing the period of the monarchic kingdom and later (e.g., during the reigns of Solomon, Uzziah, and post-exilic periods). It functioned as a strategic seaport at the southern extremity of the land inhabited by Israelites and later territory controlled by Edom and other powers. Its control shifted between Israelite and Edomite hands (see 2 Kings 14:22; 16:6; 2 Chronicles 8:17; 26:2). The association of the name with palm trees or groves likely reflects either an original landscape feature or a play on the root אַיִל, but the biblical use always designates the city, not an orchard. The later site known as 'Elath' or 'Aila' survived into the Roman and Byzantine periods. English translations sometimes obscure the geographic aspect by rendering the name as if it referenced trees, but in all biblical passages, it is a place name. Not to be confused with the masculine noun אֵילִים ('palm trees' or 'terebinths'), though both share a possible link to strength or uprightness in their roots. The translation 'Jew' in modern English, when referring to this locale in later history (after the biblical period), reflects the region's changing population but is anachronistic for the biblical context.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
or אֵילַת ; from אַיִל; trees or a grove (i.e. palms); Eloth or Elath, a place on the Red Sea; Elath, Eloth.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
איל (ʾ-y-l) — ram, strong, mighty tree, pillar
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H353 | אֱיָל | strength |
| H354 | אַיָּל | stag |
| H355 | אַיָּלָה | doe |
| H356 | אֵילוֹן | oak of |
| H357 | אַיָּלוֹן | Deer-Place (Ayalon) |
Word Forms
5 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H359-02 |
אֵילַ֔ת | eylat | HNp |
Elath | Elath | 3 |
H359-03 |
אֵיל֛וֹת | eylot | HNp |
Eloth | Eyloth | 2 |
H359-01 |
אֵל֛וֹת | elot | HNp |
Eloth | Eloth | 1 |
H359-05 |
מֵֽ/אֵיל֑וֹת | meeylot | HR/Np |
from Elath | from Eloth | 1 |
H359-04 |
מֵ/אֵילַ֖ת | meeylat | HR/Np |
from Elath | from Elath | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
8 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H359-04 |
Deuteronomy 2:8 | מֵ/אֵילַ֖ת | meeylat | HR/Np |
from Elath | from Elath |
H359-01 |
1 Kings 9:26 | אֵל֛וֹת | elot | HNp |
Eloth | Eloth |
H359-02 |
2 Kings 14:22 | אֵילַ֔ת | eylat | HNp |
Elath | Elath |
H359-02 |
2 Kings 16:6 | אֵילַת֙ | eylat | HNp |
Elath | Elath |
H359-05 |
2 Kings 16:6 | מֵֽ/אֵיל֑וֹת | meeylot | HR/Np |
from Elath | from Eloth |
H359-02 |
2 Kings 16:6 | אֵילַ֔ת | eylat-2 | HNp |
Elath | Elath |
H359-03 |
2 Chronicles 8:17 | אֵיל֛וֹת | eylot | HNp |
Eloth | Eyloth |
H359-03 |
2 Chronicles 26:2 | אֵיל֔וֹת | eylot | HNp |
Eloth | Eyloth |