אֵלָא
𐤀𐤋𐤀
Ela
H414 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A proper noun designating (1) 'Elah', the name of at least four Israelite men in the Hebrew Bible; (2) potentially, in derivative senses, connected to the common noun 'oak tree' when appearing outside personal names. The primary usage in the biblical texts is as a personal name, not as a common noun. In rare instances, may function as an alternative spelling for 'oak' (אֵלָה) in poetic or archaic Hebrew.
Semantic Range
personal name (Israelite man), oak tree, terebinth; possible dialectal or archaic form for 'oak tree'
Root / Etymology
Derived from the Hebrew root אלה (ʾ-l-h), which in the feminine form 'elah' (אֵלָה) means 'terebinth' or 'oak tree'. The current form אֵלָא (ʼÊlâʼ), as a personal name, is likely built on this root, though in proper noun use its lexical meaning is secondary to its function as a name. The form אֵלָא may reflect an alternative or dialectal spelling.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, אֵלָא ('Elah') refers to (1) the king of Israel, son of Baasha (1 Kings 16); (2) the father of Hoshea, the last king of Israel (2 Kings 15:30); (3) a figure among David's warriors (1 Chronicles 27:8); (4) the father of Shimei in the genealogies (1 Chronicles 8:59). While the base noun אֵלָה also denotes 'terebinth' or 'oak'—a significant tree in ancient Levantine ecology and religious symbolism—the personal name 'Elah' carries the inherited lexical sense only secondarily. English translations sometimes use 'Elah' as a proper name and 'oak' for the tree, but users should not conflate these. In Aramaic, similar forms also occur, potentially reflecting related or borrowed roots. There is no evidence of the late English term 'Jew' being appropriate for any of the men named Elah, as all usages are either in the Israelite monarchy or northern context.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a variation of אֵלָהlemma אִלָה first vowel, corrected to אֵלָה; oak; Ela, an Israelite; Elah.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
אלה (ʾ-l-h) — to be strong, to be mighty, oak, terebinth
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H412 | אֵל | these |
| H422 | אָלָה | you swore an oath |
| H423 | אָלָה | solemn curse-oath |
| H424 | אֵלָה | her strong oak |
| H425 | אֵלָה | Elah |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H414-01 |
אֵלָ֖א | ela | HNp |
Ela | Elah | Ela | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H414-01 |
1 Kings 4:18 | אֵלָ֖א | ela | HNp |
Ela | Elah | Ela |