אֵלָה
𐤀𐤋𐤄
Elah
H425 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Proper name designating (1) an Edomite chief, (2) four distinct Israelites—two from the monarchy period, one from the post-exilic period, and one unspecified—and (3) a valley or lowland location, notably the Elah Valley (Emek ha-Elah). As a proper noun, it is transliterated 'Elah'; its semantic range covers use as a masculine personal name and as a toponym in the Hebrew Bible.
Semantic Range
proper name (personal), proper name (geographic), masculine personal name, valley name, toponym
Root / Etymology
From the root אלה, usually associated with the 'terebinth' or large strong tree; personal and place names are regularly derived from plant names in Hebrew to connote qualities such as strength, endurance, or distinguishing geographic features. The precise relationship between the literal meaning of the tree and the use as a personal name is typical of Semitic onomastic practices.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The personal name 'Elah' appears in multiple biblical contexts, notably: (1) an Edomite chief in the genealogies of Genesis 36:41 and 1 Chronicles 1:52; (2) Elah son of Baasha, a monarch from the northern Israelite kingdom (1 Kings 16:6–14); (3) an Israelite in the time of King David (1 Chronicles 4:7); (4) the father of Hoshea, the last northern Israelite king (2 Kings 15:30); (5) as a post-exilic returnee (Ezra 10:26). As a place name, it most prominently denotes the Valley of Elah (1 Samuel 17:2, 19), the scene of the David and Goliath narrative. The name's appearance across tribal, geographic, and historical boundaries reflects both typical Israelite and broader Northwest Semitic naming conventions. English translations uniformly render it as a transliterated proper name, but do not convey its likely association with the 'terebinth' tree or the connotations of strength. The word is distinct from the Aramaic 'Elah' (אֱלָהּ) meaning 'god', which is unrelated etymologically and contextually. Its use spans from the patriarchal through the post-exilic periods, with possible shifts in association but not significant semantic change. The valley toponym is noteworthy in historical geography for situating key Israelite-Philistine encounters.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
the same as אֵלָהlemma אִלָה first vowel, corrected to אֵלָה; Elah, the name of an Edomite, of four Israelites, and also of a place in Palestine; Elah.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
אלה (ʾ-l-h) — terebinth tree, oak, strong tree
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H412 | אֵל | these |
| H414 | אֵלָא | Elah |
| H422 | אָלָה | you swore an oath |
| H423 | אָלָה | solemn curse-oath |
| H424 | אֵלָה | her strong oak |
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H425-01 |
אֵלָ֖ה | elah | HNp |
Elah | Elah | Elah | 12 |
H425-02 |
הָאֵלָ֑ה | haelah | HNp |
of Elah | the terebinth | Elah | 3 |
H425-03 |
וְ/אֵלָ֥ה | veelah | HC/Np |
and Elah | and Elah | and Elah | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
16 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H425-01 |
Genesis 36:41 | אֵלָ֖ה | elah | HNp |
Elah | Elah | Elah |
H425-02 |
1 Samuel 17:2 | הָאֵלָ֑ה | haelah | HNp |
of Elah | the terebinth | Elah |
H425-02 |
1 Samuel 17:19 | הָֽאֵלָ֑ה | haelah | HNp |
of Elah | the terebinth | Elah |
H425-02 |
1 Samuel 21:10 | הָאֵלָ֗ה | haelah | HNp |
of Elah | the terebinth | Elah |
H425-01 |
1 Kings 16:6 | אֵלָ֥ה | elah | HNp |
Elah | Elah | Elah |
H425-01 |
1 Kings 16:8 | אֵלָ֨ה | elah | HNp |
Elah | Elah | Elah |
H425-01 |
1 Kings 16:13 | אֵלָ֣ה | elah | HNp |
Elah | Elah | Elah |
H425-01 |
1 Kings 16:14 | אֵלָ֖ה | elah | HNp |
of Elah | Elah | Elah |
H425-01 |
2 Kings 15:30 | אֵלָ֗ה | elah | HNp |
Elah | Elah | Elah |
H425-01 |
2 Kings 17:1 | אֵלָ֧ה | elah | HNp |
of Elah | Elah | Elah |