אֶלְפַּעַל
𐤀𐤋𐤐𐤏𐤋
Elepaal
H508 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A personal name meaning 'God acts' or 'God has accomplished,' composed of two theophoric elements. Used as the name of several Israelite individuals, particularly within genealogical records of the tribe of Benjamin. The compound reflects the idea of divine action or accomplishment.
Semantic Range
personal name, God acts, God has accomplished, divine action reflected in a name
Root / Etymology
Compound of אֵל (El, 'God') and פָּעַל (pa‘al, 'to act, do, accomplish'). The root of the second element, פעל, means 'to work' or 'to accomplish.' The form represents an early Hebrew theophoric construction with El as the deity.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The name אֶלְפַּעַל occurs in the genealogies of Benjamin (1 Chronicles 8:12, 8:18, 8:39, 9:43) and designates an Israelite individual and his descendants. Such theophoric names were common across ancient Israel, expressing trust in the deity's deeds or intervention. The name does not reappear in later Judean or post-exilic lists and remains largely confined to early tribal narratives. English translations simply render the name as 'Elpaal,' but the underlying meaning—relating to God's action—is missed. This theophoric construction is typical of names in early Israelite society and reflects a literary-theological statement about divine agency. Not related to later religious terminology such as 'Jew' or 'Judaism.'
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from אֵל and פָּעַל; God (is) act; Elpaal, an Israelite; Elpaal.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
פעל (p-ʿ-l) — to do, act, work, accomplish
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H4659 | מִפְעָל | his deeds |
| H6466 | פָּעַל | I accomplish |
| H6467 | פֹּעַל | in their deed |
| H6468 | פְּעֻלָּה | wage of |
| H6469 | פְּעֻלְּתַי | Work-of-Yah |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H508-01 |
אֶלְפָּֽעַל | elepaal | HNp |
Elpaal | God-acts | 3 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H508-01 |
1 Chronicles 8:11 | אֶלְפָּֽעַל | elepaal | HNp |
Elpaal | God-acts |
H508-01 |
1 Chronicles 8:12 | אֶלְפַּ֔עַל | elepaal | HNp |
Elpaal | God-acts |
H508-01 |
1 Chronicles 8:18 | אֶלְפָּֽעַל | elepaal | HNp |
Elpaal | God-acts |