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עֱלִי

𐤏𐤋𐤉

ʻĕlîy

H5940 noun

SILEX Entry

Root עלה to go up, ascend, lift

Definition

A pestle—a tool used for pounding, grinding, or crushing substances—especially in a mortar, generally made of stone or metal; refers specifically to the implement itself rather than the process or container. In ancient contexts, the word denotes the physical object lifted and used to prepare grain, spices, or other foodstuffs.

Semantic Range

pestle (mortar implement), pestle as object in food preparation, tool for pounding or grinding

Root / Etymology

Root עלה (ʻ-l-h), 'to go up, ascend, lift.' עֱלִי is a substantive formation, denoting 'that which is lifted,' and refers to the pestle as the object raised and used in the action of pounding. The semantic development reflects a physical motion ('to lift up') that comes to describe the tool utilized in repeated lifting actions during grinding or pounding.

Historical & Contextual Notes

עֱלִי appears rarely in the Hebrew Bible (notably in Numbers 11:8), where it describes the pestle used in daily food preparation. Its use situates the text within domestic and agricultural life of ancient Israel. Unlike מַכְתֵּשׁ (makhtesh), which is the 'mortar,' עֱלִי is the 'pestle'—focusing on the active implement rather than the container. There are no significant shifts in meaning across biblical periods, likely due to its practical and specific referent. Modern translations accurately render the word as 'pestle,' but may fail to capture the sociocultural context or the regularity of such objects in ancient households.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from עָלָה; a pestle (as lifted); pestle.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.

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Root Family

עלה (ʿ-l-h) — to go up, ascend, lift

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H421 אָלָה Lofty One
H422 אָלָה he ascended
H4605 מַעַל upward
H4607 מֹעַל in hand-raising
H4608 מַעֲלֶה at the ascent

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H5940-01 בַּֽ/עֱלִ֑י baeli HRd/Ncmsa with the pestle my pestle 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H5940-01 Proverbs 27:22 בַּֽ/עֱלִ֑י baeli HRd/Ncmsa with the pestle my pestle
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