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עֵלִי

𐤏𐤋𐤉

Eli

H5941 noun

SILEX Entry

Root עלה to go up, ascend, be high

Definition

Personal name meaning 'lofty' or 'ascended.' Primarily used as the proper name of a prominent priestly figure in the narratives of Samuel, referring to Eli, the priest at Shiloh during the period of early Israelite settlement in Canaan. The word functions solely as a name in the Hebrew Bible and is not used as a common noun or adjective.

Semantic Range

personal name; used only for the Israelite priest Eli; meaning 'lofty' or 'ascended'; no common noun or adjectival uses

Root / Etymology

The name עֵלִי is derived from the root ע-ל-ה (עלה), meaning 'to go up, ascend, be high.' The form עֵלִי is likely a shortened personal name with an adjectival sense, meaning 'lofty' or 'high.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

עֵלִי occurs exclusively as a personal name in the Hebrew Bible, primarily designating the priest at Shiloh who serves as mentor and caretaker to the child Samuel (1 Samuel 1–4). The identification of Eli as a priest correlates with later tradition describing him as a 'high priest,' though this term is not used for him in the Hebrew text. The social and religious context places Eli at Shiloh in the transitional period between tribal confederacy and monarchy. Later English translations and Christian tradition sometimes apply the term 'Jew' or 'Jewish' to Eli, but in his historical context his identity is better described as an Israelite and member of the priestly lineage. The name has no wider usage for a people group or religious category. The meaning 'lofty' or 'ascended' is inferred from the root, but the name functions only as a proper noun, without adjectival or common-noun senses in the Hebrew Bible.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from עָלָה; lofty; Eli, an Israelite highpriest; Eli.

Bantu Hebrew

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

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Root Family

עלה (ʿ-l-h) — go up, ascend, be high

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

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H5941-01 עֵלִ֗י eli HNp Eli Eli 27
H5941-03 וְ/עֵלִ֣י veeli HC/Np and Eli and Lofty-One 5
H5941-02 לְ/עֵלִֽי leeli HR/Np to Eli to Eli 1

Occurrences in Scripture

33 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H5941-01 1 Samuel 1:3 עֵלִ֗י eli HNp Eli Eli
H5941-03 1 Samuel 1:9 וְ/עֵלִ֣י veeli HC/Np and Eli and Lofty-One
H5941-03 1 Samuel 1:12 וְ/עֵלִ֖י veeli HC/Np and-Eli and Lofty-One
H5941-01 1 Samuel 1:13 עֵלִ֖י eli HNp Eli Eli
H5941-01 1 Samuel 1:14 עֵלִ֔י eli HNp Eli Eli
H5941-01 1 Samuel 1:17 עֵלִ֛י eli HNp Eli Eli
H5941-01 1 Samuel 1:25 עֵלִֽי eli HNp Eli Eli
H5941-01 1 Samuel 2:11 עֵלִ֥י eli HNp Eli Eli
H5941-01 1 Samuel 2:12 עֵלִ֖י eli HNp of Eli Eli
H5941-01 1 Samuel 2:20 עֵלִ֜י eli HNp Eli Eli
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