II. אֵל noun masculine (also, in proper name
אֶל,
אֱלִי; Samaritan
אל, Phoenician
אל,
אלן (i.e. probably
אֵלֹן), Sabean
אל, DHM
Or. Congr. Leiden, 1883, Assyrian
ilu, Dl
w; perhaps also Arabic, Aramaic compare Nö
on the passage; on
goddess אלת Phoenician, Palmyrene, Nabataean, Sabean (also
אלהת) DHM
l.c.; Arabic
إِلَاهَهَ (plural
إِلَاهَات) Fl
Kl. Schr. i. 154, Assyrian
Allatu Jr
66, Syriac
aXTXhXlAF , compare also Bae
Rel 58, 90, 97, 271, 207) god, but with various subordinate applications to express idea of might; — hardly ever in prose except with defining word (adjective or genitive); its only suffix is
יִ֯; —
† 1. applied to
men of might and rank,
אֵל גוים mighty one of the nations Ezekiel 31:11 (of Nebuchadnezzar;
ἄρχων ἔθνων,
איל some MSS. Co);
אֵלִים mighty men Job 41:17 (
אילים, many MSS. Di);
אֵלֵי גִבּוֺרִים mighty heroes Ezekiel 32:21 (
אֵילֵי MSS. Co);
אֵילֵי הָאֶרֶץ Ezekiel 17:13;
2 Kings 24:15 (Kt
אולי);
אֵילִים Exodus 15:15 (probably plural of III.
אַיִל, which see) These readings are uncertain because of an effort to distinguish these forms from the divine name.
אֵל גִּבּוֺר mighty hero (as above) or
divine hero (as reflecting the divine majesty)
Isaiah 9:6.
†5. as characterizing mighty things in nature,
חררי אל mighty mountains Psalm 36:7 (literally
mountains of El); also
Psalm 50:10 Ol Bi Che see below II.
אלף;
ארזי אל mighty cedars Psalm 80:11;
כוכבי אל lofty stars Isaiah 14:13.
6. God217, the one only and true God of Israel:
(e) God (the only true God, needing no article or predicate to define him)
Numbers 12:13 (E read
אַל Di) always in poetry,
Job 5:8 + (
55 times Job),
Psalm 7:12;
Psalm 10:11,
12;
Psalm 16:1;
Psalm 17:6;
Psalm 19:1;
Psalm 52:3,
7;
Psalm 55:20;
Psalm 57:3;
Psalm 73:11,
17;
Psalm 74:8;
Psalm 77:10;
Psalm 78:7,
8,
18,
19,
34,
41;
Psalm 82:1;
Psalm 83:2;
Psalm 90:2;
Psalm 104:21;
Psalm 106:14,
21;
Psalm 107:11;
Psalm 118:27;
Psalm 139:17,
23;
Psalm 149:6;
Psalm 150:1;
Isaiah 40:18;
Isaiah 43:12;
Isaiah 45:14,
20;
Isaiah 46:9;
Lamentations 3:41;
Hosea 11:9;
Hosea 12:1;
Malachi 1:9;
עִמָּנוּאל God is with us, as name of child in prediction
Isaiah 7:14; compare
Isaiah 8:8,
10.
†7. אֵל strength, power (on connection with I.
אָלָה compare Di
Genesis 1:1;
Genesis 31:29) in
יֶשׁ־לְאֵל יָדִי it is according to the power of my hand = it is in my power, etc.
Genesis 31:29 (E; followed by
לְ + Infinitive);
בִּהְיוֺת לְאֵל יָדְ֯יךָ Proverbs 3:27 (followed by id.);
יֶשׁ־לְאֵל יָדָם Micah 2:1; (absolute); negative
וְאֵין לְאֵל יָדֶ֑ךָ Deuteronomy 28:32 (absolute) =
thou shalt be powerless, so
Nehemiah 5:5.
**See also Brock
ZAW xxvi (1906). 29 ff. (meaning 'might' very dubious: renders
belongs to the god of (my) hand, supposing phrase a survival, with original meaning forgotten, of ancient idea, found also among other nations, of spirits conferring powers upon particular members of body).
Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon, Unabridged, Electronic Database.
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