עֶלְיוֹן
ʻelyôwn · H5945 · Hebrew · 53 occurrences
Meanings
-
high, upper, top
State of being in an elevated position
ExamplesGenesis 40:17 and in the top basket there were some of all kinds of baked food for Pharaoh, and the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head.”
Joshua 16:5 Now this was the territory of the sons of Ephraim according to their families: the border of their inheritance eastward was Ataroth-addar, as far as upper Beth-horon.
2 Kings 15:35 Only the high places were not eliminated; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places. He built the upper gate of the house of the LORD.
-
high, exalted
Literally: high; hence: state of being at a high level of importance or status
ExamplesDeuteronomy 26:19 and that He will put you high above all the nations which He has made, for glory, fame, and honor; and that you shall be a consecrated people to the LORD your God, just as He has spoken.”
Deuteronomy 28:1 “Now it shall be, if you diligently obey the LORD your God, being careful to do all His commandments which I am commanding you today, that the LORD your God will put you high above all the nations of the earth.
2 Chronicles 7:21 “As for this house, which was exalted, everyone who passes by it will be astonished and say, ‘Why has the LORD done these things to this land and to this house?’
-
Most High
An epithet for the God of Israel as the one who not only lives in the highest heavens but is also worthy of the highest honor
ExamplesGenesis 14:18 And Melchizedek the king of Salem brought out bread and wine; now he was a priest of God Most High.
Genesis 14:19 And he blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth;
Genesis 14:20 And blessed be God Most High, Who has handed over your enemies to you.” And he gave him a tenth of everything.
How it’s used In 7 roles
Every occurrence, grouped by the words it is grammatically related to.
the word studied the word it goes with
Named alongside itApposition
6 occurrences in 3 groups
- יְהֹוָהthe LORD, YHWH 3
- אֱלֹהִיםGod, gods 2
- הוּאhe, she, it 1
What it doesIt is the subject
3 occurrences in 2 groups
- נָתַןto give, to put, to set 2
- נָחַלto inherit, to possess 1
What is done to itIt is the object
5 occurrences in 3 groups
- בָּנָהto build, to rebuild, to establish 2
- הָיָהto be, to become 2
- מָרָהto rebel 1
Second object ofSecond object
2 occurrences in 1 groups
- נָתַןto give, to put, to set 2
What is said to be itIt is the predicate
2 occurrences in 1 groups
- אַתָּהyou 2
After prepositionsPrepositional phrases
5 occurrences in 4 groups
- לto/for 4
- עַדto, as far as, until 2
- עַלon, upon, over, against 2
- בin/on/with 1
In phrases “… of it”It is the genitive
9 occurrences in 9 groups
- Other words · 9 groups that occur once or twice (9) 9
When two words share a role, as in “Paul and Barnabas said”, the verse appears under each, so a section’s counts can add up to more than the number of occurrences.
MACULA Greek Linguistic Datasets, available at https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-greek/, licensed CC BY 4.0; MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets © 2022-2024 by Biblica, Inc., CC BY 4.0. Westminster Leningrad Codex (tanach.us). OpenScriptures Hebrew Bible morphology (hb.openscriptures.org), CC BY 4.0.
In the other Testament 2 words
- ὕψιστος hýpsistos · G5310 · high, world above, sky
- Greek ὕψιστος directly renders Hebrew עֶלְיוֹן in substantive theological use ('the Most High' as divine title) and adjectival spatial/hierarchical senses ('highest', 'uppermost'), with strong alignment across both semantic registers in LXX translation practice.
- ἄνω ánō · G507 · up, above, upwards
- Greek ἄνω focuses on directional/locational sense (upward, above) while Hebrew עֶלְיוֹן encompasses both spatial height and superlative status (Most High as divine title, uppermost); ἄνω captures the spatial component but not the titular/superlative theological register that dominates עֶלְיוֹן's usage.
Semantic domains 3 entries
- High002001001035
- עֶלְיוֹן describes something high or uppermost, as in its recurring epithet "God Most High" (e.g. Genesis 14:18).
- Great002001002012
- עֶלְיוֹן denotes "Most High" or "highest," a superlative of greatness/elevation applied above all to God, illustrated at Genesis 14:18 ("Melchizedek the king of Salem... was a priest of God Most High") and Deuteronomy 26:19 ("He will set you high above all nations"), and, in its ordinary adjectival use, of a physically upper location (Joshua 16:5, "as far as upper Beth-horon").
- Titles003001017
- עֶלְיוֹן functions as a divine title, "the Most High," applied to God throughout the Psalms and elsewhere (e.g. Psalm 7:17, 9:2).
Word family 21 words
Words formed from the same root. They share a form, not always a meaning.
Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon H5945. elyown I. עֶלְיוֺן22 adjective 1 high; — masculine singular ׳ע Deu 26:19; Deu…
I. עֶלְיוֺן22 adjective 1 high; — masculine singular ׳ע Deu 26:19; Deu 28:1; 1Ki 9:8 (? reading הָע הַזֶּה ׳הַבַּיִת as ᵐ5L Benz) = 2Ch 7:21, of ׳י Psa 97:9.
2 upper Bethhoron, ׳ע Jos 16:5 העליון 1Ch 7:24; 2Ch 8:5, the upper (opposed to lower), of house Neh 3:25; compare 2Ki 15:35; 2Ch 23:20 2Ch 23:5t., + Gen 40:17 (uppermost basket); feminine singular הָעֶלְיוֺנָה the upper pool 2Ki 18:17 = Isa 36:2; Isa 7:3; the highest side-chamber (צֵלָע) Eze 41:7; feminine plural הָעֶלְיוֺנֹת Eze 42:5 the upper chambers (לְשָׁכוֺת).
3 of Davidic king exalted above monarchs Psa 89:28 (compare Deu 28:1, above).
II. עֶלְיוֺן noun masculine Highest, Most High (probably = foregoing); —
1 name of God Num 24:16; Deu 32:8; Psa 18:14 = 2Sa 22:14; Psa 9:3; Psa 21:8; Psa 46:5; Psa 50:14; Psa 73:11; Psa 77:11; Psa 78:17; Psalm 83:19; Psa 87:5; Psa 91:1; Psa 91:9; Psa 92:2; Psa 107:11; Isa 14:14; Lam 3:35, Lam 3:38; with other divine names: עליון אל Gen 14:18-19, Gen 14:20, Gen 14:22 (see Di) Psa 78:35; עליון יהוה Psalm 7:18; Psa 47:3; עליון אלהים Psa 57:3; Psa 78:56.
5 of rulers, either monarchs or angel-princes, עֶלְיוֺן בְּנֵי = אלהים Psa 82:6.
[עֶלְיוֺן] adjective id. (Biblical Hebrew id.); — plural of God, עֶלְיוֺנִין קַדִּישֵׁי (double plural, Buhl, as sometimes Biblical Hebrew, Ges§ 124q Köii. 1. 438 f) Dan 7:18, Dan 7:22, Dan 7:25, Dan 7:27.
Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), public domain
Topical studies with this word 3 entries
Meanings adapted from the UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament, © United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0 and the UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew (from the Semantic Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew), © United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0; MACULA Greek Linguistic Datasets, available at https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-greek/, licensed CC BY 4.0; MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets © 2022-2024 by Biblica, Inc., CC BY 4.0. Westminster Leningrad Codex (tanach.us). OpenScriptures Hebrew Bible morphology (hb.openscriptures.org), CC BY 4.0.
Sources
eRhema lexical overview, based on the UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew and the UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament (© United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Macula Hebrew and Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0); released under CC BY-SA 4.0
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