אֵל

n.m. (also, in n.pr. אֶל, אֱלִי; Sam. אל, Ph. אל, אלן (i.e. prob. אֵלֹן), Sab. אל, DHM Or. Congr. Leiden, 1883, As. ilu, DlW; perhaps also Arabic, Aramaic. cf. Nöl.c.; on goddess אלת Ph. Palm. Nab. Sab. (also אלהת) DHMl.c., Arabic إِلَاهَة) (pl. إِلَاهَات) FlKl.Schr. i. 154, Assyrian Allatu Jr 66, Syriac ܐܰܠܳܗܳܬܳܐ,, cf. also BaeRel 58, 90, 97, 271, 297) god, but with various subordinate applications to express idea of might;—hardly ever in prose except with defining word (adj. or gen.); its only suff. is ִי;— applied to men of might and rank, אֵל גוים mighty one of the nations Ez 31:11 (of Neb.; 𝔊 ἂρχων ἒθνων, איל some mss. Co); אֵלִים mighty men Jb 41:17 (אילים, many mss. Di); אֵלֵי גִבּוֹרִים mighty heroes Ez 32:21 (אֵילֵי mss. Co); אֵילֵי הָאָרֶץ Ez 17:13 2 K 24:15 (Kt אולי); אֵילִים Ex 15:15 (prob. pl. of iii. אַיִל, q.v.) These readings are uncertain because of an effort to distinguish these forms from the divine name. אֵל גִּבּוֹר mighty hero (as above) or divine hero (as reflecting the divine majesty) Is 9:5. angels, בְּנֵי אֵלִים ψ 29:1; 89:7 = בְּנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים. gods of the nations, אֵל אֵלִים God of gods, supreme God Dn 11:36; מִי כָמֹכָה בָּאֵלִם who is like thee among the gods Ex 15:11; idols Is 43:10; 44:10, 15, 17; 46:6; מי אל בשמים what God in heaven Dt 3:24; אִל אחר another god Ex 34:14 (J); אֵל זר foreign god ψ 44:21; 81:10; אל נכר Dt 32:12 Mal 2:11 ψ 81:10. Ēl n.pr. אל ברית Ēl Berith Ju 9:46 (= בעל ברית Ju 8:33; 9:4); בְּאֵר אֵלִים s. p. 91 b as characterizing mighty things in nature, הררי אל mighty mountains ψ 36:7 (lit. mountains of Ēl); also ψ 50:10 Ol Bi Che v. sub II. אלף; ארוי אל mighty cedars ψ 80:11; כוכבי אל lofty stars Is 14:13. God217, the one only and true God of Israel: (a) הָאֵל the God, the true God Gn 31:13; 35:1, 3; 46:3 (E) 2 S 22:31, 33, 48 (= ψ 18:31, 33, 48) ψ 68:20, 21; 77:15; הָאֵל הַנֶּאֱמָן the faithful God Dt 7:9; האל הגדול the great God Dt 10:17 = Je 32:18 Dn 9:4 Ne 1:5; 9:32; האל הקדשׁ the holy God Is 5:16; האל יהוה the God Yahweh Is 42:5 ψ 85:9. †(b) אֵלִי my God Ex 15:2 (poet.) ψ 18:3; 22:2(×2), 11; 63:2; 68:25; 89:27; 102:25; 118:28; 140:7; Is 44:17. (c) cstr. אל בית אל the God of Bethel, who had his seat there Gn 35:7 (E); אל אביך God of thy father Gn 49:25 (poet.); אל ישראל ψ 68:36; אל יעקב ψ 146:5; אל השמים the God of heaven ψ 136:26; אל סלעי the God who is my rock ψ 42:10; אל שמחת גילי the God who is the joy of my exultation ψ 43:4; אֵל רֳאִי the God who lets himself be seen Gn 16:13 (J); אל הכבוד the God of glory ψ 29:3; אל דעות the all-knowing God 1 S 2:3 (poet.); אֵל עוֹלָם the everlasting God Gn 21:33 (J); אל ישועתי Is 12:2; אל חַיָּי֑ ψ 42:9; אל אמת ψ 31:6 = אל אֱמוּנָה Dt 32:4 (poet.); אל נקמות ψ 94:1(×2) אל גְּמֻלוֹת Je 51:56. (d) אל אֶחָד one God Mal 2:10; אל גדול a great God Dt 7:21 ψ 77:14; 95:3; אל מסתתר a God hiding himself Is 45:15; אל רחום a compassionate God Ex 34:6 (J) Dt 4:31 ψ 86:15; אל נשא a forgiving God ψ 99:8; אל חַנּוּן a gracious God Ne 9:31 Jon 4:2; אל קנא a jealous God Ex 20:5; 34:14 (J) Dt 4:24; 5:9; 6:15 Jos 24:19 (D) = אל קנוא Na 1:2; אֵל חי a living God Jos 3:10 (J) Ho 2:1 ψ 42:3; 84:3; אל צדיק Is 45:21; לא אֵל חפץ רשע ψ 5:5; לא אֵל Dt 32:21 (poet.) Is 31:3 Ez 28:2, 9; מי אל כמוךָ Mi 7:18 (cf. Ex 15:11). (e) God (the only true God, needing no article or predicate to define him) Nu 12:13 (E read אַל Di) always in poetry, Jb 5:8 + (55 times Jb), ψ 7:12; 10:11, 12; 16:1; 17:6; 19:2; 52:3, 7; 55:20; 57:3; 73:11, 17; 74:8; 77:10; 78:7, 8, 18, 19, 34, 41; 82:1; 83:2; 90:2; 104:21; 106:14, 21; 107:11; 118:27; 139:17, 23; 149:6; 150:1 Is 40:18; 43:12; 45:14, 20; 46:9 La 3:41 Ho 11:9; 12:1 Mal 1:9; עִמָּנוּאל God is with us, as name of child in prediction Is 7:14 cf. 8:8, 10.(f) Ēl, a divine name אל אלהי ישראל Gn 33:20 (E); אל אלהי הרוחת Nu 16:22 (P = יהוה אלהי חרוחת Nu 27:16); אל אלהים יהוה Jos 22:22 (P) ψ 50:1. This is probable also in the ancient poems, Nu 23:8, 19, 22, 23; 24:4, 8, 16, 23 (poet. Balaam ‖ שדּי & עליון) Dt 32:18; 33:26 (poet.) Moses ‖ צוּר & אֱלֹהֵי קֶדֶם) 2 S 22:32; 23:5 (poet. David ‖ צוּר) and in the combinations אל עליון (5 times; vid. עלאיון) & אל שדּי (10 times; vid. שַׁדַּי). אֵל strength, power (on connection with I. אָלָה cf. Di Gn 1:1; 31:29) in יֶשׁ־לְאֵל יָדִי it is according to the power of my hand = it is in my power, etc. Gn 31:29 (E; sq. לְ + Inf.); בִּהְיוֹת לְאֵל יָדְ֯יךָ Pr 3:27 (sq. id.); יֶשׁ־לְאֵל יָדָם Mi 2:1 (abs.); neg. וְאֵין לְאֵל יָדֶ֑ךָ Dt 28:32 (abs.) = thou shalt be powerless, so Ne 5:5.* v. also BrockZAW xxvi (1906), 29 ff. (meaning ‘might’ very dub.: renders belongs to the god of (my) hand, supposing phrase a survival, with orig. meaning forgotten, of ancient idea, found also among other nations, of spirits conferring powers upon particular members of body).