457. elil

Berean Strong's Lexicon

elil: Idol, worthless thing

Original Word: אֱלִיל
Part of Speech: Adjective Masculine
Transliteration: elil
Pronunciation: eh-leel
Phonetic Spelling: (el-eel')
Definition: Idol, worthless thing
Meaning: good for, nothing, by anal, vain, vanity, an idol

Word Origin: Derived from a root word meaning "worthless" or "vain."

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: The Greek equivalent often used in the Septuagint for "elil" is εἴδωλον (eidolon), Strong's Greek #1497, which also means "idol."

Usage: The Hebrew word "elil" is used to describe idols or false gods, emphasizing their lack of power, worth, and reality. It is often used in a derogatory sense to highlight the futility and emptiness of worshiping anything other than the one true God, Yahweh. The term underscores the contrast between the living God and the lifeless idols made by human hands.

Cultural and Historical Background: In the ancient Near East, idol worship was prevalent among various cultures, including the Canaanites, Egyptians, and Babylonians. These societies crafted idols from wood, stone, or metal, believing they represented deities who could influence their lives. The Israelites, however, were commanded by God to worship Him alone and to reject idolatry. The use of "elil" in the Hebrew Bible serves as a polemic against the surrounding nations' practices, reinforcing the monotheistic faith of Israel.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
of uncertain derivation
Definition
insufficiency, worthlessness
NASB Translation
futility (1), idols (16), images (1), worthless (2).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

אֱלִיל noun masculine (etymology uncertain: most probably akin to Syriac weak, feeble, poor; perhaps also in usage [compare b] felt to suggest אַל not; compare Che on Isaiah 2:8) insufficiency, worthlessness.

a. Zechariah 11:17 רֹעִי הָאֱלִיל the shepherd of worthlessness = the worthless shepherd, Job 13:4 רֹפְאֵי אֱלִל worthless physicians ("" טֹפְלֵישֶֿׁקֶר), Jeremiah 14:14 Qr concrete a thing nought (uttered by prophets), but here קֶסֶם אֱלִיל a worthless divin. ("" חֲזוֺן שֶׁקֶר, תַּרְמִית לִבָּם) should perhaps be read (compare Gf).

b. especially plural אֱלִילִים concrete worthless gods, idols (compare הֲבָלִים) (possibly originally an independent word = gods, compare Sabean אלאלת, & see Nö^{SBAk 1882, p. 1191}, but even if so, associated by the prophets with idea of worthlessness, & used by them in iron. contrast with אֵלִים, אֱלֹהִים) Leviticus 19:4 (not to be made) Leviticus 26:1 (both H), Isaiah 2:8,18,20 (twice in verse) (of silver & gold), Isaiah 10:10 מַמְלְכוֺת הָאֱלִיל (collective) kingdoms of idolatrous worthlessness, Isaiah 10:11; Isaiah 19:1,3(of Egypt) Isaiah 31:7 (twice in verse); Ezekiel 30:13 (Egypt), Habakkuk 2:18 אִלְּמִים ׳א dumb idols, Psalm 96:5 ( = 1 Chronicles 16:26) all the gods of the nations are ׳א vain, worthless gods 1Chron 97:7.

II. אלל (√ assumed for following words).

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

idol, no value, thing of nothing

Apparently from 'al; good for nothing, by anal. Vain or vanity; specifically an idol -- idol, no value, thing of nought.

see HEBREW 'al

Forms and Transliterations

אֱלִ֣ל אֱלִילִ֑ים אֱלִילִ֔ים אֱלִילִ֗ם אֱלִילִ֥ים אֱלִילִים֙ אֱלִילֵ֣י אֱלִילֵ֤י אלילי אלילים אלילם אלל בָּאֱלִילִ֑ים באלילים הָ֣אֱלִילִ֔ים הָֽאֱלִיל֙ הָֽאֱלִילִים֙ הָאֱלִ֑יל האליל האלילים וְהָאֱלִילִ֖ים וְלֶאֱלִילֶ֑יהָ וֶֽאֱלִיל֙ וֶאֱלִילֵ֖י ואליל ואלילי והאלילים ולאליליה ’ĕ·lî·lê ’ĕ·lî·lim ’ĕ·lî·lîm ’ĕ·lil ’ĕlil ’ĕlîlê ’ĕlîlim ’ĕlîlîm bā’ĕlîlîm bā·’ĕ·lî·lîm baeliLim eLil eliLei eliLim hā’ĕlîl hā’ĕlîlîm hā·’ĕ·lî·lîm hā·’ĕ·lîl haeLil haeliLim veeLil veeliLei vehaeliLim veleeliLeiha we’ĕlîl we’ĕlîlê we·’ĕ·lî·lê we·’ĕ·lîl wə·hā·’ĕ·lî·lîm wə·le·’ĕ·lî·le·hā wəhā’ĕlîlîm wəle’ĕlîlehā

Englishman's Concordance

Leviticus 19:4
HEB: תִּפְנוּ֙ אֶל־ הָ֣אֱלִילִ֔ים וֵֽאלֹהֵי֙ מַסֵּכָ֔ה
NAS: Do not turn to idols or make
KJV: Turn ye not unto idols, nor make
INT: turn to idols gods molten

Leviticus 26:1
HEB: תַעֲשׂ֨וּ לָכֶ֜ם אֱלִילִ֗ם וּפֶ֤סֶל וּמַצֵּבָה֙
NAS: You shall not make for yourselves idols, nor
KJV: Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image,
INT: nor make idols an image A pillar

1 Chronicles 16:26
HEB: אֱלֹהֵ֤י הָעַמִּים֙ אֱלִילִ֔ים וַיהוָ֖ה שָׁמַ֥יִם
NAS: of the peoples are idols, But the LORD
KJV: of the people [are] idols: but the LORD
INT: the gods of the peoples are idols the LORD the heavens

Job 13:4
HEB: שָׁ֑קֶר רֹפְאֵ֖י אֱלִ֣ל כֻּלְּכֶֽם׃
NAS: You are all worthless physicians.
KJV: ye [are] all physicians of no value.
INT: lies physicians worthless are all

Psalm 96:5
HEB: אֱלֹהֵ֣י הָעַמִּ֣ים אֱלִילִ֑ים וַֽ֝יהוָ֗ה שָׁמַ֥יִם
NAS: of the peoples are idols, But the LORD
KJV: of the nations [are] idols: but the LORD
INT: the gods of the peoples are idols the LORD the heavens

Psalm 97:7
HEB: פֶ֗סֶל הַמִּֽתְהַלְלִ֥ים בָּאֱלִילִ֑ים הִשְׁתַּחֲווּ־ ל֝וֹ
NAS: Who boast themselves of idols; Worship
KJV: that boast themselves of idols: worship
INT: graven boast of idols Worship all

Isaiah 2:8
HEB: וַתִּמָּלֵ֥א אַרְצ֖וֹ אֱלִילִ֑ים לְמַעֲשֵׂ֤ה יָדָיו֙
NAS: has also been filled with idols; They worship
KJV: also is full of idols; they worship
INT: been filled their land idols the work of their hands

Isaiah 2:18
HEB: וְהָאֱלִילִ֖ים כָּלִ֥יל יַחֲלֹֽף׃
NAS: But the idols will completely vanish.
KJV: And the idols he shall utterly
INT: the idols will completely vanish

Isaiah 2:20
HEB: הָאָדָ֔ם אֵ֚ת אֱלִילֵ֣י כַסְפּ֔וֹ וְאֵ֖ת
NAS: and the bats Their idols of silver
KJV: shall cast his idols of silver,
INT: will cast men their idols of silver and their idols

Isaiah 2:20
HEB: כַסְפּ֔וֹ וְאֵ֖ת אֱלִילֵ֣י זְהָב֑וֹ אֲשֶׁ֤ר
NAS: of silver and their idols of gold,
KJV: of silver, and his idols of gold,
INT: their idols of silver and their idols of gold Which

Isaiah 10:10
HEB: יָדִ֔י לְמַמְלְכֹ֖ת הָאֱלִ֑יל וּפְסִ֣ילֵיהֶ֔ם מִירֽוּשָׁלִַ֖ם
NAS: to the kingdoms of the idols, Whose graven images
KJV: the kingdoms of the idols, and whose graven images
INT: my hand to the kingdoms of the idols graven of Jerusalem

Isaiah 10:11
HEB: עָשִׂ֛יתִי לְשֹׁמְר֖וֹן וְלֶאֱלִילֶ֑יהָ כֵּ֛ן אֶעֱשֶׂ֥ה
NAS: to Samaria and her idols?
KJV: unto Samaria and her idols, so do
INT: do to Samaria idols after that have done

Isaiah 19:1
HEB: מִצְרַ֔יִם וְנָע֞וּ אֱלִילֵ֤י מִצְרַ֙יִם֙ מִפָּנָ֔יו
NAS: to Egypt; The idols of Egypt
KJV: into Egypt: and the idols of Egypt
INT: to Egypt will tremble the idols of Egypt his presence

Isaiah 19:3
HEB: וְדָרְשׁ֤וּ אֶל־ הָֽאֱלִילִים֙ וְאֶל־ הָ֣אִטִּ֔ים
NAS: So that they will resort to idols and ghosts of the dead
KJV: thereof: and they shall seek to the idols, and to the charmers,
INT: will resort to idols and to the charmers

Isaiah 31:7
HEB: יִמְאָס֗וּן אִ֚ישׁ אֱלִילֵ֣י כַסְפּ֔וֹ וֶאֱלִילֵ֖י
NAS: his silver idols and his gold
KJV: shall cast away his idols of silver,
INT: will cast every idols his silver idols

Isaiah 31:7
HEB: אֱלִילֵ֣י כַסְפּ֔וֹ וֶאֱלִילֵ֖י זְהָב֑וֹ אֲשֶׁ֨ר
NAS: and his gold idols, which
KJV: of silver, and his idols of gold,
INT: idols his silver idols and his gold which

Jeremiah 14:14
HEB: [וֶאֱלוּל כ] (וֶֽאֱלִיל֙ ק) [וְתַרְמוּת
NAS: divination, futility and the deception
KJV: and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit
INT: A false divination idol deceit minds

Ezekiel 30:13
HEB: גִלּוּלִ֜ים וְהִשְׁבַּתִּ֤י אֱלִילִים֙ מִנֹּ֔ף וְנָשִׂ֥יא
NAS: the idols And make the images cease
KJV: the idols, and I will cause [their] images to cease
INT: the idols cease the images Memphis prince

Habakkuk 2:18
HEB: עָלָ֔יו לַעֲשׂ֖וֹת אֱלִילִ֥ים אִלְּמִֽים׃ ס
NAS: When he fashions speechless idols.
KJV: therein, to make dumb idols?
INT: and fashions idols speechless

Zechariah 11:17
HEB: ה֣וֹי רֹעִ֤י הָֽאֱלִיל֙ עֹזְבִ֣י הַצֹּ֔אן
NAS: Woe to the worthless shepherd
KJV: Woe to the idol shepherd that leaveth
INT: Woe shepherd to the worthless leaves the flock

20 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 457
20 Occurrences

bā·’ĕ·lî·lîm — 1 Occ.
’ĕ·lil — 1 Occ.
’ĕ·lî·lê — 4 Occ.
’ĕ·lî·lim — 6 Occ.
hā·’ĕ·lîl — 2 Occ.
hā·’ĕ·lî·lîm — 2 Occ.
we·’ĕ·lîl — 1 Occ.
we·’ĕ·lî·lê — 1 Occ.
wə·hā·’ĕ·lî·lîm — 1 Occ.
wə·le·’ĕ·lî·le·hā — 1 Occ.