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1 Kings 21:28 — Word Study

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WLCוַֽיְהִי֙ דְּבַר־ יְהוָ֔ה אֶל־ אֵלִיָּ֥הוּ הַתִּשְׁבִּ֖י לֵאמֹֽר׃

BSAThen the worddâbâr [message, declaration] of the LORDYᵉhôvâh [Yehovah, the Lord God] camehâyâh [was given, existed] toʼêl ElijahʼÊlîyâh [my God is Jehovah, the prophet] the TishbiteTishbîy [from Tishbe, a region in Gilead] sayingʼâmar [to speak, to command, to proclaim]

Word
Listen & take away1 Kings 21
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 28 is in this chapter.
Hebrew ↓ Download MP3 The Masoretic text of this chapter, read aloud. Read by Abraham Shmuelof, courtesy of Audio Scriptures International. Chapter divisions by the Academy of Ancient Languages..
Say the word Each Hebrew word carries its transliteration (le.Mor) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
1 Kings 21:28quick helps
In a sentenceThe word of the LORD comes to Elijah, directing him to speak.
Who is speakingThe LORD, addressing the prophet Elijah.
Where we areIn the narrative of Ahab's actions and God's response.
The hard wordיְהִי֙
Take awayGod's message is clear and direct.
3 commentators on this verse Gill, Trapp, Whedon & more — read them › clause verbהָיָה The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
How rare are these words?in the Old Testament

Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.

Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.

Deep Study — 1 Kings 21:28

Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.

Context — The Word of the LORD to Elijahgenerated

26He committed the most detestable acts by going after idols, just like the Amorites whom the LORD had driven out before the Israelites.)
27When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and fasted. He lay down in sackcloth and walked around meekly.
28Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying:
29“Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the calamity during his days, but I will bring it upon his house in the days of his son.”

1 Kings 21:28 describes a moment where the LORD communicates directly with Elijah, the prophet. This occurs in the context of King Ahab's actions, where God is responding to the king's humility and repentance. The passage highlights the significance of divine communication and the role of the prophet in conveying God's messages.


Cross References


The Key Word יְהִי֙, vay.Higenerated

The word יְהִי֙ (hayah) is a verb in the sequential imperfect tense, indicating an action that comes to pass or exists. It is often used in narrative contexts to denote events that occur, as seen frequently throughout the Old Testament.

This verb is foundational in Hebrew, encompassing meanings such as 'to be' or 'to become.' Its use here signifies the moment when God's word is realized or made manifest, emphasizing the immediacy of divine communication.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The finite verb יְהִי֙ governs the whole verse, indicating that the word of the LORD came to Elijah. Following this verb, the sentence structure includes a noun phrase for the subject, prepositional phrases indicating direction, and a clause that specifies the action of speaking.

The arrangement emphasizes the action of God's word coming to Elijah, highlighting the prophet's role as the recipient of divine instruction.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates יְהִי֙ as ἐγένετο (egeneto), which means 'it came to pass.' This choice reflects a common Greek idiom for the manifestation of events, aligning with the Hebrew sense of occurrence.

This translation shows a slight widening of meaning, emphasizing the unfolding of God's will through Elijah's prophetic ministry.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

1 Kings 21:28 tells us that the word of the LORD came to Elijah, instructing him to speak. This moment is significant as it shows God's direct communication with His prophet during a time of crisis in Israel.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that the word of the LORD came to Elijah?

It signifies a direct communication from God to His prophet, indicating that God has a message or instruction for Elijah.

Why is Elijah referred to as 'the Tishbite'?

This identifies Elijah's origin from Tishbe, a region in Gilead, emphasizing his background and role as a prophet.

What is the significance of God's word in this context?

God's word is authoritative and serves to guide Elijah's actions, reflecting God's ongoing relationship with His people.

How does this passage relate to Ahab's actions?

It follows Ahab's humility before God, showing that God responds to his actions by communicating through Elijah.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. How do I recognize when God is speaking to me in my life?
  2. What role do I believe prophets play in conveying God's messages today?
  3. How can I be more attentive to God's word in my daily actions?
  4. In what ways can I respond to God's guidance like Elijah did?

Commentators on this verse — 3 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on 1 Kings 21:28 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite,.... After he was gone from Ahab, and Ahab had been some time in this humble posture; the Targum calls it the word of prophecy, and so it was, as

Read John Gill on 1 Kings 21 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

1 Kings 21:28 And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,Ver. 28. And the word of the Lord.] Who had soon seen this - though but feigned and forced - humiliation, and sent words of comfort. O felix poenitentia, quae ad se Dei traxit oculos, saith Jerome. Surely if the leaves of repentance be so medicinal, much more the fruit; - if the shadow of it be so sovereign, what the substance!

Read John Trapp on 1 Kings 21 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

28. In his son’s days will I bring the evil — Jehovah makes this announcement, not because he will punish the son for the sins of his father, but because he foresees that the son will also do evil in

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on 1 Kings 21 →

The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company

Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.

Modern formal

BSBBerean Standard Bible2020

Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying:

WEBWorld English Bible2000

Yahweh’s word came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying:

NETBNew English Translation2006

The Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite,

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

And the word of Jehovah came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,

RVARevised Version, American1894

And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,

NWBWebster's Bible1833

And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,

GNVGeneva Bible1599

And the worde of the Lord came to Eliiah the Tishbite, saying,

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

And the word of Jehovah came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

And the word of Jehovah is unto Elijah the Tishbite, saying,

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

And the word of YHWH is to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Then the word of Yahweh came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

And the word of the Lord came to Elias the Thesbite, saying:

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

Then the Lord sent a message to Elijah the Tishbite:

BBEBible in Basic English1949

Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,

Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.


The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank

This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.

וַֽandclauseverbיְהִי֙it.camenoun phrase · subjectדְּבַרthe.wordיְהוָ֔הof.Yahwehprepositional phrase · prepositionalאֶלtonoun phraseאֵלִיָּ֥הוּElijahnoun phraseהַtheתִּשְׁבִּ֖יTishbiteprepositional phrase · prepositionalלֵ(cmp)clauseverbאמֹֽרsaying

Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.


The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran

The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint largely agree in this verse, with six of the seven words matching. The Septuagint's word order and articles differ, but the essential message remains consistent.

Masoretic TextLeningrad Codex, c. AD 1008 — the text this page is built on

וַֽיְהִי֙ דְּבַר־ יְהוָ֔ה אֶל־ אֵלִיָּ֥הוּ הַתִּשְׁבִּ֖י לֵאמֹֽר׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וַֽיְהִי֙ἐγένετοדְּבַר־ῥῆμαיְהוָ֔הκυρίουאֶל־ἐνאֵלִיָּ֥הוּηλιουלֵאמֹֽר׃εἶπεν

6 of the 7 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.

Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.


The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with

This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.

1 Kings 21:28הָיָהand it cameand it cameהָיָהדָּבָר[the] word [the] word ofדָּבָריהוהYahwehYahwehיהוהאֶלtotoאֶלאֵלִיָּהElijahElijahאֵלִיָּהתִּשְׁבִּיthe Tishbitthe Tishbiteתִּשְׁבִּיאָמַרsayingsayingאָמַרדָבַרto speak: to speak: speakדָבַרהָיָהto beto beהָיָהאֵלgodgodאֵלהָוָאto fallto fallהָוָאיֶ֫תֶרremainderremainderיֶ֫תֶרסֵ֫פֶרscroll: doscroll: documenסֵ֫פֶרנְאֻםutteranceutteranceנְאֻםצָבָאarmyarmyצָבָאפָּלַלto prayto prayפָּלַליִרְמְיָ֫הJeremiahJeremiahיִרְמְיָ֫התִּשְׁבִּיTishbiteTishbiteתִּשְׁבִּיאַדֶּ֫רֶתclothingclothingאַדֶּ֫רֶתאֵלִיָּהElijahElijahאֵלִיָּהאָמַרto sayto sayאָמַרכֹּהthusthusכֹּהיהוהYHWH/GodYHWH/Godיהוה
meets it a little oftener than chancemeets it far oftener than chancebuilt from the same roottwo words of the verse share ita word of this versea related word

Lexicons — every word in 1 Kings 21:28

One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.

Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.

and it came [the] word of Yahweh to Elijah the Tishbite saying
וַֽיְהִי֙vay.Hi and it came H1961 Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
3,562× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for to be means to exist or come into being. It is used to describe something that happens or comes to pass, like in Genesis where God creates the world.
Amplified meaning
was given, existed
Tyndale gloss
to be
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word הָיָה (hayah) is a primitive root meaning to exist or become, and it encompasses a range of meanings including to happen, occur, and come to pass. It is often used in narrative contexts, particularly in phrases like "and it came to pass." The word can also denote a state of being or existence, and it appears frequently in various forms throughout the Old Testament.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

הָיָה 3570 vb. fall out, come to pass, become, be

Qal

Fall out, happen

occur, take place, come about, come to pass

esp. & very oft., come about, come to pass

וַיְהִי and it came to pass that, most often (c. 292 t.)

rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה

less oft. וְהָיָה Pf. consec. and it shall come to pass, or frequentat. came to pass (repeatedly, etc.)

Come into being, become

abs., in lively narrative, arise, appear, come

sq. prep.

become

sq. pred. noun (to be viewed as implicit accus.)

sq. pred. adj.

become like

sq. pred. לְ pers.

sq. לְ pred.

oft. c. לְ pred. לְ pers.

with עַל and לְ

sts. c. לְ pers. only = became the property of, come into the possession of

Be (often with subbordinate idea of becoming)

exist, be in existence

abide, remain, continue

with word of locality, be in or at a place, be situated, stand, lie

as copula, joining subj. & pred.

Read the full entry →
Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1961 הָיָה fall out, come to pass, become, be .. . . Fall out, happen

. occur, take place, come about, come to pass

. esp. & very oft., come about, come to pass . . וַיְהִי and it came to pass that, most often (c. 292 t.)

. rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה

. less oft. וְהָיָה Pf. consec. and it shall come to pass, or frequentat. came to pass (repeatedly, etc.)

. Come into being, become . . abs., in lively narrative, arise, appear, come

. sq. prep.

. become . sq. pred. noun (to be viewed as implicit accus.)

. sq. pred. adj.

. become like

. sq. pred. + לְ pers.

. sq. לְ pred.

. oft. c. לְ pred. + לְ pers.

. with עַל and לְ

. sts. c. לְ pers. only = became the property of, come into the possession of

. Be (often with subbordinate idea of becoming) . exist, be in existence

. abide, remain, continue

Read the full entry →
Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1961 hayah haw-yaw

a primitive root (compare 1933); to exist, i.e. be or become,

come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or

auxiliary):--beacon, X altogether, be(-come), accomplished,

committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint,

fall, + follow, happen, X have, last, pertain, quit

(one-)self, require, X use.

see HEBREW for 01933

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הָיָה (ha.yah) — to be.

1) to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out

1a) (Qal)

1a1) ---

1a1a) to happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come to pass

1a1b) to come about, come to pass

1a2) to come into being, become

1a2a) to arise, appear, come

1a2b) to become

1a2b1) to become

1a2b2) to become like

1a2b3) to be instituted, be established

1a3) to be

1a3a) to exist, be in existence

1a3b) to abide, remain, continue (with word of place or time)

1a3c) to stand, lie, be in, be at, be situated (with word of locality)

1a3d) to accompany, be with

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to occur, come to pass, be done, be brought about

1b2) to be done, be finished, be gone

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
Hc/Vqw3ms
and it came [the] word of Yahweh to Elijah the Tishbite saying
דְּבַר־de.var- [the] word of H1697 Noun common · masculine singular construct
1,442× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A word or thing, like a matter or affair, as seen in the book of Chronicles where it refers to the events and words of kings. It can also mean a cause or reason for something.
Amplified meaning
message, declaration
Tyndale gloss
Chronicles
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

דָּבָר (dabar) means 'word' or 'speech' and encompasses a range of meanings including discourse, saying, and matter. It can refer to anything spoken or a topic of discussion, extending to concepts like business or affairs. The entries consistently highlight its use in various contexts, but do not indicate any significant disagreement among lexicographers.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

דָּבָר 1439 n.m. speech, word

sg. speech, discourse, saying, word, as the sum of that which is spoken

sg. saying, utterance, sentence, as a section of a discourse

sg. a word, words

sg. matter, affair, thing about which one speaks

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1697 דָּבָר speech, word . sg. speech, discourse, saying, word, as the sum of that which is spoken

. sg. saying, utterance, sentence, as a section of a discourse

. sg. a word, words

. sg. matter, affair, thing about which one speaks

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1697 dabar daw-baw'

from 1696; a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or

thing; adverbially, a cause:--act, advice, affair, answer, X

any such (thing), because of, book, business, care, case,

cause, certain rate, + chronicles, commandment, X

commune(-ication), + concern(-ing), + confer, counsel, +

dearth, decree, deed, X disease, due, duty, effect, +

eloquent, errand, (evil favoured-)ness, + glory, + harm, hurt,

+ iniquity, + judgment, language, + lying, manner, matter,

message, (no) thing, oracle, X ought, X parts, + pertaining, +

please, portion, + power, promise, provision, purpose,

question, rate, reason, report, request, X (as hast) said,

sake, saying, sentence, + sign, + so, some (uncleanness),

somewhat to say, + song, speech, X spoken, talk, task, + that,

X there done, thing (concerning), thought, + thus, tidings,

what(-soever), + wherewith, which, word, work.

see HEBREW for 01696

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

דָּבָר (da.var) — word.

: word/speech/command

1) speech, word, speaking, thing

1a) speech

1b) saying, utterance

1c) word, words

1d) business, occupation, acts, matter, case, something, manner (by extension)

דָּבָר (da.var) — word: speaking.

: speaking

1) speech, word, speaking, thing

1a) speech

1b) saying, utterance

1c) word, words

1d) business, occupation, acts, matter, case, something, manner (by extension)

דָּבָר (da.var) — word: thing.

: thing/matter

1) speech, word, speaking, thing

1a) speech

1b) saying, utterance

1c) word, words

1d) business, occupation, acts, matter, case, something, manner (by extension)

דָּבָר (da.var) — word: promised.

: promised/duty

1) speech, word, speaking, thing

1a) speech

1b) saying, utterance

1c) word, words

1d) business, occupation, acts, matter, case, something, manner (by extension)

דָּבָר (da.var) — word: deed.

: deed

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular construct
HNcmsc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ov:

(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.

English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.

I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.

For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.

Lamentations 3:1.

The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.

Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.

That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.

Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…

and it came [the] word of Yahweh to Elijah the Tishbite saying
יְהוָ֔הYah.weh Yahweh H3068 Noun proper
6,528× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Yehovah is another name for God, often translated as 'the Lord'. It is a national name for God in the Jewish faith. This name is used throughout the Old Testament.
Amplified meaning
Yehovah, the Lord God
Tyndale gloss
The Lord
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) is the proper name of the God of Israel, often rendered as Jehovah or the Lord. It signifies the self-existent or eternal nature of God. The name is closely associated with the revelation to Moses in Exodus 3:12-15 and is used in conjunction with other terms to denote sacred places. Some scholars suggest it derives from a root meaning 'to bring into being.'

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יהוה c. 6823 i.e. יַהְוֶה n.pr.dei Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel—(1. MT יְהֹוָה 6518 (Qr אֲדֹנָי), or יֱהֹוִה 305 (Qr אֱלֹהִים) 2. Many recent scholars explain יַהְוֶה as Hiph. of הוה (= היה) the one bringing into being, life-giver)

יהוה is not used by E in Gn, but is given Ex 3:12-15 as the name of the God who revealed Himself to Moses at Horeb

יהוה is used with אלהים and suffixes, especially in D

the phrase † אֲנִי יהוה is noteworthy

יהוה is also used with several predicates, to form sacred names of holy places of Yahweh

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3068 יהוה i.e. יַהְוֶה n. pr. dei Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3068 Yhovah yeh-ho-vaw'

from 1961; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish

national name of God:--Jehovah, the Lord. Compare 3050, 3069.

see HEBREW for 01961

see HEBREW for 03050

see HEBREW for 03069

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — LORD.

Jehovah = "the existing One"

1) the proper name of the one true God

1a) unpronounced except with the vowel pointings of a.do.na (אֲדֹנָי "Lord" H0136)

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — The Lord.

Another name of ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — (Jerusalem of) the Lord.

Combined with ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper
HNpt
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and it came [the] word of Yahweh to Elijah the Tishbite saying
אֶל־'el- to H413 Preposition
5,518× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means 'to' or 'toward', showing direction or movement. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus, to indicate where someone is going. The KJV translates it in various ways, like 'about', 'according to', or 'against'.
Tyndale gloss
to(wards)
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word אֶל (el) is primarily a preposition indicating motion towards or direction to a person or place. It can also imply entering a limit, presence at a location, or a hostile direction (against). Additionally, it may express concepts such as concerning, in addition to, or according to. The entries highlight its versatility in both physical and metaphorical contexts.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֶל (nearly always followed by Makkeph),

prep. denoting motion to or direction towards (whether physical or mental).of motion to or unto a person or place

Where the limit is actually entered, into

Of direction towards anything

Where the motion or direction implied appears from the context to be of a hostile character, אֶל = against

Unto sometimes acquires from the context the sense of in addition to

Metaph. in regard to, concerning, on account of

Of rule or standard according to (rare)

Expressing presence at a spot, against, at, by, not merely after verbs implying motion

Prefixed to other preps. it combines with them the idea of motion or direction to

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H413 אֶל (nearly always followed by Makkeph), . of motion to or unto a person or place

. Where the limit is actually entered, into

. Of direction towards anything

. Where the motion or direction implied appears from the context to be of a hostile character, אֶל = against

. Unto sometimes acquires from the context the sense of in addition to

. Metaph. in regard to, concerning, on account of

. Of rule or standard according to (rare)

. Expressing presence at a spot, against, at, by, not merely after verbs implying motion

. Prefixed to other preps. it combines with them the idea of motion or direction to

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

413 'el ale

(but only used in the shortened constructive form sel {el});

a primitive particle; properly, denoting motion towards, but

occasionally used of a quiescent position, i.e. near, with or

among; often in general, to:--about, according to ,after,

against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and,

by, concerning, for, from, X hath, in(- to), near, (out) of,

over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether,

with(-in).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֶל (el) — to(wards).

1) to, toward, unto (of motion)

2) into (limit is actually entered)

2a) in among

3) toward (of direction, not necessarily physical motion)

4) against (motion or direction of a hostile character)

5) in addition to, to

6) concerning, in regard to, in reference to, on account of

7) according to (rule or standard)

8) at, by, against (of one's presence)

9) in between, in within, to within, unto (idea of motion to)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep — Preposition
HR
and it came [the] word of Yahweh to Elijah the Tishbite saying
אֵלִיָּ֥הוּ'e.li.Ya.hu Elijah H452 Noun proper masculine
71× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Elijah means my God is Jehovah, referring to the famous prophet who lived during King Ahab's reign. He is also the name of two other Israelites mentioned in the Bible. Elijah is known for his bravery and faith in God.
Amplified meaning
my God is Jehovah, the prophet
Tyndale gloss
Elijah
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֵלִיָּה (Eliyah) means "Yah(u) is God" and refers primarily to the prophet Elijah, known for his role during the reign of Ahab. The name also applies to a Benjamite, a son of Elam, and a priest from Ezra's time. The entries consistently highlight Elijah's significance, with no notable disagreements among the lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֵלִיָּה; אֵלִיָּ֫הוּ n.pr.m. (Yah(u) is God)

Elijah, the great prophet of the reign of Ahab

Benjamite

a priest of Ezra’s time

a son of Elam

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H452 אֵלִיָּה; אֵלִיָּ֫הוּ (Yah(u) is God) . Elijah, the great prophet of the reign of Ahab

. Benjamite

. a priest of Ezra’s time

. a son of Elam

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

452 'Eliyah ay-lee-yaw'

or prolonged tEliyahuw {ay-lee-yaw'-hoo}; from 410 and 3050;

God of Jehovah; Elijah, the name of the famous prophet and of

two other Israelites:--Elijah, Eliah.

see HEBREW for 0410

see HEBREW for 03050

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֵלִיָּה (e.liy.yah) — Elijah.

A prophet living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ki.17.1

Also named: Hēlias (Ἡλίας "Elijah" G2243)

§ Elijah or Eliah = "my God is Jehovah" or "Yah(u) is God"

1) the great prophet of the reign of Ahab

2) Benjamite son of Jeroham

3) a son of Elam with foreign wife during exile

4) a son of Harim, and priest, with foreign wife during exile

אֵלִיָּה (e.liy.yah) — Elijah.

A man of the tribe of Benjamin living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ch.8.27;

son of: Jeroham (H3395H);

brother of: Shamsherai (H8125), Shehariah (H7841), Athaliah (H6271H), Jaareshiah (H3298) and Zichri (H2147J)

§ Elijah or Eliah = "my God is Jehovah" or "Yah(u) is God"

1) the great prophet of the reign of Ahab

2) Benjamite son of Jeroham

3) a son of Elam with foreign wife during exile

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper masculine
HNpm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

e-li'-ja ('eliyahu or (4 times) 'eliyah, "Yah is God"; Septuagint Eleiou, New Testament Eleias or Elias, the King James Version of New Testament Elias):

Contents

I. THE WORKS OF ELIJAH

1. The Judgment of Drought 2. The Ordeal by Prayer 3. At Horeb 4. The Case of Naboth 5. Elijah and Ahaziah 6. Elijah Translated 7. The Letter to Jehoram

II. THE WORK OF ELIJAH

III. CHARACTER OF THE PROPHET

IV. MIRACLES IN THE ELIJAH NARRATIVES

V. ELIJAH IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

VI. LITERATURE

(1) The great prophet of the times of Ahab, king of Israel. Elijah is identified at his first appearance (1Ki 17:1) as "Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the sojourners of Gilead." Thus his native place must have been called Tishbeh. A Tishbeh (Thisbe) in the territory of Naphtali is known from Tobit 1:2; but if (with most modern commentators) the reading of the Septuagint in…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Elijah

Whose God is Jehovah. (1.) “The Tishbite,” the “Elias” of the New Testament, is suddenly introduced to our notice in 1 Kings 17:1 as delivering a message from the Lord to Ahab. There is mention made of a town called Thisbe, south of Kadesh, but it is impossible to say whether this was the place referred to in the name given to the prophet.

Having delivered his message to Ahab, he retired at the command of God to a hiding-place by the brook Cherith, beyond Jordan, where he was fed by ravens. When the brook dried up God sent him to the widow of Zarephath, a city of Zidon, from whose scanty store he was supported for the space of two years. During this period the widow’s son died, and was restored to life by Elijah (1 Kings 17: 2-24).

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(my God is Jehovah) has been well entitled "the grandest and the most romantic character that Israel ever produced." "Elijah the Tishbite,... of the inhabitants of Gilead" is literally all that is given us to know of his parentage and locality. Of his appearance as he "stood before" Ahab (B.C. 910) with the suddenness of motion to this day characteristic of the Bedouins from his native hills, we can perhaps realize something from the touches, few but strong, of the narrative. His chief characteristic was his hair, long and thick, and hanging down his back. His ordinary clothing consisted of a girdle of skin round his loins, which he tightened when about to move quickly. (1 Kings 18:46) But in addition to this he occasionally wore the "mantle" or cape of sheepskin which has supplied us with one of our most familiar figures of speech.…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The prophet, a native of Tishbeh in Gilead, 1Ki 17:1. His parentage and early history are unknown. His bold faithfulness provoked the wrath of Ahab and Jezebel, especially when he threatened several years of drought and famine as a punishment for the sins of Israel, B. C. 908. By the divine direction the prophet took refuge on the bank of the brook Cherith, where he was miraculously fed by ravens. Thence he resorted to Zarephath, in Phoenicia; where one miracle provided him with sustenance and another restored to life the child of his hostess. Returning to King Ahab, he procured the great assembling at mount Carmel, where God "answered by fire," and the prophets of Baal were destroyed. Now too the long and terrible drought was broken, and a plentiful rain descended at the prophet’s prayer. Finding that not even these mighty works of…

and it came [the] word of Yahweh to Elijah the Tishbite saying
הַתִּשְׁבִּ֖יha.tish.Bi the Tishbite H8664 Particle · noun gentilic masculine singular absolute
6× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Tishbi refers to someone from Tishbe, a region in Gilead. The prophet Elijah was a Tishbite, meaning he was from this area.
Amplified meaning
from Tishbe, a region in Gilead
Tyndale gloss
Tishbite
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

תִּשְׁבִּי (Tishbiy) refers to a Tishbite, an inhabitant of Tishbeh in Gilead. The term is derived from a name that suggests a meaning related to recourse or captivity. The entries indicate that it is used as a gentilic adjective.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

תִּשְׁבִּי adj.gent.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8664 תִּשְׁבִּי

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8664 Tishbiy tish-bee'

patrial from an unused name meaning recourse; a Tishbite or

inhabitant of Tishbeh (in Gilead):--Tishbite.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

תִּשְׁבִּי (tish.bi) — Tishbite.

Group of tish.beh (תִּשְׁבֶּה "Tishbe" H8453B)

§ Tishbite = "captivity"

an inhabitant of Tishbe or Tishbi or Tesheb

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | Ngmsa — Particle · noun gentilic masculine singular absolute
HTd/Ngmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

tish'-bit.

See ELIJAH; Expostory Times, XII, 383.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Tishbite

Elijah the prophet was thus named (1 Kings 17:1; 21:17, 28, etc.). In 1 Kings 17:1 the word rendered “inhabitants” is in the original the same as that rendered “Tishbite,” hence that verse may be read as in the LXX., “Elijah the Tishbite of Tishbi in Gilead.” Some interpret this word as meaning “stranger,” and read the verse, “Elijah the stranger from among the strangers in Gilead.” This designation is probably given to the prophet as denoting that his birthplace was Tishbi, a place in Upper Galilee (mentioned in the apocryphal book of Tobit), from which for some reason he migrated into Gilead. Josephus, the Jewish historian (Ant. 8:13, 2), however, supposes that Tishbi was some place in the land of Gilead. It has been identified by some with el-Ishtib, a some place 22…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

From Tishbe in the tribe of Naphtali, where Elijah was born, 1Ki 17:1. It is mentioned in one of the apocryphal books.

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

that makes captive

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and it came [the] word of Yahweh to Elijah the Tishbite saying
לֵאמֹֽר׃le.Mor saying H559 Preposition · verb qal infinitive construct common
5,309× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to say or speak, and it's used in many different ways in the Bible. It can mean to command, promise, or think, and it's translated in the KJV as 'answer', 'appoint', or 'command'.
Amplified meaning
to speak, to command, to proclaim
Tyndale gloss
to say
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אָמַר (amar) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to say' or 'to utter,' with a broad range of uses including to promise, command, or even boast. It appears in various forms, such as in the Qal (to say), Niphal (to be told), and Hiphil (to avow). The entries highlight its versatility in both spoken and internal contexts, though no specific verse is noted.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אָמַר 5287 vb. utter, say

Qal

Say

Say in the heart (= think)

Promise

Command (esp. late)

Niph. be said, told

Hiph. avow, avouch (lit. cause to declare)

Hithp. act proudly, boast

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H559 אָמַר utter, say .. Say

. Say in the heart (= think)

. Promise

. Command (esp. late)

. be said, told

. avow, avouch (lit. cause to declare)

. act proudly, boast

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

559 'amar aw-mar'

a primitive root; to say (used with great

latitude):--answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call,

certify, challenge, charge, + (at the, give) command(-ment),

commune, consider, declare, demand, X desire, determine, X

expressly, X indeed, X intend, name, X plainly, promise,

publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), X still, X

suppose, talk, tell, term, X that is, X think, use (speech),

utter, X verily, X yet.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אָמַר (a.mar) — to say.

1) to say, speak, utter

1a) (Qal) to say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend

1b) (Niphal) to be told, to be said, to be called

1c) (Hithpael) to boast, to act proudly

1d) (Hiphil) to avow, to avouch

Aramaic equivalent: a.mar (אֲמַר "to say" H0560)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | V-Qal-Inf-a — Preposition · verb qal infinitive construct common
HR/Vqcc
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
Sources on this page. Lexicons and dictionaries imported from the CrossWire SWORD modules — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, Dodson, the Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones, Robinson and Packard, Webster and Cawdrey. Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Harper, 1889 — Grimm’s Wilke’s Clavis Novi Testamenti, translated, revised and enlarged by Joseph Henry Thayer) is public domain and is set here from the Internet Archive page scan greekenglishlex00grim; it is uncorrected OCR, marked as such on the entry itself, and the Strong’s numbers — which Thayer’s own edition does not carry — were matched by lemma against the other modules on this page. Trench’s Synonyms of the New Testament (Macmillan, 1880) and Moulton and Milligan’s Vocabulary of the Greek Testament (Hodder & Stoughton, 1930, which entered the United States public domain on 1 January 2026) are set from Internet Archive page scans synonymsofnewtes00treniala and vocabularyofgree00mouluoft, and are likewise uncorrected OCR matched to Strong’s numbers by lemma. Trench treats a group of words at once, so the same essay stands on the page of each word it compares. The Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary is © 1993 and is used here by permission for non-commercial use, www.teknia.com/greek-dictionary. The full Liddell-Scott-Jones and the Hebrew word data (TAHOT) come from STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0. Brown-Driver-Briggs is the OpenScriptures digitisation, public domain. Syntax analysis is the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (biblicalhumanities.org); the concordance and morphology are built from the tagged Nestle 1904 text. Septuagint occurrences use the Open Scriptures Septuagint lemma index, derived from CCAT (University of Pennsylvania) and the Rahlfs 1935 dataset by Eliran Wong, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 — used here on a non-commercial ministry site. Greek of Josephus and Barnabas from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA 4.0. Commentaries and the Ante-Nicene Fathers are public-domain texts hosted on this site. Everyday Greek from the Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri, CC BY 3.0, with dates and provenance from the Heidelberger Gesamtverzeichnis. Philo and the Apostolic Fathers from Open Greek and Latin (First1KGreek), CC BY-SA 4.0. The apparatus and the fifth Greek column are the SBL Greek New Testament, © 2010 SBL and Logos Bible Software, CC BY 4.0. The Latin is the Clementine Vulgate (public domain); the Syriac New Testament is the ETCBC edition (MIT licence). The Hebrew behind the Greek is computed here from the Septuagint index and TAHOT, not taken from any aligned edition. The translation spread and the per-word edition marks come from the Translators Amalgamated Greek NT (STEPBible, CC BY 4.0); clause roles from the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (CC BY-SA 4.0); place identifications and their confidence from OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding (CC BY 4.0), with map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Gospel parallels are computed here from shared uncommon vocabulary, not taken from any printed harmony. Cross references are the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and the subject headings are Nave’s Topical Bible, both public domain. Works under Creative Commons licences are used unchanged apart from markup removal.

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