What are ʾElilim?
The Hebrew word ᵓĕlīlîm is usually explained as the plural of the Hebrew adjective ᵓĕlīl (“useless, vain”), hence a dysphemism describing idols. However, the ancient versions did not understand the word this way. The word more plausibly is a loanword from the Akkadian illilu, itself a borrowing fro...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
University of Alberta Library
2020-03-01
|
| Series: | Journal of Hebrew Scriptures |
| Online Access: | https://jhsonline.org/index.php/jhs/article/view/29554 |
| _version_ | 1797866146428354560 |
|---|---|
| author | Mark W. Hamilton |
| author_facet | Mark W. Hamilton |
| author_sort | Mark W. Hamilton |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
The Hebrew word ᵓĕlīlîm is usually explained as the plural of the Hebrew adjective ᵓĕlīl (“useless, vain”), hence a dysphemism describing idols. However, the ancient versions did not understand the word this way. The word more plausibly is a loanword from the Akkadian illilu, itself a borrowing from Sumerian. The earliest attestations of ᵓĕlīlîm in Hebrew appear in Isaiah often as part of code-switching to signal the foreignness of the word itself.
|
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T23:20:27Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3009315f2a574402a37781cce29103a6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1203-1542 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T23:20:27Z |
| publishDate | 2020-03-01 |
| publisher | University of Alberta Library |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Hebrew Scriptures |
| spelling | doaj.art-3009315f2a574402a37781cce29103a62023-03-21T22:58:26ZengUniversity of Alberta LibraryJournal of Hebrew Scriptures1203-15422020-03-011910.5508/jhs29554What are ʾElilim?Mark W. Hamilton0Abilene Christian University The Hebrew word ᵓĕlīlîm is usually explained as the plural of the Hebrew adjective ᵓĕlīl (“useless, vain”), hence a dysphemism describing idols. However, the ancient versions did not understand the word this way. The word more plausibly is a loanword from the Akkadian illilu, itself a borrowing from Sumerian. The earliest attestations of ᵓĕlīlîm in Hebrew appear in Isaiah often as part of code-switching to signal the foreignness of the word itself. https://jhsonline.org/index.php/jhs/article/view/29554 |
| spellingShingle | Mark W. Hamilton What are ʾElilim? Journal of Hebrew Scriptures |
| title | What are ʾElilim? |
| title_full | What are ʾElilim? |
| title_fullStr | What are ʾElilim? |
| title_full_unstemmed | What are ʾElilim? |
| title_short | What are ʾElilim? |
| title_sort | what are ʾelilim |
| url | https://jhsonline.org/index.php/jhs/article/view/29554 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT markwhamilton whatareʾelilim |