What does אֱלִיל (ʾĕlîl) mean in the Bible?
אֱלִיל (ʾĕlîl): Idol fundamentally denotes worthlessness or insufficiency, not merely false worship but ontological emptiness.
Hebrew · H457
אֱלִיל
Good for nothing , by analogy vain or vanity ; specifically an idol
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אֱלִילH457
Pronunciationʾĕlîl
What does אֱלִיל (ʾĕlîl) mean in the Bible?
אֱלִיל (ʾĕlîl): Idol fundamentally denotes worthlessness or insufficiency, not merely false worship but ontological emptiness.
Full entry for אֱלִיל (H457) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H457?
The BSB source-word alignment has 19 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include idols (5), . . . (2), are idols (2), The idols (2), and its idols (1).
Where does אֱלִיל (ʾĕlîl) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Leviticus 19:4. Its strongest book concentrations include Isaiah (10), Leviticus (2), Psalms (2), 1 Chronicles (1).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders Itidols5×Leviticus 19:4, Leviticus 26:1, Isaiah 2:8, Isaiah 19:3
. . .2×Isaiah 2:20, Isaiah 31:7
are idols2×1 Chronicles 16:26, Psalms 96:5
The idols2×Isaiah 19:1, Isaiah 31:7
and its idols1×Isaiah 10:11
and the idols1×Isaiah 2:18
in idols1×Psalms 97:7
the idolatrous1×Isaiah 10:10
their idols1×Isaiah 2:20
to the images1×Ezekiel 30:13
to the worthless1×Zechariah 11:17
worthless1×Job 13:4
Show sample aligned rows
Leviticus 19:4הָ֣אֱלִילִ֔יםtoidolsArticle | Noun - masculine pluralLeviticus 26:1אֱלִילִ֗םtoidolsNoun - masculine plural1 Chronicles 16:26אֱלִילִ֔יםtoare idolsNoun - masculine pluralJob 13:4אֱלִ֣לtoworthlessAdjective - masculine singularPsalms 96:5אֱלִילִ֑יםtoare idolsNoun - masculine pluralPsalms 97:7בָּאֱלִילִ֑יםtoin idolsPreposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine pluralIsaiah 2:8אֱלִילִ֑יםtoidolsNoun - masculine pluralIsaiah 2:18וְהָאֱלִילִ֖יםtoand the idolsConjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine pluralIsaiah 2:20אֱלִילֵ֣יtotheir idolsNoun - masculine plural constructIsaiah 2:20אֱלִילֵ֣יto. . .Noun - masculine plural construct
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned rowLeviticus 19:4
Aligned rows19
Books represented8
Leviticus21 Chronicles1Job1Psalms2Isaiah10Ezekiel1Habakkuk1Zechariah1
Source forms
אֱלִילֵ֣י3x’ĕ·lî·lêIsaiah 2:20, Isaiah 31:7
אֱלִילִ֑ים2x’ĕ·lî·lîmPsalms 96:5, Isaiah 2:8
אֱלִילֵ֤י1x’ĕ·lî·lêIsaiah 19:1
אֱלִילִ֔ים1x’ĕ·lî·lîm1 Chronicles 16:26
אֱלִילִים֙1x’ĕ·lî·lîmEzekiel 30:13
אֱלִילִ֥ים1x’ĕ·lî·lîmHabakkuk 2:18
אֱלִילִ֗ם1x’ĕ·lî·limLeviticus 26:1
אֱלִ֣ל1x’ĕ·lilJob 13:4
Parsing patterns
Noun - masculine plural6xLeviticus 26:1, 1 Chronicles 16:26, Psalms 96:5, Isaiah 2:8
Noun - masculine plural construct4xIsaiah 2:20, Isaiah 19:1, Isaiah 31:7
Article | Noun - masculine plural2xLeviticus 19:4, Isaiah 19:3
Adjective - masculine singular1xJob 13:4
Article | Adjective - masculine singular1xZechariah 11:17
Article | Noun - masculine singular1xIsaiah 10:10
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct1xIsaiah 31:7
Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine plural1xIsaiah 2:18
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Idol fundamentally denotes worthlessness or insufficiency, not merely false worship but ontological emptiness.
Source Gloss
good for nothing , by analogy vain or vanity ; specifically an idol
Extended definitionSource: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Idol fundamentally denotes worthlessness or insufficiency, not merely false worship but ontological emptiness.
good for nothing, by analogy vain or vanity; specifically an idol BDB: insufficiency Usage: idol, no value, thing of nought.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Old Testament Witnesses
Worthless or powerless deity.
Worthless or empty things used as objects of worship.
Showing 2 selected witnesses from 20 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
אֱלִיל is built from this root:
Why This Word Matters
Egypt’s spiritual foundation collapses before the true God.Isaiah 19:1-4
The term emphasizes the futility and emptiness of the objects Judah worships, contrasting sharply with the living God.Isaiah 2:6-9
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.