What does עֶלְיוֹן (‘elyôn) mean in the Bible?
עֶלְיוֹן (‘elyôn): Means "highest/most elevated"; as divine title, designates God's absolute supremacy and transcendence above all creation.
Hebrew · H5945
עֶלְיוֹן
An elevation , i.e. (adj.) lofty (compar.); as title, the Supreme
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עֶלְיוֹן H5945
Pronunciation ‘elyôn
What does עֶלְיוֹן (‘elyôn) mean in the Bible?
עֶלְיוֹן (‘elyôn): Means "highest/most elevated"; as divine title, designates God's absolute supremacy and transcendence above all creation.
Full entry for עֶלְיוֹן (H5945) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H5945?
The BSB source-word alignment has 53 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include Most High (9), of the Most High (8), the Most High (4), the Upper (4), of the upper (3).
Where does עֶלְיוֹן (‘elyôn) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 14:18. Its strongest book concentrations include Psalms (22), 2 Chronicles (5), Genesis (5), Deuteronomy (3).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It Most High 9× Genesis 14:18, Genesis 14:19, Genesis 14:20, Genesis 14:22
of the Most High 8× 2 Samuel 22:14, Psalms 18:13, Psalms 21:7, Psalms 77:10
the Most High 4× Psalms 46:4, Psalms 91:9, Isaiah 14:14, Lamentations 3:35
the Upper 4× 2 Kings 15:35, 2 Chronicles 23:20, 2 Chronicles 27:3, 2 Chronicles 32:30
of the upper 3× 2 Kings 18:17, Isaiah 36:2, Ezekiel 9:2
a heap of rubble 2× 1 Kings 9:8, 2 Chronicles 7:21
are Most High 2× Psalms 83:18, Psalms 97:9
O Most High 2× Psalms 9:2, Psalms 92:1
the highest 2× Psalms 89:27, Ezekiel 41:7
. . . 1× Deuteronomy 28:1
[that feeds] the upper 1× Isaiah 7:3
against the Most High 1× Psalms 78:17
and the Most High 1× Psalms 87:5
and Upper 1× 1 Chronicles 7:24
at the Upper 1× Jeremiah 20:2
Does the Most High 1× Psalms 73:11
from the Most High 1× Numbers 24:16
from the upper 1× Nehemiah 3:25
high 1× Deuteronomy 26:19
In the top 1× Genesis 40:17
Now the upper 1× Ezekiel 42:5
to the Most High 1× Psalms 50:14
to Upper 1× Joshua 16:5
Upper 1× 2 Chronicles 8:5
When the Most High 1× Deuteronomy 32:8
which was in the upper 1× Jeremiah 36:10
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 14:18 עֶלְיֽוֹן׃ to Most High Adjective - masculine singular Genesis 14:19 עֶלְי֔וֹן to Most High Adjective - masculine singular Genesis 14:20 עֶלְי֔וֹן to Most High Adjective - masculine singular Genesis 14:22 עֶלְי֔וֹן to Most High Adjective - masculine singular Genesis 40:17 הָֽעֶלְי֔וֹן to In the top Article | Adjective - masculine singular Numbers 24:16 עֶלְי֑וֹן to from the Most High Adjective - masculine singular Deuteronomy 26:19 עֶלְי֗וֹן to high Adjective - masculine singular Deuteronomy 28:1 עֶלְי֔וֹן to . . . Adjective - masculine singular Deuteronomy 32:8 עֶלְיוֹן֙ to When the Most High Adjective - masculine singular Joshua 16:5 עֶלְיֽוֹן׃ to to Upper Adjective - masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 14:18
Aligned rows 53
Books represented 15
Genesis 5 Numbers 1 Deuteronomy 3 Joshua 1 2 Samuel 1 1 Kings 1 2 Kings 2 1 Chronicles 1 2 Chronicles 5 Nehemiah 1 Psalms 22 Isaiah 3 Jeremiah 2 Lamentations 2 Ezekiel 3
Source forms
עֶלְיֽוֹן׃ 9x ‘el·yō·wn Genesis 14:18, Joshua 16:5, Psalms 7:17, Psalms 9:2
עֶלְי֔וֹן 6x ‘el·yō·wn Genesis 14:19, Genesis 14:20, Genesis 14:22, Deuteronomy 28:1
הָֽעֶלְי֔וֹן 5x hā·‘el·yō·wn Genesis 40:17, 2 Chronicles 8:5, 2 Chronicles 32:30, Nehemiah 3:25
עֶ֝לְי֗וֹן 5x ‘el·yō·wn Psalms 21:7, Psalms 78:17, Psalms 83:18, Psalms 89:27
עֶלְי֑וֹן 4x ‘el·yō·wn Numbers 24:16, Psalms 57:2, Psalms 78:56, Psalms 91:1
עֶלְי֣וֹן 3x ‘el·yō·wn Psalms 47:2, Psalms 82:6, Psalms 107:11
הָעֶלְי֑וֹן 2x hā·‘el·yō·wn 1 Chronicles 7:24, 2 Chronicles 27:3
הָעֶלְיוֹנָ֔ה 2x hā·‘el·yō·w·nāh Isaiah 7:3, Isaiah 36:2
Parsing patterns
Adjective - masculine singular 32x Genesis 14:18, Genesis 14:19, Genesis 14:20, Genesis 14:22
Article | Adjective - masculine singular 11x Genesis 40:17, 2 Kings 15:35, 1 Chronicles 7:24, 2 Chronicles 8:5
Article | Adjective - feminine singular 4x 2 Kings 18:17, Isaiah 7:3, Isaiah 36:2, Ezekiel 41:7
Conjunctive waw | Adjective - masculine singular 2x 2 Samuel 22:14, Psalms 18:13
Preposition-l | Adjective - masculine singular 2x Psalms 50:14, Isaiah 14:14
Article | Adjective - feminine plural 1x Ezekiel 42:5
Preposition-b | Adjective - masculine singular 1x Psalms 73:11
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Means "highest/most elevated"; as divine title, designates God's absolute supremacy and transcendence above all creation.
Source Gloss
an elevation , i.e. (adj.) lofty (compar.); as title, the Supreme
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Means "highest/most elevated"; as divine title, designates God's absolute supremacy and transcendence above all creation.
an elevation, i.e. (adj.) lofty (compar.); as title, the Supreme BDB: high Usage: (Most, on) high(-er, -est), upper(-most).
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
The supreme and exalted God.
Most High; the Supreme One who is above all others
Additional Occurrences
Psalms 7:14-17 עֶלְיוֹן ‘elyôn
Most High
Showing 3 selected witnesses from 53 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
Why This Word Matters
The ambition to rival the Most High defines the gravity of the king’s pride. Isaiah 14:12-15
Canonical Themes
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.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain