אֵל
Definition
The Hebrew word אֵל (ʼêl) is a noun most fundamentally meaning 'these' or 'these things.' In its single biblical occurrence in Ezra 5:15, it functions as a demonstrative pronoun, referring to specific temple vessels. It is the Aramaic form corresponding to the more common Hebrew demonstrative אֵלֶּה (ʼēlleh, H428). While its primary sense is demonstrative, it is crucial to distinguish it from the identically spelled but unrelated noun אֵל (ʼēl, H410), which means 'god' or 'God.' The context of Ezra 5:15 makes its meaning as 'these' clear.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only once in the entire Old Testament, in Ezra 5:15. It appears within the official Aramaic correspondence (Ezra 4:8–6:18) regarding the rebuilding of the Jerusalem temple. In this context, King Cyrus commands that the gold and silver vessels taken from the temple be returned, saying, 'Take these vessels...' (Ezra 5:15). Its usage is strictly as a demonstrative pronoun within formal Aramaic legal and administrative language.
Etymology
אֵל (ʼêl, H412) is an Aramaic word, borrowed into the Hebrew text of Ezra. It corresponds directly to the Hebrew demonstrative pronoun אֵלֶּה (ʼēlleh, H428), meaning 'these.' The word derives from a common Semitic demonstrative root. Its presence in Ezra highlights the linguistic shift during the post-exilic period, where Aramaic was the lingua franca of the Persian Empire and heavily influenced administrative sections of biblical books.
Semantic Range
The use of this Aramaic word in Ezra reflects the historical and cultural reality of the Jewish people under Persian rule after the exile. Aramaic was the official language of administration and international communication in the Persian Empire. Its inclusion in scripture shows the adaptation of God's people to a new cultural and political context while preserving their religious identity and history. The word itself, meaning 'these,' points to the tangible vessels of worship, connecting the restored community to the physical artifacts of their pre-exilic temple.
אֵלֶּה (ʼēlleh, H428) — The standard Hebrew demonstrative pronoun meaning 'these,' used throughout the Hebrew Old Testament.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
Full methodology & sources →