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Elam

Original Hebrew / Aramaic / Greek connected to this term

How to read this: there is rarely one magic “true meaning” hidden behind an English word. A lexicon records a word’s semantic range. The intended meaning is narrowed by grammar, sentence, author, historical usage and context.

HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H5867

עֵילָם

e.lam — Elam

§ Elam = "eternity" a province east of Babylon and northeast of the lower Tigris

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HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H758

אֲרָם

a.ram — Aram

A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.10.22; son of: Shem (H8035); brother of: Asshur (H0804H), Elam (H5867C), Arpachshad (H0775) and Lud (H3865); father of: Uz (H5780), Hul (H2343), Gether (H1666) and Mash (H4851) § Aram or Arameans = "exalted" 1) Aram or Syrian nation 2) the Syrian or Aramean people Aram = "exalted" n m 3) fifth son of Shem 4) a grandson of Nahor 5) a descendant of Asher

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HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H452

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

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HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H2148

זְכַרְיָהוּ

ze.khar.yah — Zechariah

A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at 1Ch.9.21; son of: Meshelemiah (H4920); brother of: Jediael (H3043J), Zebadiah (H2069J), Jathniel (H3496), Elam (H5867H), Jehohanan (H3076I) and Eliehoenai (H0454A) § Zechariah = "Jehovah remembers" 1) king of Israel, son of Jeroboam II 2) son of Meshelemiah of Shelemiah, a Korhite, and keeper of the north gate of the tabernacle of the congregation 3) one of the sons of Jehiel 4) a Levite of the second order in the temple band in the time of David 5) one of the princes of Judah in the reign of Jehoshaphat 6) son of the high priest Jehoiada, in the reign of Joash king of Judah, who was stoned in the court of the temple 7) a Kohathite Levite in the reign of Josiah 8) the leader of the sons of Pharosh who returned with Ezra 9) son of Bebai 10) one of the chiefs of the people whom Ezra summoned in council at the river Ahava; stood at Ezra's left hand when Ezra expounded the law to the people 11) one of the family of Elam who had married a foreign wife after the captivity 12) ancestor of Athaiah or Uthai 13) a Shilonite, descendant of Perez, grandfather of Athaiah 14) a priest, son of Pashur 15) the representative of the priestly family of Iddo in the days of Joiakim the son of Jeshua; possibly the same as 1 above 16) one of the priests, son of Jonathan, who blew with the trumpets at the dedication of the city wall by Ezra and Nehemiah 17) a chief of the Reubenites at the time of the captivity by Tiglath-pileser 18) one of the priests who accompanied the ark from the house of Obed-edom 19) son of Isshiah of Jesiah, a Kohathite Levite descended from Uzziel 20) 4th son of Hosah, of the children of Merari 21) a Manassite, father of Iddo 22) father of Jahaziel. He prophesied in the spirit 23) one of the sons of Jehoshaphat 24) a prophet in the reign of Uzziah, who appears to have acted as the king's counsellor, but of whom nothing is known 25) father of Abijah or Abi, Hezekiah's mother 26) one of the family of Asaph in the reign of Hezekiah 27) one of the rulers of the temple in the reign of Josiah 28) son of Jeberechiah who was taken by the prophet Isaiah as one of the 'faithful witnesses to record' when he wrote concerning Maher-shalal-hash-baz

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HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H8098

שְׁמַעְיָ֫הוּ

she.ma.yah — Shemaiah

A prophet living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ki.12.22 § Shemaiah = "heard by Jehovah" 1) a prophet of the Lord in the reign of king Rehoboam of Judah 2) the Nehelamite, a false prophet in the time of the prophet Jeremiah 3) father of Delaiah, one of the princes of Judah in the time of the prophet Jeremiah 4) an inhabitant of Kirjathjearim and father of Urijah, a prophet of the Lord in the time of the prophet Jeremiah 5) a Judaite, son of Shechaniah, father of Hattush, and descendant of Zerubbabel 6) a Simeonite, father of Shimri 7) a Reubenite, son of Joel and father of Gog 8) a Merarite Levite, son of Hasshub in the time of Nehemiah 9) a Levite, son of Galal and father of Obadiah 10) a Levite and head of the family of the sons of Elizaphan who were commissioned to bring the ark to Jerusalem in the time of David 11) a Levite and scribe, son of Nethaneel in the time of David 12) a Levite, 1st son of Obed-Edom in the time of David 13) a Levite, descendant of Jeduthun the singer in the time of king Hezekiah of Judah 14) a Levite, one of the messengers of Ezra to Iddo 15) a Levite in the time of king Jehoshaphat of Judah 16) a Levite, one of several in charge of distributing the free will offerings brought to God to their Levite brethren in the time of king Hezekiah of Judah 17) a Levite in the time of king Josiah of Judah 18) head of a family of exiles who returned with Ezra 19) a priest, of the sons of Harim who had a foreign wife in the time of Ezra 20) an Israelite of the sons of Harim who had a foreign wife in the time of Ezra 21) son of Delaiah, grandson of Mehetabeel, and a false prophet hired by Tobiah and Sanballat to give false guidance to Nehemiah 22) a priest who sealed the covenant with Nehemiah and participated in the dedication of the wall 23) a priest who returned from exile with Zerubbabel 24) a leader of the people at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem in the time of Nehemiah 25) grandfather of the priest Zechariah who participated in the dedication of the wall in the time of Nehemiah 26) another of the priests who along with 25 took part in the dedication of the wall in the time of Nehemiah

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HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H6539

פָּרַס

pa.ras — Persia

§ Persia = "pure" or "splendid" the empire Persia; encompassed the territory from India on the east to Egypt and Thrace on the west, and included, besides portions of Europe and Africa, the whole of western Asia between the Black Sea, the Caucasus, the Caspian and the Jaxartes on the north, the Arabian desert, the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean on the south Persia proper was bounded on the west by Susiana or Elam, on the north by Media, on the south by the Persian Gulf and on the east by Carmania Persian, of Persia "pure" or "splendid"

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HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H6271

עֲתַלְיָ֫הוּ

a.tal.yah — Athaliah

A queen living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 2Ki.8.26; daughter of: Ahab (H0256); sister of: Joash (H3101H), Ahaziah (H0274) and Joram (H3141H); married to Jehoram (H3088); mother of: Ahaziah (H0274H) and Jehosheba (H3089) § Athaliah = "afflicted of the Lord" 1) son of Jeroham of the tribe of Benjamin 2) father of Jeshaiah of the sons of Elam who was one of the heads of a family who returned with Ezra from exile 3) the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel and the wife of king Jehoram of Judah; killer of all the members of the royal family of Judah with the exception of one baby named Joash who was hidden by the high priest Jehoiada until 6 years had passed and Jehoiada led the revolution to put him on the throne, overthrowing Athaliah and putting her to death

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HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H4983

מַתַּנְיָ֫הוּ

mat.tan.yah — Mattaniah

A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at 1Ch.9.15; son of: Mica (H4316) § Mattaniah = "gift of Jehovah" 1) the original name of the last king of Judah before the captivity; also known as 'Zedekiah' 2) a Levite, son of Heman, whose office was to blow the horns in the temple service as appointed by David 3) a Levite of the family of Asaph 4) a Levite of the family of Asaph who assisted in the purification of the temple in the reign of Hezekiah 5) a Levite of the family of Asaph who took part in the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem; leader of the temple choir 6) a Levite, descendant of Asaph and ancestor of Jahaziel in the time of Jehoshaphat 7) another Levite in the time of Nehemiah 8) a Levite, father of Zaccur and ancestor of Hanan the under-treasurer who had charge of the offerings in the time of Nehemiah 9) a man of the sons of Elam who had and put away a strange wife in the time of Ezra 10) a man of the sons of Zattu who had and put away a strange wife in the time of Ezra 11) a man descended from Pahath-moab who had and put away a strange wife in the time of Ezra 12) a man of the sons of Bani who had and put away a strange wife in the time of Ezra

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HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H8035

שֵׁם

shem — Shem

A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.5.32; son of: Noah (H5146); brother of: Ham (H2526) and Japheth (H3315); father of: Asshur (H0804H), Elam (H5867C), Arpachshad (H0775), Lud (H3865) and Aram (H0758) Also named: Sēm (Σήμ "Shem" G4590) § Shem = "name" the eldest son of Noah and progenitor of the Semitic tribes

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HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H3171

יְחִיאֵל

ye.chi.el — Jehiel

A man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ch.15.18 § Jehiel = "God lives" 1) a Levite and one of the chief musicians in the time of David 2) a Gershonite Levite who had charge of the treasures in the time of David 3) son of Hachmoni and an officer of David and tutor of David's sons 4) a son of king Jehoshaphat of Judah put to death by his brother Jehoram 5) Hemanite who took part in the restoration of king Hezekiah 6) a Levite and overseer in the time of Hezekiah 7) a ruler of the temple during the reforms of Josiah 8) father of Obadiah of the sons of Joab in the time of Ezra 9) father of Shechaniah of the sons of Elam in the time of Ezra 10) a son of Elam who put away his foreign wife in the time of Ezra 11) a priest of the sons of Harim who also had to put away his foreign wife in the time of Ezra

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HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H3406

יְרִימוֹת

ye.ri.mot — Jerimoth

A man of the tribe of Benjamin living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, only mentioned at 1Ch.7.7; son of: Bela (H1106A); brother of: Ard (H0714H), Naaman (H5283H), Ezbon (H0675H), Uzzi (H5813I), Uzziel (H5816I), Iri (H5901), Addar (H0146H), Gera (H1617I), Abihud (H0031), Abishua (H0050H) and Ahoah (H0265) § Jerimoth or Jeremoth = "He is Most High" 1) a Benjamite, son of Bela and head of a house of Benjamite 2) a Benjamite, son of Becher and head of a house of Benjamite 3) a Benjamite, son of Beriah and grandson of Elpaal 4) a Merarite Levite, son of Mushi 5) one of the men that joined David in the wilderness 6) a Levite, son of Heman and head of the 15th course of musicians 7) a Levite in the reign of Hezekiah 8) a son of Azriel, ruler of the tribe of Naphtali in the reign of David 9) a son of king David and the father of the wife of Rehoboam 10) a son of Elam, a man with a foreign wife in the time of Ezra 11) a son of Zattu, a man with a foreign wife in the time of Ezra

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HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H2605

חָנָן

cha.nan — Hanan

A man of the tribe of Benjamin living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ch.8.23; son of: Shashak (H8349); brother of: Ishpan (H3473), Eber (H5677J), Eliel (H0447I), Abdon (H5658I), Zichri (H2147I), Hananiah (H2608O), Elam (H5867), Anthothijah (H6070), Iphdeiah (H3301) and Penuel (H6439I) § Canan or Hanan = "he is merciful" 1) one of the chief people of the tribe of Benjamin 2) last of the 6 sons of Azel, a descendant of Saul 3) son of Maachah, one of David's mighty warriors 4) father of some sons who returned from exile with Zerubbabel 5) one of the Levites who assisted Ezra in his public exposition of the law 6) one of the heads of the people who also sealed the covenant with Nehemiah 7) another of the chief laymen who also sealed the covenant with Nehemiah 8) son of Zaccur, grandson of Mattaniah whom Nehemiah made one of the storekeepers of the provisions collected as tithes. Same as 5 ? 9) son of Igdaliah

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HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H7935

שְׁכַנְיָהוּ

she.khan.yah — Shecaniah

A man of the tribe of Judah living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ch.3.21; son of: Hananiah (H2608L); brother of: Pelatiah (H6410), Jeshaiah (H3470B), Rephaiah (H7509), Arnan (H0770) and Obadiah (H5662H); father of: Shemaiah (H8098B) § Shecaniah or Shechaniah = "dweller with Jehovah" 1) a descendant of Zerubbabel whose descendants returned from exile with Ezra 2) son of Jehiel of the sons of Elam and one who had a foreign wife in the time of Ezra 3) father of Shemaiah who repaired part of the wall of Jerusalem in the time of Nehemiah 4) son of Arah, father-in-law of Tobiah who opposed Nehemiah 5) a priest who returned from exile with Zerubbabel 6) a priest in the time of king Hezekiah of Judah

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HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H454

אֶלְיְהוֹעֵינַי

el.ye.ho.e.nay — Eliehoenai

A man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ch.26.3; son of: Meshelemiah (H4920); brother of: Zechariah (H2148A), Jediael (H3043J), Zebadiah (H2069J), Jathniel (H3496), Elam (H5867H) and Jehohanan (H3076I) § Elioenai or Elihoenai = "unto Jehovah are my eyes" 1) a Korahite temple doorkeeper, son of Meshelemiah 2) a returning exile

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HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H775

אַרְפַּכְשַׁד

ar.pakh.shad — Arpachshad

A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.10.22; son of: Shem (H8035); brother of: Asshur (H0804H), Elam (H5867C), Lud (H3865) and Aram (H0758); father of: Cainan (G2536); also called Arphaxad at Luk.3.36; Also named: Arphaxad (Ἀρφαξάδ "Arphaxad" G0742) § Arphaxad = "I shall fail as the breast: he cursed the breast-bottle" third son of Shem

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HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H6540

פָּרַס

pa.ras — Persia

Aramaic of pa.ras (פָּרַס "Persia" H6539) § Persia = "pure" or "splendid" the empire Persia; encompassed the territory from India on the east to Egypt and Thrace on the west, and included, besides portions of Europe and Africa, the whole of western Asia between the Black Sea, the Caucasus, the Caspian and the Jaxartes on the north, the Arabian desert, the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean on the south 1a) Persia proper was bounded on the west by Susiana or Elam, on the north by Media, on the south by the Persian Gulf and on the east by Carmania Persian, of Persia "pure" or "splendid"

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HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H3540

כְּדׇרְלָעֹמֶר

ke.dor.la.o.mer — Chedorlaomer

A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.14.1 § Chedorlaomer = "handful of sheaves" the king of Elam defeated by Abraham

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HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H4920

מְשֶׁלֶמְיָהוּ

me.she.lem.yah — Meshelemiah

A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at 1Ch.9.21; father of: Zechariah (H2148A), Jediael (H3043J), Zebadiah (H2069J), Jathniel (H3496), Elam (H5867H), Jehohanan (H3076I) and Eliehoenai (H0454A); also called Shelemiah at 1Ch.26.14; Also named: she.lem.yah (שֶׁלֶמְיָהוּ "Shelemiah" H8018O) § Meshelemiah = "whom Jehovah repays" a Korhite Levite porter or gatekeeper of the house of God in the time of David

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HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H3865

לוּד

lud — Lud

A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.10.22; son of: Shem (H8035); brother of: Asshur (H0804H), Elam (H5867C), Arpachshad (H0775) and Aram (H0758) Also named: lu.di (לוּדִי "Lydian" H3866H) § Lud or Lydia = "strife" 1) the 4th listed son of Shem and supposed progenitor of the Lydians n patr 2) descendants of Lud the son of Shem who settled in northern Africa

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HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H5161

נֶחֱלָמִי

ne.che.la.mi — Nehelam

Someone descended from Nehel(?), first mentioned at Jer.29.24 § Nehelamite = "he of the dream" the designation of a false prophet Shemaiah taken into captivity to Babylon; name is formed from his native place or his progenitor

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HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H5660

עַבְדִּי

av.di — Abdi

A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ch.6.44; son of: Malluch (H4409); father of: Kishi (H7029) § Abdi = "servant of Jehovah" 1) a Merarite Levite and ancestor of Ethan the singer 2) a Merarite Levite, father of Kish, in the time of king Hezekiah of Judah 3) one of the family of Elam who had a foreign wife in the time of Ezra

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HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H2431

חֵילָם

che.lam — Helam

§ Helam = "stronghold" a place east of the Jordan, west of the Euphrates, in Gilead, at which the Syrians under Hadarezer were defeated by David

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HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H8349

שָׁשָׁק

sha.shaq — Shashak

A man of the tribe of Benjamin living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at 1Ch.8.14; son of: Beriah (H1283I); brother of: Arad (H6166B), Ahio (H0283H), Jeremoth (H3406I), Zebadiah (H2069), Eder (H5738), Michael (H4317L), Ishpah (H3472) and Joha (H3109); father of: Ishpan (H3473), Eber (H5677J), Eliel (H0447I), Abdon (H5658I), Zichri (H2147I), Hanan (H2605), Hananiah (H2608O), Elam (H5867), Anthothijah (H6070), Iphdeiah (H3301), Penuel (H6439I) § Shashak = "longing" a Benjamite, son of Beriah and father of Iphedeiah and Penuel

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Historical dictionary entry

Highland, the son of Shem (Gen. 10:22), and the name of the country inhabited by his descendants (14:1, 9; Isa. 11:11; 21:2, etc.) lying to the east of Babylonia, and extending to the shore of the Mediterranean, a distance in a direct line of about 1,000 miles. The name Elam is an Assyrian word meaning “high.” “The inhabitants of Elam, or ‘the Highlands,’ to the east of Babylon, were called Elamites. They were divided into several branches, speaking different dialects of the same agglutinative language. The race to which they belonged was brachycephalic, or short-headed, like the pre-Semitic Sumerians of Babylonia. “The earliest Elamite kingdom seems to have been that of Anzan, the exact site of which is uncertain; but in the time of Abraham, Shushan or Susa appears to have already become the capital of the country. Babylonia was frequently invaded by the Elamite kings, who at times asserted their supremacy over it (as in the case of Chedorlaomer, the Kudur-Lagamar, or ‘servant of the goddess Lagamar,’ of the cuneiform texts). “The later Assyrian monarchs made several campaigns against Elam, and finally Assur-bani-pal (about B.C. 650) succeeded in conquering the country, which was ravaged with fire and sword. On the fall of the Assyrian Empire, Elam passed into the hands of the Persians” (A.H. Sayce). This country was called by the Greeks Cissia or Susiana.

Scripture references

Source: Easton’s Bible Dictionary (1897). Historical dictionary wording reflects the scholarship and language of its era.

Compare other reference traditions

Look up Elam in Smith’s Bible Dictionary and ISBE →