אֶלֶף
ʼeleph · eh'-lef
a family; also (from the sense of yoking or taming) an ox or cow
Lexicon
Derivation: from H502 (אָלַף);
a family; also (from the sense of yoking or taming) an ox or cow
- a family
- also, (from the sense of yoking or taming) an ox or cow
Definition from Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890). Wording is Strong's own, including his etymological notes, which are not separate meanings.
KJV renderings: family, kine, oxen.
Letters
- אAlef1
Picture: ox head
- Concrete
- ox · bull · cattle
- Extended
- strength · leader · first · the one in front
- לLamed30
Picture: shepherd's staff or goad
- Concrete
- staff · goad · yoke · cattle prod
- Extended
- authority · to lead · to teach · to bind · toward
- פPe80
Picture: an open mouth
- Concrete
- mouth · lips · teeth
- Extended
- to speak · a word · an edge or opening · to scatter speech
Possible cultural reading (auto-composed)
strength, the leader › authority, the one who leads › to speak, the word
Strength, the leader of authority, the one who leads that works to speak, the word.
Interpretive, not lexical. The dictionary sense of אֶלֶף above is the attested meaning; this pictographic reading is a tradition about how the sign-shapes may have been heard. Both can be held at once, they are answering different questions.
Usage
7 occurrences · 7 OT · 0 NT · 5 distinct forms
KJV renderings of this word, by how often each one is used.
- of thy kine4 · 50%
- behold, my family1 · 13%
- and oxen1 · 13%
- where no oxen1 · 13%
- the oxen1 · 13%
Where it is used, by book.
Inflected forms found in the text.
Counts are computed from the tagged Hebrew and Greek text aligned to the King James Version, not from an estimate.