אלוה

Hebrew

Root
א־ל־הּ (ʾ-l-hּ)

Etymology

Proto-Northwest-Semitic *ʾlh, a form of Proto-Semitic *ʾil-, whence also אֵל. Cognate with Akkadian 𒀭 (ilum), Arabic إِلَه (ʔilah) and اللّٰه (allāh), Aramaic אֱלָהָא (ʾĕlāhā) and איל, Phoenician 𐤀𐤋𐤌 (ʾlm), and Ugaritic 𐎛𐎍 (ỉl /⁠ʾilu⁠/).

Pronunciation

• (Modern Israeli Hebrew) IPA^(key): /eˈlo.a/
• (Biblical Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ʔiloːh/

Noun

אֱלוֹהַּ / אֱלֹהַּ • (elóah) m (plural indefinite אֱלוֹהִים / אֱלֹהִים, singular construct אֱלוֹהַּ / אֱלֹהַּ־, plural construct אֱלוֹהֵי / אֱלֹהֵי־)

1. A god.
   • Tanach, Psalms 114:5-7:

     מַה־לְּךָ הַיָּם כִּי תָנוּס הַיַּרְדֵּן תִּסֹּב לְאָחוֹר׃ הֶהָרִים תִּרְקְדוּ כְאֵילִים גְּבָעוֹת כִּבְנֵי־צֹאן׃ מִלִּפְנֵי אָדוֹן חוּלִי אָרֶץ מִלִּפְנֵי אֱלוֹהַּ יַעֲקֹב׃

     What's the matter with you, sea, that you should flea? River Jordan, that you should turn backward? With you, mountains, that you should dance like rams, you hills, like sheep? Earth, tremble before the lord, before Jacob's god.

2. God.

Declension

Declension of אֱלוֹהַּ

Number	Isolated forms		With possessive pronouns
	State	Form	Person	singular		plural
				m.	f.	m.	f.
singular	indefinite	אֱלוֹהַּ	first	אֱלוֹהִי		אֱלוֹהֵנוּ
	definite	הָאֱלוֹהַּ	second	אֱלוֹהֲךָ	אֱלוֹהֵךְ	אֱלוֹהֲכֶם	אֱלוֹהֲכֶן
	construct	אֱלוֹהַּ־	third	אֱלוֹהוֹ	אֱלוֹהָהּ	אֱלוֹהָם	אֱלוֹהָן
plural	indefinite	אֱלוֹהִים	first	אלוהיי / אֱלוֹהַי		אֱלוֹהֵינוּ
	definite	הָאֱלוֹהִים	second	אֱלוֹהֶיךָ	אלוהייך / אֱלוֹהַיִךְ	אֱלוֹהֵיכֶם	אֱלוֹהֵיכֶן
	construct	אֱלוֹהֵי־	third	אֱלוֹהָיו	אֱלוֹהֶיהָ	אֱלוֹהֵיהֶם	אֱלוֹהֵיהֶן

Related terms

• אלוהים / אֱלֹהִים (elohím)