Menu

1 Kings 18:11 — Word Study

Depth

WLCוְעַתָּ֖ה אַתָּ֣ה אֹמֵ֑ר לֵ֛ךְ אֱמֹ֥ר לַאדֹנֶ֖יךָ הִנֵּ֥ה אֵלִיָּֽהוּ׃

BSAAnd nowʻattâh [at this moment, in this present time] youʼattâh [as an individual, personally] sayʼâmar [command, speak] tellʼâmar [inform, announce] your master [that]ʼâdôwn [possessive, belonging to you, the one in authority over you] ElijahʼÊlîyâh [my God is Jehovah, the prophet] is herehinnêh [present, in this place]

Word
Listen & take away1 Kings 18
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 11 is in this chapter.
Hebrew ↓ Download MP3 The Masoretic text of this chapter, read aloud. Read by Abraham Shmuelof, courtesy of Audio Scriptures International. Chapter divisions by the Academy of Ancient Languages..
Say the word Each Hebrew word carries its transliteration ('e.li.Ya.hu) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
1 Kings 18:11quick helps
In a sentenceElijah's presence is announced with urgency.
Who is speakingThe messenger is addressing someone directly.
Where we areA conversation about Elijah's whereabouts.
The hard wordאֹמֵר
Take awayElijah is present, and the message must be delivered.
3 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Trapp & more — read them › clause subjectאַתָּה verbאָמַר The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
How rare are these words?in the Old Testament

Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.

Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.

Deep Study — 1 Kings 18:11

Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.

Context — The Encounter with Elijahgenerated

10As surely as the LORD your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my lord has not sent someone to search for you. When they said, ‘He is not here,’ he made that kingdom or nation swear that they had not found you.
11And now you say, ‘Go tell your master that Elijah is here!’
12I do not know where the Spirit of the LORD may carry you off when I leave you. Then when I go and tell Ahab and he does not find you, he will kill me. But I, your servant, have feared the LORD from my youth.
13Was it not reported to my lord what I did when Jezebel slaughtered the prophets of the LORD? I hid a hundred prophets of the LORD, fifty men per cave, and I provided them with food and water.

1 Kings 18:11 captures a moment of urgency where the messenger is instructed to inform his master about Elijah's presence. This follows a tense period of searching for Elijah, emphasizing the significance of his arrival and the commands given to relay this information.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
11 Kings 18:8–14“It is I,” he answered. “Go tell your master, ‘Elijah is here!’”

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 1 reference, hung on the phrase they belong to

Go, tell they lord1 Kings 18:8–14

The Key Word אֹמֵר, 'o.Mergenerated

The word אָמַר (amar) is a verb meaning 'to say' or 'to speak'. It encompasses a wide range of uses in the Hebrew Bible, including commands and declarations. In this verse, it indicates a direct command to communicate important news.

The parsing shows it as a masculine singular participle in the Qal stem, highlighting that it is an active expression of speech. The urgency of the command reflects the critical nature of Elijah's presence.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses say for אֹמֵר.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main verb of the verse is אֹמֵר, are saying, which governs the actions that follow. The sentence structure emphasizes the command given to the subject, with the imperative verbs following in a clear sequence.

The Hebrew word order places emphasis on the urgency of the command, with the subject אַתָּה positioned at the beginning, highlighting the direct address to the individual.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint uses λέγεις for אֹמֵר, indicating a similar meaning of 'saying' or 'speaking'. This choice maintains the imperative nature of the command, reflecting the urgency of the message.

The translation aligns closely with the Hebrew, emphasizing the act of speaking as a direct command.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

1 Kings 18:11 shows a messenger being told to inform his master that Elijah is present. This moment is critical, as it follows a search for Elijah, highlighting the importance of his arrival.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that Elijah is here?

Elijah's presence signifies a pivotal moment in the narrative, as he is a prophet of God returning to confront the king.

Why is the command to tell the master so urgent?

The urgency reflects the critical nature of Elijah's role and the need for the king to be informed of his arrival.

What is the significance of addressing the master?

Addressing the master indicates a hierarchy and the importance of the message being relayed to someone in authority.

How does this verse connect to the larger narrative?

This verse is part of the larger story of Elijah's confrontation with King Ahab, setting the stage for significant events that follow.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What does Elijah's presence mean for the characters in this story?
  2. How can we understand the importance of delivering urgent messages today?
  3. In what ways do we respond to commands given to us by those in authority?
  4. What can we learn from the urgency of this message about our own communication?

Commentators on this verse — 3 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on 1 Kings 18:11 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And now thou sayest, go tell thy lord, behold, Elijah is here. Which, if I should not be able to make good, would be of fatal consequence to me; and that it is plain he feared, by what he next says.

Read John Gill on 1 Kings 18 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

And he answered him, I am: go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here. No JFB commentary on these verses.

Read Robert Jamieson on 1 Kings 18 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

1 Kings 18:11 And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah [is here].Ver. 11. Behold, Elijah is here.] Whereupon he shall slay me, as 1 Kings 18:14; 1 Kings 18:9.

Read John Trapp on 1 Kings 18 →

The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company

Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.

Modern formal

BSBBerean Standard Bible2020

And now you say, ‘Go tell your master that Elijah is here!’

WEBWorld English Bible2000

Now you say, ‘Go, tell your lord, “Behold, Elijah is here.”’

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

And now you say, ‘Go tell your master that Elijah is here!’

NETBNew English Translation2006

Now you say, ‘Go and say to your master, “Elijah is back.”’

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here.

RVARevised Version, American1894

And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here .

GNVGeneva Bible1599

And now thou sayest, Goe, tell thy lorde, Beholde, Eliiah is here.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

And now thou sayest, Go, say to thy lord, Behold Elijah!

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

and now, thou art saying, Go, say to thy lord, Lo, Elijah;

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

and now, you are saying, Go, say to your lord, Behold, Elijah;

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

And now thou sayest, Go, say unto thy Lord, Behold, here is Elijah.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Yet now you say, 'Go, tell your master that Elijah is here.'

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

And now thou sayest to me: Go, and tell thy master: Elias is here.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

And now you're telling me to go to my master and announce, ‘Elijah is here!’

BBEBible in Basic English1949

And now you say, Go, say to your lord, Elijah is here.

Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.


The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank

This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.

conjunction phraseוְandעַתָּ֖הnowclausesubjectאַתָּ֣הyouverbאֹמֵ֑ר[are].sayingclauseverbלֵ֛ךְgoclauseverbאֱמֹ֥רsayprepositional phrase · prepositionalלַtonoun phraseאדֹנֶ֖יmaster(s)ךָyourclauseclauseהִנֵּ֥הhere!clausesubjectאֵלִיָּֽהוּElijah

Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.


The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran

The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree on the wording of this verse, with no significant variations noted. Both texts convey the same message regarding Elijah's presence and the command to inform the master.

Masoretic TextLeningrad Codex, c. AD 1008 — the text this page is built on

וְעַתָּ֖ה אַתָּ֣ה אֹמֵ֑ר לֵ֛ךְ אֱמֹ֥ר לַאדֹנֶ֖יךָ הִנֵּ֥ה אֵלִיָּֽהוּ׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וְעַתָּ֖הνῦνאַתָּ֣הσὺאֹמֵ֑רλέγειςלֵ֛ךְπορεύουאֱמֹ֥רἀνάγγελλεלַאדֹנֶ֖יךָσουהִנֵּ֥הἰδοὺאֵלִיָּֽהוּ׃ηλιου

8 of the 8 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.

Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.


The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with

This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.

1 Kings 18:11עַתָּ֫הand nowand nowעַתָּ֫האַתָּ֫הyouyouאַתָּ֫האָמַר[are] sayin[are] sayingאָמַרהָלַךְgogoהָלַךְאָמַרsaysayאָמַראָדוֹןto master yto master yourאָדוֹןהִנֵּהhere!here!הִנֵּהאֵלִיָּהElijahElijahאֵלִיָּהעֵתtimetimeעֵתאֵלgodgodאֵלהָלַךְto walkto walkהָלַךְהֵןlook!look!הֵןכֹּהthusthusכֹּהיהוהYHWH/GodYHWH/Godיהוהנָאpleasepleaseנָאאֲנַ֫חְנוּweweאֲנַ֫חְנוּיָרַשׁto possessto possess: posיָרַשׁדֶּ֫רֶךְway: roadway: roadדֶּ֫רֶךְחֻקָּהstatutestatuteחֻקָּהבִּיpleasepleaseבִּיחֵןfavorfavorחֵןנֶ֫גַעplagueplagueנֶ֫גַעחֲלוֹםdreamdreamחֲלוֹםתִּשְׁבִּיTishbiteTishbiteתִּשְׁבִּיאַדֶּ֫רֶתclothingclothingאַדֶּ֫רֶת
meets it a little oftener than chancemeets it far oftener than chancebuilt from the same roottwo words of the verse share ita word of this versea related word

Lexicons — every word in 1 Kings 18:11

One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.

Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.

and now you [are] saying go say to master your here! Elijah
וְעַתָּ֖הve.'a.Tah and now H6258 Conjunction · adverb
433× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means now or at this time, like in Exodus when God says now is the time to act. It can also be used to connect ideas or show a change in time, as seen in the book of Isaiah.
Amplified meaning
at this moment, in this present time
Tyndale gloss
now
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עַתָּ֫ה (attah) is an adverb of time meaning 'now.' It can also function as a conjunction or expletive, indicating immediacy or a current moment. The word is derived from a related term, עַת (att), and is used in various contexts to denote the present time.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עַתָּ֫ה 435, עָ֑֫תָּה, adv. of time, now

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6258 עַתָּ֫ה, עָ֑֫תָּה of time, now

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6258 `attah at-taw'

from 6256; at this time, whether adverb, conjunction or

expletive:--henceforth, now, straightway, this time, whereas.

see HEBREW for 06256

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עַתָּ֫ה (at.tah) — now.

1) now

1a) now

1b) in phrases

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | Adv — Conjunction · adverb
HC/D
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and now you [are] saying go say to master your here! Elijah
אַתָּ֣ה'a.Tah you H859 Pronoun
1,094× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
You is the translation of a Hebrew word used to address someone directly, like when God says you to someone in the Bible. It can be singular or plural, and is often translated as thee, thou, or ye.
Amplified meaning
as an individual, personally
Tyndale gloss
you(m.s.)
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אַתָּ֫ה (attah) is a second-person pronoun in Hebrew, used to address someone directly. It has masculine and feminine forms: אַתָּה for singular masculine, אַתְּ for singular feminine, אַתֶּם for plural masculine, and אַתֵּן for plural feminine. The entries indicate variations in form and usage, reflecting the pronoun's grammatical complexity.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אַתָּ֫ה, אָ֑תָּה pron. 2 s. m. thou

base

אתי, i.e. אתִּי, the older & more original form of אַתְּ thou (fem.)

base

אַתְּ, אָ֑תְּ pron. 2 s. f. thou (fem.)

base

אַתֶּם pron. 2 m. pl. you (masc.)

base

אַתֵּן pron. 2 f. pl. you (fem.)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H859a אַתָּ֫ה, אָ֑תָּה pron. 2 s. m. thou H859b אתי, i.e. אתִּי, the older & more original form of אַתְּ thou (fem.) H859c אַתְּ, אָ֑תְּ pron. 2 s. f. thou (fem.) H859d אַתֶּם pron. 2 m. pl. you (masc.) H859e אַתֵּן pron. 2 f. pl. you (fem.)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

859 'attah at-taw'

or (shortened); aatta {at-taw'}; or wath {ath}; feminine

(irregular) sometimes nattiy {at-tee'}; plural masculine attem

{at- tem'}; feminine atten {at-ten'}; or oattenah

{at-tay'naw}; or fattennah {at-tane'-naw}; a primitive pronoun

of the second person; thou and thee, or (plural) ye and

you:--thee, thou, ye, you.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אַתָּ֫ה (at.tah) — you(m.s.).

you (second pers. sing. masc.)

אתִּי (ti) — you(f.s.).

you (second pers. sing. fem.)

A grammatical form of at.tah (אַתָּ֫ה "you(m.s.)" H0859A)

אַתְּ (at.te) — you(f.s.).

you (second pers. sing. fem.)

A grammatical form of at.tah (אַתָּ֫ה "you(m.s.)" H0859A)

אַתֶּם (at.tem) — you(m.p.).

you (second pers. pl. masc.)

Aramaic equivalent: an.tun (אַנְתּוּן "you" H0608)

אַתֵּן (at.ten) — you(f.p.).

you (second pers. pl. fem.)

A grammatical form of at.tah (אַתָּ֫ה "you(m.s.)" H0859A)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Pron — Pronoun
HPp2ms
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and now you [are] saying go say to master your here! Elijah
אֹמֵ֑ר'o.Mer [are] saying H559 Verb · Qal · participle (active) masculine singular
5,309× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to say or speak, and it's used in many different ways in the Bible. It can mean to command, promise, or think, and it's translated in the KJV as 'answer', 'appoint', or 'command'.
Amplified meaning
command, speak
Tyndale gloss
to say
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אָמַר (amar) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to say' or 'to utter,' with a broad range of uses including to promise, command, or even boast. It appears in various forms, such as in the Qal (to say), Niphal (to be told), and Hiphil (to avow). The entries highlight its versatility in both spoken and internal contexts, though no specific verse is noted.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אָמַר 5287 vb. utter, say

Qal

Say

Say in the heart (= think)

Promise

Command (esp. late)

Niph. be said, told

Hiph. avow, avouch (lit. cause to declare)

Hithp. act proudly, boast

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H559 אָמַר utter, say .. Say

. Say in the heart (= think)

. Promise

. Command (esp. late)

. be said, told

. avow, avouch (lit. cause to declare)

. act proudly, boast

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

559 'amar aw-mar'

a primitive root; to say (used with great

latitude):--answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call,

certify, challenge, charge, + (at the, give) command(-ment),

commune, consider, declare, demand, X desire, determine, X

expressly, X indeed, X intend, name, X plainly, promise,

publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), X still, X

suppose, talk, tell, term, X that is, X think, use (speech),

utter, X verily, X yet.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אָמַר (a.mar) — to say.

1) to say, speak, utter

1a) (Qal) to say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend

1b) (Niphal) to be told, to be said, to be called

1c) (Hithpael) to boast, to act proudly

1d) (Hiphil) to avow, to avouch

Aramaic equivalent: a.mar (אֲמַר "to say" H0560)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal — Verb · Qal · participle (active) masculine singular
HVqrmsa
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and now you [are] saying go say to master your here! Elijah
לֵ֛ךְlekh go H1980 Verb · Qal · imperative second person masculine singular
1,549× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Means to walk or go, used in many different contexts in the Bible. It can describe physical movement, but also spiritual or emotional journeys. Appears in various forms, such as 'to go' or 'to walk'.
Tyndale gloss
to go: walk
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

הָלַךְ (halak) means 'to go,' 'come,' or 'walk,' and covers a wide range of literal and figurative uses, including aspects of life and death. It can describe physical movement, moral conduct, and even influence on character. The verb appears in various forms, such as Qal, Piel, and Hithpael, indicating different nuances like leading or traversing.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

הָלַךְ 1546 vb. go, come, walk

Qal Impf. usually (629 t.) as if from ילך

lit.

of persons

Also of animals, in similar meanings and combinations

in like manner of inanimate things

The inf. abs. is often used

as in other vbs., quite independently

to intensify meaning of finite form

most noteworthy is the joining of the Inf. abs.

with a following Inf. abs. denoting a simutaneous action or process, and so emphasizing duration or continuance

with a foll. vb. fin. c. ו consec. (rare)

in cases where vb. fin. is foll. by Inf. abs. adj. denoting progress, advance

twice, where vb. fin. is not הלך, but another vb. denoting motion

quite by itself

13 t. the Inf. abs. = Imv. & is followed by Pf. consec.

akin to the use of Inf. abs. are some instances of Pt.

In combination with other verbal forms

Fig.; the most common uses follow; in most the origin in a literal meaning is evident:

pass away, die

Read the full entry →
Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1980 הָלַךְ go, come, walk .Impf. usually (629 t.) as if from ילך . lit. . of persons

. Also of animals, in similar meanings and combinations

. in like manner of inanimate things

. The inf. abs. is often used . as in other vbs., quite independently

. to intensify meaning of finite form

. most noteworthy is the joining of the Inf. abs. . with a following Inf. abs. denoting a simutaneous action or process, and so emphasizing duration or continuance

. with a foll. vb. fin. c. ו consec. (rare)

. in cases where vb. fin. is foll. by Inf. abs. + adj. denoting progress, advance

. twice, where vb. fin. is not הלך, but another vb. denoting motion

. quite by itself

. 13 t. the Inf. abs. = Imv. & is followed by Pf. consec.

. akin to the use of Inf. abs. are some instances of Pt.

. In combination with other verbal forms

Read the full entry →
Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1980 halak haw-lak'

akin to 3212; a primitive root; to walk (in a great variety

of applications, literally and figuratively):--(all) along,

apace, behave (self), come, (on) continually, be conversant,

depart, + be eased, enter, exercise (self), + follow, forth,

forward, get, go (about, abroad, along, away, forward, on,

out, up and down), + greater, grow, be wont to haunt, lead,

march, X more and more, move (self), needs, on, pass (away),

be at the point, quite, run (along), + send, speedily, spread,

still, surely, + tale-bearer, + travel(-ler), walk (abroad,

on, to and fro, up and down, to places), wander, wax,

(way-)faring man, X be weak, whirl.

see HEBREW for 03212

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הָלַךְ (ha.lakh) — to go: went.

: went/go[away]

1) to go, walk, come

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to go, walk, come, depart, proceed, move, go away

1a2) to die, live, manner of life (fig.)

1b) (Piel)

1b1) to walk

1b2) to walk (fig.)

1c) (Hithpael)

1c1) to traverse

1c2) to walk about

1d) (Niphal) to lead, bring, lead away, carry, cause to walk

הָלַךְ (ha.lakh) — to go: come.

: come[nearer]

1) to go, walk, come

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to go, walk, come, depart, proceed, move, go away

1a2) to die, live, manner of life (fig.)

1b) (Piel)

1b1) to walk

1b2) to walk (fig.)

1c) (Hithpael)

1c1) to traverse

1c2) to walk about

1d) (Niphal) to lead, bring, lead away, carry, cause to walk

הָלַךְ (ha.lakh) — to go: walk.

: walk/move

1) to go, walk, come

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to go, walk, come, depart, proceed, move, go away

1a2) to die, live, manner of life (fig.)

1b) (Piel)

1b1) to walk

1b2) to walk (fig.)

1c) (Hithpael)

1c1) to traverse

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HVqv2ms — Verb · Qal · imperative second person masculine singular
HVqv2ms
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

(halakh, yalakh, bo', yatsa'; ago, hupago, anabaino, erchomi, aperchomai, poreuomai): "Go" ("went," etc.) occurs very frequently in the English Bible, and is the translation of a great many different Hebrew and Greek terms. As the word implies movement of all kinds, physical and mental, it has naturally many applications.

1. In the Old Testament:

In the Old Testament halakh and yalakh are among the commonest words, meaning "to go" in its original sense of "to walk," but also in the most varied senses, according to the verbal conjugations, etc., the preposition attached, and the words in connection with which the terms stand; halakh and yalakh are often used figuratively (translated "to walk," etc.) for to live, to pursue a way of life, e.g. "to walk ever in his ways" (De 19:9; compare

Mt 9:13; 21:28; 28:7; Lu 10:37; Joh 8:11

--SEE Divine Direction, GUIDANCE

and now you [are] saying go say to master your here! Elijah
אֱמֹ֥ר'e.Mor say H559 Verb · Qal · imperative second person masculine singular
5,309× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to say or speak, and it's used in many different ways in the Bible. It can mean to command, promise, or think, and it's translated in the KJV as 'answer', 'appoint', or 'command'.
Amplified meaning
inform, announce
Tyndale gloss
to say
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אָמַר (amar) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to say' or 'to utter,' with a broad range of uses including to promise, command, or even boast. It appears in various forms, such as in the Qal (to say), Niphal (to be told), and Hiphil (to avow). The entries highlight its versatility in both spoken and internal contexts, though no specific verse is noted.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אָמַר 5287 vb. utter, say

Qal

Say

Say in the heart (= think)

Promise

Command (esp. late)

Niph. be said, told

Hiph. avow, avouch (lit. cause to declare)

Hithp. act proudly, boast

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H559 אָמַר utter, say .. Say

. Say in the heart (= think)

. Promise

. Command (esp. late)

. be said, told

. avow, avouch (lit. cause to declare)

. act proudly, boast

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

559 'amar aw-mar'

a primitive root; to say (used with great

latitude):--answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call,

certify, challenge, charge, + (at the, give) command(-ment),

commune, consider, declare, demand, X desire, determine, X

expressly, X indeed, X intend, name, X plainly, promise,

publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), X still, X

suppose, talk, tell, term, X that is, X think, use (speech),

utter, X verily, X yet.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אָמַר (a.mar) — to say.

1) to say, speak, utter

1a) (Qal) to say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend

1b) (Niphal) to be told, to be said, to be called

1c) (Hithpael) to boast, to act proudly

1d) (Hiphil) to avow, to avouch

Aramaic equivalent: a.mar (אֲמַר "to say" H0560)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Impv-2ms — Verb · Qal · imperative second person masculine singular
HVqv2ms
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and now you [are] saying go say to master your here! Elijah
לַאדֹנֶ֖יךָla.do.Nei.kha to master your H113 Preposition · noun common masculine plural construct · suffix
333× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word ʼâdôwn refers to a lord or master, and can be used to describe human leaders or God. It emphasizes the person's power and control over others or things, and is often translated as lord or master.
Amplified meaning
possessive, belonging to you, the one in authority over you
Tyndale gloss
lord
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word אָדוֹן (*'adown*) means 'lord' and is derived from a root meaning to rule. It covers a range of meanings, referring to both human and divine authority, including terms like master, king, and superintendent. Variations exist for divine references, such as אֲדֹנָי (*Adonai*), distinguishing God from human lords.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אָדוֹן n.m. lord (אֲדֹנִי, אֲדֹנַי, אֲדֹנָי are variations of Mass. pointing to distinguish divine reference fr. human. Pl., with few exc. an intens. pl. of rank; word takes sf. as pl. in all other pers.; so doubtless here. Orig. reading prob. in all cases אֲדֹנַי; אֲדֹנִי now found in J 51 t.)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H113 אָדוֹן lord

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

113 'adown aw-done'

or (shortened) adon {aw-done'}; from an unused root (meaning

to rule); sovereign, i.e. controller (human or divine):--

lord, master, owner. Compare also names beginning with

"Adoni-".

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אָדוֹן (a.don) — lord.

1) firm, strong, lord, master

1a) lord, master

1a1) reference to men

1a1a) superintendent of household, of affairs

1a1b) master

1a1c) king

1a2) reference to God

1a2a) the Lord God

1a2b) Lord of the whole earth

1b) lords, kings

1b1) reference to men

1b1a) proprietor of hill of Samaria

1b1b) master

1b1c) husband

1b1d) prophet

1b1e) governor

1b1f) prince

1b1g) king

1b2) reference to God

1b2a) Lord of lords (probably = "thy husband, Yahweh")

1c) my lord, my master

1c1) reference to men

1c1a) master

1c1b) husband

1c1c) prophet

1c1d) prince

1c1e) king

1c1f) father

1c1g) Moses

1c1h) priest

1c1i) theophanic angel

1c1j) captain

1c1k) general recognition of superiority

1c2) reference to God

1c2a) my Lord, my Lord and my God

1c2b) Adonai (parallel with Yahweh)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-mp | Suff — Preposition · noun common masculine plural construct · suffix
HR/Ncmpc/Sp2ms
and now you [are] saying go say to master your here! Elijah
הִנֵּ֥הhi.Neh here! H2009 Particle
843× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word is an expression that means 'behold' or 'look', often used to draw attention to something. It appears in Genesis and Isaiah, and is translated as 'behold' or 'lo' in the KJV.
Amplified meaning
present, in this place
Tyndale gloss
behold
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

הִנֵּה (hinneh) is a Hebrew word meaning 'behold' or 'lo!' It serves as a demonstrative particle used to draw attention, appearing in contexts such as Genesis 19:2. The word is derived from a prolongation of another Hebrew term, but the entries do not provide further details on its usage beyond this.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

הִנֵּה, once הִנֶּה־ Gn 19:2, demonstr.part. lo!, behold!

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2009 הִנֵּה, הִנֶּה־ lo!, behold!

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2009 hinneh hin-nay'

prolongation for 2005; lo!:--behold, lo, see.

see HEBREW for 02005

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הִנֵּה (hin.neh) — behold.

behold, lo, see, if

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Part — Particle
HTj
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

her, in composition:

and now you [are] saying go say to master your here! Elijah
אֵלִיָּֽהוּ׃'e.li.Ya.hu Elijah H452 Noun proper masculine
71× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Elijah means my God is Jehovah, referring to the famous prophet who lived during King Ahab's reign. He is also the name of two other Israelites mentioned in the Bible. Elijah is known for his bravery and faith in God.
Amplified meaning
my God is Jehovah, the prophet
Tyndale gloss
Elijah
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֵלִיָּה (Eliyah) means "Yah(u) is God" and refers primarily to the prophet Elijah, known for his role during the reign of Ahab. The name also applies to a Benjamite, a son of Elam, and a priest from Ezra's time. The entries consistently highlight Elijah's significance, with no notable disagreements among the lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֵלִיָּה; אֵלִיָּ֫הוּ n.pr.m. (Yah(u) is God)

Elijah, the great prophet of the reign of Ahab

Benjamite

a priest of Ezra’s time

a son of Elam

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H452 אֵלִיָּה; אֵלִיָּ֫הוּ (Yah(u) is God) . Elijah, the great prophet of the reign of Ahab

. Benjamite

. a priest of Ezra’s time

. a son of Elam

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

452 'Eliyah ay-lee-yaw'

or prolonged tEliyahuw {ay-lee-yaw'-hoo}; from 410 and 3050;

God of Jehovah; Elijah, the name of the famous prophet and of

two other Israelites:--Elijah, Eliah.

see HEBREW for 0410

see HEBREW for 03050

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

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

אֵלִיָּה (e.liy.yah) — Elijah.

A man of the tribe of Benjamin living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ch.8.27;

son of: Jeroham (H3395H);

brother of: Shamsherai (H8125), Shehariah (H7841), Athaliah (H6271H), Jaareshiah (H3298) and Zichri (H2147J)

§ 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

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper masculine
HNpm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

e-li'-ja ('eliyahu or (4 times) 'eliyah, "Yah is God"; Septuagint Eleiou, New Testament Eleias or Elias, the King James Version of New Testament Elias):

Contents

I. THE WORKS OF ELIJAH

1. The Judgment of Drought 2. The Ordeal by Prayer 3. At Horeb 4. The Case of Naboth 5. Elijah and Ahaziah 6. Elijah Translated 7. The Letter to Jehoram

II. THE WORK OF ELIJAH

III. CHARACTER OF THE PROPHET

IV. MIRACLES IN THE ELIJAH NARRATIVES

V. ELIJAH IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

VI. LITERATURE

(1) The great prophet of the times of Ahab, king of Israel. Elijah is identified at his first appearance (1Ki 17:1) as "Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the sojourners of Gilead." Thus his native place must have been called Tishbeh. A Tishbeh (Thisbe) in the territory of Naphtali is known from Tobit 1:2; but if (with most modern commentators) the reading of the Septuagint in…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Elijah

Whose God is Jehovah. (1.) “The Tishbite,” the “Elias” of the New Testament, is suddenly introduced to our notice in 1 Kings 17:1 as delivering a message from the Lord to Ahab. There is mention made of a town called Thisbe, south of Kadesh, but it is impossible to say whether this was the place referred to in the name given to the prophet.

Having delivered his message to Ahab, he retired at the command of God to a hiding-place by the brook Cherith, beyond Jordan, where he was fed by ravens. When the brook dried up God sent him to the widow of Zarephath, a city of Zidon, from whose scanty store he was supported for the space of two years. During this period the widow’s son died, and was restored to life by Elijah (1 Kings 17: 2-24).

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(my God is Jehovah) has been well entitled "the grandest and the most romantic character that Israel ever produced." "Elijah the Tishbite,... of the inhabitants of Gilead" is literally all that is given us to know of his parentage and locality. Of his appearance as he "stood before" Ahab (B.C. 910) with the suddenness of motion to this day characteristic of the Bedouins from his native hills, we can perhaps realize something from the touches, few but strong, of the narrative. His chief characteristic was his hair, long and thick, and hanging down his back. His ordinary clothing consisted of a girdle of skin round his loins, which he tightened when about to move quickly. (1 Kings 18:46) But in addition to this he occasionally wore the "mantle" or cape of sheepskin which has supplied us with one of our most familiar figures of speech.…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The prophet, a native of Tishbeh in Gilead, 1Ki 17:1. His parentage and early history are unknown. His bold faithfulness provoked the wrath of Ahab and Jezebel, especially when he threatened several years of drought and famine as a punishment for the sins of Israel, B. C. 908. By the divine direction the prophet took refuge on the bank of the brook Cherith, where he was miraculously fed by ravens. Thence he resorted to Zarephath, in Phoenicia; where one miracle provided him with sustenance and another restored to life the child of his hostess. Returning to King Ahab, he procured the great assembling at mount Carmel, where God "answered by fire," and the prophets of Baal were destroyed. Now too the long and terrible drought was broken, and a plentiful rain descended at the prophet’s prayer. Finding that not even these mighty works of…

Sources on this page. Lexicons and dictionaries imported from the CrossWire SWORD modules — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, Dodson, the Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones, Robinson and Packard, Webster and Cawdrey. Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Harper, 1889 — Grimm’s Wilke’s Clavis Novi Testamenti, translated, revised and enlarged by Joseph Henry Thayer) is public domain and is set here from the Internet Archive page scan greekenglishlex00grim; it is uncorrected OCR, marked as such on the entry itself, and the Strong’s numbers — which Thayer’s own edition does not carry — were matched by lemma against the other modules on this page. Trench’s Synonyms of the New Testament (Macmillan, 1880) and Moulton and Milligan’s Vocabulary of the Greek Testament (Hodder & Stoughton, 1930, which entered the United States public domain on 1 January 2026) are set from Internet Archive page scans synonymsofnewtes00treniala and vocabularyofgree00mouluoft, and are likewise uncorrected OCR matched to Strong’s numbers by lemma. Trench treats a group of words at once, so the same essay stands on the page of each word it compares. The Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary is © 1993 and is used here by permission for non-commercial use, www.teknia.com/greek-dictionary. The full Liddell-Scott-Jones and the Hebrew word data (TAHOT) come from STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0. Brown-Driver-Briggs is the OpenScriptures digitisation, public domain. Syntax analysis is the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (biblicalhumanities.org); the concordance and morphology are built from the tagged Nestle 1904 text. Septuagint occurrences use the Open Scriptures Septuagint lemma index, derived from CCAT (University of Pennsylvania) and the Rahlfs 1935 dataset by Eliran Wong, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 — used here on a non-commercial ministry site. Greek of Josephus and Barnabas from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA 4.0. Commentaries and the Ante-Nicene Fathers are public-domain texts hosted on this site. Everyday Greek from the Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri, CC BY 3.0, with dates and provenance from the Heidelberger Gesamtverzeichnis. Philo and the Apostolic Fathers from Open Greek and Latin (First1KGreek), CC BY-SA 4.0. The apparatus and the fifth Greek column are the SBL Greek New Testament, © 2010 SBL and Logos Bible Software, CC BY 4.0. The Latin is the Clementine Vulgate (public domain); the Syriac New Testament is the ETCBC edition (MIT licence). The Hebrew behind the Greek is computed here from the Septuagint index and TAHOT, not taken from any aligned edition. The translation spread and the per-word edition marks come from the Translators Amalgamated Greek NT (STEPBible, CC BY 4.0); clause roles from the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (CC BY-SA 4.0); place identifications and their confidence from OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding (CC BY 4.0), with map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Gospel parallels are computed here from shared uncommon vocabulary, not taken from any printed harmony. Cross references are the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and the subject headings are Nave’s Topical Bible, both public domain. Works under Creative Commons licences are used unchanged apart from markup removal.

Everything we make is available for free because of a generous community of supporters.

Donate