BDB420
אֶל (nearly always followed by Makkeph), in poetry אֱלֵי (compare עֲלֵי , עֲדֵי), but only in Job ( 1Sam 3:22; 1Sam 5:26; 1Sam 15:22; 1Sam 29:19), with suffix אֵלַי, אֵלֶיךָ, אֵלַיִךְ, etc. אֵלֵינוּ , אֲלֵיכֶם & (5 t.) אֲלֵכֶם, אֲלֵיהֶם & אֲלֵהֶם (both very often); once אֵלֵימוֺ Ps 2:5, אֲלֵיהֶן, once אֲלֵהֶן Exod 1:19 (Assyrian ilî , Arabic [untranscribed source text 202]), preposition denoting motion to or direction towards (whether physical or mental).
1. of motion to or unto a person or place Gen 2:19; Gen 2:22; Gen 3:19; Gen 8:9; Gen 14:22; Gen 16:9 etc., after
every kind of verb expressing motion (בּוֺא, הָלַךְ, יָצָא etc.)
So with נָתַן
to give (though ל is here more common) Gen 21:14; Gen 35:4; Deut 13:2 +; מָכַר
to sell
Deut 37:36,
etc. Metaph. Jer 2:19
וְלֹא פַחְדָּתִי אֵלַיִךְ and that my fear (cometh) not unto thee (compare
Job 31:23). —
Peculiarly Gen 6:16
אֶל אַמָּה
unto the length of a cubit, etc. And metaphor in the phrase אֶלֿ(אֱלֵיֿ)גִּיל
unto exultation Hos 9:11; Job 3:22. Once, exceptionally (si vera 1.) = even:
Job 5:5
וְאֶלמִֿצִּגִּים יִקָּחֵהוּ and even out of thorns he taketh it. Sometimes
pregnant, as Isa
66:17; Jer
41:7
זָנָה אֶל commit whoredom (by going) to
Num 25:1; Ezek 16:26;
Ezek 16:28;
Ezek 16:29
דָּרֵשׁ אֶל seek (by resorting) to one (that is, for oracles) Deut 18:11; Isa 8:19; Isa 11:10 +;
חָבַר
אֶל join together (& come) unto
Gen 14:3
הִשְׁכִּים
אֶל rise early (and go) to
Gen 19:27; Gen 24:11
הִבְרִיח אֶל made to kneel down at; Gen 47:18
תַּם אֶל i.e. has been made over to; פָּחַד אֶל to come in
fear to
Hos 3:5; Mic 7:17. Opposite
is מִן, as מִןהַֿקָּצֶה אֶלהַֿקָּצֶה from end to end Exod 26:28
מִפֶּה אֶלפֶּֿה
Ezra 9:11
(synonym 2Kgs 21:16
פֶּה לָפֶה). And of time (rare) מֵעֵת אֶלעֵֿת
1Chr 9:25
מִיּוֺם אֶליֿוֺם
Num 30:15 (
P
) 1Chr
16:23 (in the || Ps 96:2
מִיּוֺם לְיוֺם).
2. Where the limit is actually entered, into, Gen 6:18 and thou shalt enter
into the ark
Gen 7:1; Gen
19:3; Gen
41:21; Gen
42:17 & so after verbs of throwing, casting, putting Gen 37:22 (הִשְׁלִיךְ) Gen 39:20
וַיִּתְּנֵהוּ אֶלבֵּֿית
הַסֹּהַר put him into the prison house, Exod 28:30 (Lev 8:8) Deut 23:25 so after קָבַר
to bury Gen
23:19; Gen 25:9
; Gen 49:29
שָׂחַט to squeeze Gen 40:11
מָחָה to blot out Num 5:23, etc.; metaphor Gen 6:6 was pained into or unto
his heart, שָׂם אֶללֵֿב, הֵשִׁיב to place, bring. into
( = lay to) heart Deut 4:39; 2Sam 19:20 and elsewhere In connection with a number or multitude
into which something enters, in among:
1Sam 10:22
behold he had hid himself אֶלהַֿכֵּלִים
in among the baggage, Jer 4:3 sow not אֶלקֹֿצִים
in among thorns.
3. Of direction towards anything:
(a) of
physical acts or
states, as Gen
30:40
נָתַן פְּנֵי הַצּאֹן
אֶל,
Gen
39:7
נָשָׂא עֵינָיו אֶל, Exod 25:20; Num 6:26, נָשָׂא פָנָיו אֶל (2Kgs 9:32 differently), 2Kgs 24:1
שָׁת פָּנָיו אֶל, Josh 8:18; Ps 28:2; 1Kgs 8:29; 1Kgs 8:30 (to pray towards) 1Kgs 8:38
pregnantly חָרֵד אֶל
to tremble (turning) to
Gen 42:28,
תָּמַהּ אֶל to, wonder (turning) towards
Gen 43:33;
Isa 13:8,
פָּחַד
אֶל
Jer 36:16:
without a verb פָּנִים אֶלפָּֿנִים face to face Gen 32:31 +; פֶּה
אֶלפֶּֿה
Num 12:8
כִּיאֵֿינֶנּוּ אֵלַי
Gen 31:5 the
face of
Laban, that he is not toward me; ׳
אֶלפֿ
׳
עֵינֵי י the eyes of ׳
י are towards . . . Ps 34:16 (compare Ps 33:18).
(b) with words
such as אָמַרto say to
Gen 3:1 + often,
דִּבֶּר
Gen 8:15 +
often,
קָרָא
Gen 19:5,
הִחְפַּלֵּל
Gen 20:17
etc.,
שָׁמַע to hearken to
Gen 16:11,
הִלֵּל to praise to
Gen 12:15
(compare Ezek
13:19
חִלֵּל אֶל to profane to), הִזְכִּיר
Ezek 40:14
.
(c) with words expressing the direction of the mind, as קִוָּה
to wait
Ps 27:14 +;
יִחַל
to hope
Isa 51:5
נָשָׂא נֶפֶשׁ אֶל to lift up the soul (i.e. set the desire) towards
Deut 24:15;
Ps 25:1
שָׂם לֵב אֶל, שָׁת to set the heart (mind) to
Exod 9:21 and
elsewhere; לָמַד אֶל to accustom oneself to
Jer 10:2
חָרֵד אֶל to shew fear towards
2Kgs 4:13;
Gen 43:30;
Deut 28:32
and
thy eyes כָּלוֺת אֲלֵיהֶם failing (with longing) towards them, Lam 4:17; Isa 63:15;
2Sam 3:8; 1Kgs 14:13
;
Ps 40:6 alone,
as
predicate, directed or disposed towards, Gen 3:16; Gen 4:7; 2Kgs 6:11 who of ours is
towards (i.e. favours) the king of Syria? Hos 3:3
וְגַםאֲֿנִי
אֵלָֽיִח׃
Ezek 36:9;
Hag 2:17; Jer 15:1 (
אֵין נַפְשִׁי אֶל).
4. Where the motion or direction implied appears from the context to be of a hostile character,
אֶל = against:
Gen 4:8
אֶלהֶֿבֶל
׳
וַיָּקָם קand Cain rose up against Abel (so 1Sam 24:8) 1Sam 22:12; Exod 14:5; Num 32:14 with
נִקְבַּץ
Josh 10:6,
הָלַךְ
Judg 1:10; Judg 20:30
with
בָּא of calamity, etc., coming to or upon any one
Gen 42:21;
Judg 9:57; 1Sam 2:34; 1Kgs 14:10
+;
Isa 2:4; Isa 3:8 their
tongue
and doings are ׳
אֶליֿ
Isa 32:6 (
לְדַבֵּר אֶל) Hos 7:15 (compare Nah 1:9) Hos 12:5
וַיָּשַׂר אֶלמַֿלְאָךְ and he strove against the angel. Here also
belongs in
particular the phrase הִנְנִי אֶל ֗֗֗ Behold I am against (thee, you,
etc.)
Nah 2:14; Nah 3:5; Jer 21:13 (
Jer 23:30-32
על) Jer 50:31; Jer 51:25; Ezek 13:8; Ezek 13:20; Ezek 21:8; Ezek 29:10; Ezek 30:22
; Ezek 34:10
; Ezek 35:3
; Ezek 38:3
; Ezek 39:1
(Ezek 5:8;
Ezek 26:3;
Ezek 28:22
; Ezek 29:3
על: on Ezek 36:9 see above)
5.
Unto sometimes acquires from the context the sense of in addition to,
as
Lev 18:18
thou shalt not take אִשָּׁה אֶל אֲחוֺתָהּ a woman to, in addition to
,
her sister,
Josh
13:22 (||
Num 31:8
על); 1Sam 14:34 at eat אֶלהַֿחָם
together with the blood (1Sam 14:32 & generally עַל); 1Kgs 10:7
הוֺסִיף אֶל (generally עַל); Jer 25:26; Ezek 7:26
שְׁמוּעָה אֶל שְׁמוּעָה || (עלׅ; Ezek 44:7; Lam 3:41 let us lift up
לְבָבֵנוּ
אֶלכַּֿפָּ֑יִם our hearts together with the hands (compare
[untranscribed source text 203], Qor 4:2; WAG ii. § 51 c).
6. Metaphor in regard to, concerning, on account of: thus
הִתְאַבֵּל
to mourn concerning
1Sam 15:35
הִנָּחֵם to repent as regards
2Sam 24:16
דָּרַשׁ to inquire 1Kgs 14:5
הִתְפַּלֵּל to pray with regard to
1Sam 1:27; 2Kgs 19:20
צָעַק to cry 2Kgs 8:3 (2Kgs 8:5
על); נֶעֳצַב be pained 1Sam 20:34
נִחַם to comfort 2Sam 10:2 more generally 1Kgs 16:13; 1Kgs 21:22
אֶלנֶֿפֶשׁ
on account of, for the sake of, one's life 1Kgs 19:3; 2Kgs 7:7 (Gen 19:17
על). (עַל is more common in this sense.) And specially with verbs of saying,
narrating, telling, etc. with regard to, as אָמַר
Gen 20:2; Isa 29:22;
Isa 37:21;
Isa 37:33
+;
דִּבֶּר
2Sam 7:19;
Jer 40:16
b;
סִפֵּר
Ps 2:7; Ps 69:27
צִוָּה
Isa 23:11
שָׁמַע
Ezek 19:4
הַשְּׁמוּעָה אֶל the report regarding. . . 1Sam 4:19. (Not frequently, ext. in
the
case of אָמַר.)
7. Of rule or standard, according to (rare): אֶלפִּֿי ֗֗֗
according to the command of, Josh 15:13; Josh 17:4; Josh 21:3 (generally עַלפִּֿי);
אֶלנָֿבוֺן
according to what is fixed = of a certainty 1Sam 23:23; 1Sam 26:4 (see Dr
): perhaps Ps
5:1
; Ps 80:1
(
Ps 45:1
עַל).
8. Expressing presence at a spot, against; at, by, not merely after verbs
expressing or implying motion (compare 1, Gen 24:11), as Josh 11:5 and they came and encamped together
אֶלמֵֿי מֵרוֺם
at the waters of Merom, 1Sam 5:4 cut off (and fallen) on to the threshold, 2Sam 2:23 and
elsewhere and smote him אֶלהַֿחֹמֶשׁ
in or on the belly, Deut 33:28; Exod 29:12; Lev 4:7 but also in other cases, as
Josh 5:3 and he
circumcised the
Israelites אֶל
against, at the hill of the foreskins, Josh 22:11 have built an altar אֶל
גְּלִילוֺת
הַיַּרְדֵּן
by the districts of Jordan, Judg 12:6 & 2Sam 18:4
אֶליַֿד
at the side of (elsewhere לְיַד, עַל יַד), 1Kgs 13:20
as
they were sitting אֶלהַֿשֻּׁלְחָן
at the table, 2Kgs 11:14
אֶלהַֿמֶּלֶךְ
by the king, Jer 41:12 and found him by the great waters, etc., Jer 46:10
אֶלנְֿהַר פְּרָת
by the Euphrates, Ezek 3:15; Ezek 11:11; Ezek 17:8; Ezek 31:7; Ezek 40:18; Ezek 43:3; Ezek 47:7;
Ezek 48:12
.
9. Prefixed to other prepositions it combines with them the idea of motion or
direction to: thus אֶלאַֿחֲרֵי
2Sam 5:23;
2Kgs 9:18;
2Kgs 9:19
סֹב אֶלאַֿחֲרַי turn to behind me, Zech 6:5 (where אֶל is pleonastic,
probably due to clerical error; note יצא אל before & after); אֶלבֵּֿין
in between
Ezek 31:10
;
Ezek 31:14
אֵלבֵּֿינוֺת similarly Ezek 10:2
׳
אֶלמִֿבֵּית לְ
to (the part) within (see below בַּיִת),
in within
Lev 16:15;
2Kgs 11:15
||
have her forth in within the ranks; אֶלמֿוּל see
מוּל
; ׳
אֶלמִֿנֶּגֶב לְ
unto the south of Josh 15:3
׳
אֶלמִֿחוּץ לְ
to the outside of Lev 4:12; Lev 4:21 +; אֶלנֹֿכַח
to the front of Num 19:4
אֶלתַּֿחַת
Judg 6:19; 1Kgs 8:6 and
elsewhere
(see below תַּחַת).
Note. I. — In Gen 20:13
אֶלכָּֿלהַֿמָּקוֺם אֲשֶׁר נָבוֺא
׳
שָׁמָּה אִמְרִילִֿי וג; Num 33:54
׳
אֶלאֲֿשֶׁר וג; Prov 17:8 (compare Deut 16:6); — אֶל appears to be used by a species of
attraction; the idea of motion involved in the relative clause influencing illogically the beginning of the
sentence
and causing אֶל to be used instead of בְּ. In Deut 31:14
אֵלֵיהֶם, as pointed, can only be from אַיִל III or IV (q. v.); if the word be
taken as the Pronoun with suffix (Hi
Ke), אֲלֵיהֶם must be read.
Note. 2. — There is a tendency in Hebrew, especially manifest in Samuel Kings Jeremiah Ezekiel, to
use
אֶל in the sense of עַל; sometimes אֶל being used
exceptionally
in a phrase or construction which regularly, and in accusative with analogy, has עַל;
sometimes,
the two prepositions interchanging, apparently without discrimination, in the same or parallel sentences. Thus (
a)
Josh 5:14
וִיִּפֹּל אֶלפָּֿנָיו; 1Sam 13:13
אֶתמַֿמְלַכְתְּךָ אֶליִֿשְׂרָאֵל
׳
הֵקִים י; 1Sam 14:34 (see below 5); 1Sam 17:3
עֹמְדִים אֶלהָֿהָר (contractee עַל
Deut 11:29
);
Deut 19:16;
2Sam 6:3; 2Sam 20:23
(contracted 2Sam
8:16
) 1Kgs
13:29
; 1Kgs
18:46
(contracted
2Kgs
3:15
על) Jer 35:15; Ezek 7:18. (b) Judg 6:37 and upon (עַל
) all the
earth let there be dryness, Judg 6:39 let there be dryness on (אֶל)
the
fleece; 1Sam
14:10
come up עָלֵינוּ, 1Sam 14:12 come up אֵלֵינוּ; 1Sam 16; 1Sam 18:10
צָלַח אֶל, 1Sam 10:6 and elsewhere צָלַח עַל; 1Sam 25:17 evil is determined
אֶלאֲֿדֹנֵינוּ וְעַל כָּלבֵּֿיתוֺ; 1Sam 25:25; 1Sam 27:10; 2Sam 2:9
וַיַּמְלִכֵהוּ אֶל
וְ֗֗֗אֶל וְ֗֗֗אֶל וְ֗֗֗עַל וְ֗֗֗עַל וְ֗֗֗עַל; 2Sam 3:29
יָחֻלוּ עַל ֗֗֗
וְאֶל ֗֗֗
2Kgs 8:3 & 5;
2Kgs 3; Jer 19:15;
Jer 25:2; Jer 26:15
ye
lay innocent blood עֲלֵיכֶם וְאֶלהָֿעִיר הַזּאֹת; Jer 27:19; Jer 28:8; Jer 33:14; Jer 34:7; Jer 36:31; Jer 37:13;
Jer 37:14;
Ezek 18:6;
Ezek 18:11
& 15;
Ezek 21:12 etc. Ps 79:6 (Jer 10:25
על twice). It is probably that this interchange, at least in many cases, is not original, but
due
to transcribers.
[Note]
Conversely, though not with the same frequency, עַל occurs where analogy would lead us to expect אֶל, or even in juxtaposition with אֶל, as 1Sam 1:10 הִתְפַּלֵּל עַל to pray to (1Sam 1:26 אֶל); 1Sam 1:13; 1Sam 25:25 אֶלעַ֗֗֗ל; 1Kgs 20:43 וַיֵּלֶךְ עַלבֵּֿיתוֺ (1Kgs 21:4 אֶל); Isa 22:15; Jer 11:2; Jer 23:35; Jer 31:12. compare DrSm i. 13, 13 ; ii. 8, 7; 15, 4.