Original Word: אֵלִיָּה
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Eliyah
Pronunciation: eh-lee-YAH
Phonetic Spelling: (ay-lee-yaw')
KJV: Elijah, Eliah
NASB: Elijah
Word Origin: [from H410 (אֵל - God) and H3050 (יָהּ - LORD)]

1. God of Jehovah
2. Elijah, the name of the famous prophet and of two other Israelites

Elijah, Eliah

Or prolonged teliyahuw {ay-lee-yaw'-hoo}; from 'el and Yahh; God of Jehovah; Elijah, the name of the famous prophet and of two other Israelites -- Elijah, Eliah.

see HEBREW 'el

see HEBREW Yahh

Word Origin
from el and Yah
Definition
"Yah is God," a well-known prophet of Isr., also three other Isr.
NASB Translation
Elijah (71).

אֵלִיָּה 2 Kings 1:3 4t.; אֵלִיָּ֫הוּ 1 Kings 17:1 62t.; proper name, masculine (Yah(u) is God, compare יוֺאֵל)

a. Elijah, the great prophet of the reign of Ahab 1 Kings 17:1 65t. Kings; 2 Chronicles 21:12; Malachi 3:23.

b. Benjamite 1 Chronicles 8:27;

c. a priest of Ezra's time Ezra 10:21;

d. a son of Elam Ezra 10:26.

Name and Meaning

Elijah means “Yahweh is God,” a declaration that summarizes the prophet’s life-work of calling Israel back to exclusive covenant loyalty.

Occurrences and Distribution

The name appears about seventy-one times in the Old Testament. Most references concern the ninth-century prophet whose ministry spans 1 Kings 17 through 2 Kings 2 (thirty-six times in 1 Kings; twenty-six times in 2 Kings). A single reference occurs in 2 Chronicles 21:12, and eight further occurrences name post-exilic priests and laymen in Ezra 10 and Nehemiah 10, 12.

Historical Setting

Elijah enters the biblical narrative during the reign of Ahab (874–853 B.C.) in the Northern Kingdom. Baal worship, promoted by Ahab’s Sidonian queen Jezebel, threatened to erase true worship. Elijah’s ministry unfolds amid this apostasy and the political hostility that follows every stand he takes for the Lord.

Call and Early Ministry (1 Kings 17)

Without preamble, Scripture introduces him as “Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead” (1 Kings 17:1). His first word is a judgment: “There will be neither dew nor rain except at my word.” Sustained by ravens at the Wadi Cherith and later by a widow in Zarephath, he demonstrates that the God of Israel rules nature and Gentile territory alike. The raising of the widow’s son (1 Kings 17:22) foreshadows later resurrection themes.

Confrontation with Ahab and Jezebel

Obadiah’s covert preservation of prophets (1 Kings 18:3-4) highlights the cost of fidelity under Jezebel’s persecution. Elijah orders Ahab to summon Israel and Baal’s prophets to Mount Carmel, establishing a public showdown between Yahweh and Baal.

Mount Carmel: Vindication of Yahweh (1 Kings 18)

Elijah’s challenge rings through the ages: “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him” (1 Kings 18:21). After the prophets of Baal exhaust themselves, Elijah rebuilds a ruined altar, soaks the sacrifice with water, and prays, “Answer me, O LORD, answer me, so that this people will know that You, O LORD, are God” (1 Kings 18:37). “Then the fire of the LORD fell” (18:38), prompting national acknowledgment of Yahweh’s supremacy and the execution of the false prophets.

Intercession for Rain

Elijah’s persistent prayer on Carmel’s summit (1 Kings 18:41-46) ends the drought. James 5:17-18 cites this event to encourage believers in effective prayer.

Flight and Divine Encounter at Horeb (1 Kings 19)

Threatened by Jezebel, Elijah flees to Horeb. Strengthened by angelic provision, he journeys forty days to the same mountain where Moses received the Law. There God reveals Himself, not in wind, earthquake, or fire, but “in a gentle whisper” (1 Kings 19:12). Elijah learns that God preserves a faithful remnant: “I still have seven thousand in Israel” (19:18).

Commissioning of Elisha and Political Assignments

At Horeb Elijah receives three tasks: anoint Hazael over Aram, Jehu over Israel, and Elisha as prophet in his stead (1 Kings 19:15-16). These acts ensure that divine judgment and covenant mercy will continue beyond Elijah’s personal ministry.

Later Acts and Final Translation (2 Kings 1–2)

Elijah twice calls down fire on Ahaziah’s military detachments (2 Kings 1:10-12), validating God’s word of judgment on the sick king. Crossing the Jordan on dry ground (2 Kings 2:8), Elijah is taken up “in a whirlwind” by “a chariot of fire and horses of fire” (2 Kings 2:11). Elisha watches and receives a double portion of his spirit.

Letter to Jehoram (2 Chronicles 21:12-15)

Years after his translation—or possibly written beforehand and delivered later—Elijah’s letter rebukes Judah’s king Jehoram for murdering his brothers and leading Judah into idolatry. The message predicts a painful disease and national calamity, underscoring that prophetic authority transcends political borders.

Post-Exilic Bearers of the Name

Ezra 10:21, 26; 10:31, 36 and Nehemiah 10:2; 12:13, 33 list priests and laymen named Elijah/Eliyyah. Their appearance in covenant renewal contexts hints at the lasting honor attached to the prophet’s name.

Expectation of a Future Elijah

Malachi prophesies, “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD” (Malachi 4:5). This fuels later expectation that Elijah would return to prepare the way for Messiah.

New Testament Allusions

John the Baptist ministers “in the spirit and power of Elijah” (Luke 1:17). Jesus affirms, “Elijah does come and will restore all things” (Matthew 17:11) and identifies John as the one who fulfilled Malachi’s prediction in a preliminary sense (Matthew 17:12-13). Elijah appears with Moses at the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:3), symbolizing the Prophets and the Law bearing witness to Christ.

Theological Themes

1. Exclusive Loyalty to the LORD: Elijah’s name and actions confront syncretism.
2. Prayer and Power: His petitions halt and restore rain, raise the dead, and call down fire.
3. Remnant Principle: Even in dark times God preserves faithful followers.
4. Prophetic Succession: The passing of Elijah’s mantle to Elisha illustrates orderly continuation of ministry under divine mandate.
5. Eschatological Hope: Elijah’s translation and prophesied return anticipate resurrection and final restoration.

Spiritual Lessons

• Courage to stand alone when truth is at stake.
• God’s provision is sufficient in obscurity and in public conflict.
• Victories do not exempt servants from discouragement, yet God meets them tenderly.
• The work is God’s; He raises successors and completes His purposes beyond any single life.

Selected Key Passages

1 Kings 17:1-24; 18:17-46; 19:1-18

2 Kings 1:1-17; 2:1-14

2 Chronicles 21:12-15

Malachi 4:5-6

Luke 1:13-17; Matthew 17:1-13; James 5:17-18

Summary

Elijah stands as the archetypal prophet—fearless before kings, faithful in obscurity, fervent in prayer, and destined for glory. His ministry, preserved in approximately seventy-one Old Testament references, asserts that the Lord alone is God, anticipates the coming Redeemer, and offers enduring lessons on devotion, intercession, and perseverance.

אֵ֣לִיָּ֔הוּ אֵֽלִיָּ֔הוּ אֵלִיָּ֑הוּ אֵלִיָּ֔הוּ אֵלִיָּ֖הוּ אֵלִיָּ֗הוּ אֵלִיָּ֙הוּ֙ אֵלִיָּ֛הוּ אֵלִיָּ֜הוּ אֵלִיָּ֣ה אֵלִיָּ֣הוּ אֵלִיָּ֤הוּ אֵלִיָּ֥ה אֵלִיָּ֥הוּ אֵלִיָּ֨הוּ אֵלִיָּֽה׃ אֵלִיָּֽהוּ׃ אֵלִיָּה֮ אליה אליה׃ אליהו אליהו׃ וְאֵ֨לִיָּ֜הוּ וְאֵֽלִיָּה֙ וְאֵלִיָּ֛ה וְאֵלִיָּֽה׃ ואליה ואליה׃ ואליהו מֵֽאֵלִיָּ֥הוּ מאליהו ’ê·lî·yā·hū ’ê·lî·yāh ’êlîyāh ’êlîyāhū eliYah eliYahu mê’êlîyāhū mê·’ê·lî·yā·hū meeliYahu veeliYah veEliYahu wə’êlîyāh wə’êlîyāhū wə·’ê·lî·yā·hū wə·’ê·lî·yāhInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts