Genesis 14:1:10Gen.14.1.W10TAB
עֵילָ֔ם
eilam
“Elam”
- Transliteration
- ei-LAM
- Extended
- ee-LAAM
- IPA
- /ʕeːˈlaːm/
Meaning by language
- English
- Elam
Hebrew · tap a syllable to hear it
Alphabet Analysis
| Ayin | deep guttural stop, voiced pharyngeal | |
| Tsere | long 'ey' as in they | |
| Yod | y as in yes; marks long ī | |
| Lamed | l as in law | |
| Qamets | long 'ah' | |
| Mem Sofit | final form of Mem — at word end |
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The word
Word in context
- word
ei-LAM
- phraseyour reading level
ME-lekh ei-LAM
- clause
ke-dor-la-O-mer ME-lekh ei-LAM ve-tid-AL ME-lekh go-YIM
- sentence
va-ye-HI bi-MEI am-ra-FEL me-lekh-shin-AR ar-YOKH ME-lekh el-la-SAR ke-dor-la-O-mer ME-lekh ei-LAM ve-tid-AL ME-lekh go-YIM
Exegesis
The first royal designation, melech-shinar {מֶֽלֶךְ־שִׁנְעָ֔ר | me-leḵ-šin-ʿār} “king of Shinar,” uses a construct chain (melech + place) that becomes the pattern for each subsequent king: Aryokh {אַרְי֖וֹךְ | ʾar-yôḵ} “Arioch,” melech {מֶ֣לֶךְ | me-leḵ} “king” of Ellasar {אֶלָּסָ֑ר | ʾel-lā-sār}, Kedarlaomer {כְּדָרְלָעֹ֙מֶר֙ | kə-dar-la-ʿō-mer} “Kedorlaomer,” melech “king” of Elam {עֵילָ֔ם | ʿê-lām}, and finally Tidʿal {וְתִדְעָ֖ל | wə-tiḏ-ʿāl} “Tidal,” melech “king” of goyim {גּוֹיִֽם | gô-yim} “nations.” The repeated noun melech in construct position, followed by different territories, creates a stacked list that foregrounds political titles and geographic reach, setting the stage for an international conflict. The unusual expression melech goyim “king of nations,” instead of a single named territory, suggests a ruler over a coalition or multi-ethnic realm and thus broadens the scope of the narrative. In translation, this syntactic stacking is represented by parallel phrases (“king of Shinar … king of Ellasar …”) to maintain the rhythmic catalogue of powers and to convey the sense of a coordinated alliance. The verse functions as a historical heading for the following account by tightly linking time (“in the days of”) with place and authority (kings and their domains).
In context — Genesis 14:1
And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Kedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of nations .
About this coordinate
Genesis 14:1:10 is a BCV:P reference — Book · Chapter · Verse · Word Position. It addresses word 10 of Genesis 14:1, so the Hebrew word עֵילָ֔ם (eilam) can be cited, linked and studied at exactly this position rather than somewhere in the verse. In the Biblical Knowledge Coordinate System the same position is written Gen.14.1.W10, which extends further down to each syllable (Gen.14.1.W10.S1) and character.