Ἡλίας
Hēlias
Elijah
Lexicon Entry
Lexicon data from STEPBible TIPNR, Tyndale House, Cambridge. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
What Original Readers Understood
Supported# Ἡλίας (Hēlias): Elijah in the Greek New Testament The Greek term Ἡλίας (Hēlias) is the transliteration of the Hebrew name Elijah into Greek, appearing 68 times in the biblical text. As a proper noun, it functions exclusively as a personal name rather than a common word with multiple meanings or semantic range. The frequency of its occurrence—68 instances—indicates that this figure held considerable importance in New Testament discourse and narrative. The consistent use of this single lemma across all 68 occurrences suggests that Ἡλίας refers to a single, historically significant individual whose identity remained stable throughout the texts. This stability in naming is typical of proper nouns in biblical Greek, where the name serves as a fixed identifier rather than a word whose meaning shifts contextually. The substantial number of references indicates that Elijah was not a marginal figure but rather someone whose actions, teachings, or theological significance warranted repeated mention and discussion in early Christian texts. Without additional lexical data on the specific contexts of these 68 occurrences, the analysis remains limited to confirming that Ἡλίας functioned as the standard Greek designation for the biblical figure known in Hebrew tradition as Elijah. The breadth of its usage points to his importance in early Christian thought and interpretation, though the particular
Source data & methodology
Occurrences in Scripture
68 total occurrences across the text — showing 50
A letter came to him from Elijah the prophet, saying, “Yahweh, the God of David your father, says, ‘Because you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your father, nor in the ways of Asa king of Judah,
Malachi 4:5Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of Yahweh comes.
1 Kings 18:27At noon, Elijah mocked them, and said, “Cry aloud; for he is a god. Either he is deep in thought, or he has gone somewhere, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he sleeps and must be awakened.”
1 Kings 17:1Elijah the Tishbite, who was one of the settlers of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As Yahweh, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.”
1 Kings 17:13Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go and do as you have said; but make me a little cake from it first, and bring it out to me, and afterward make some for you and for your son.
1 Kings 17:15She went and did according to the saying of Elijah; and she, and he, and her house, ate many days.
1 Kings 17:16The jar of meal didn’t run out, and the jar of oil didn’t fail, according to Yahweh’s word, which he spoke by Elijah.
1 Kings 17:18She said to Elijah, “What have I to do with you, you man of God? You have come to me to bring my sin to memory, and to kill my son!”
1 Kings 17:22Yahweh listened to the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived.
1 Kings 17:23Elijah took the child, and brought him down out of the room into the house, and delivered him to his mother; and Elijah said, “Behold, your son lives.”
1 Kings 17:23Elijah took the child, and brought him down out of the room into the house, and delivered him to his mother; and Elijah said, “Behold, your son lives.”
1 Kings 17:24The woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God, and that Yahweh’s word in your mouth is truth.”
1 Kings 18:1After many days, Yahweh’s word came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, “Go, show yourself to Ahab; and I will send rain on the earth.”
1 Kings 18:2Elijah went to show himself to Ahab. The famine was severe in Samaria.
1 Kings 18:7As Obadiah was on the way, behold, Elijah met him. He recognized him, and fell on his face, and said, “Is it you, my lord Elijah?”
1 Kings 18:7As Obadiah was on the way, behold, Elijah met him. He recognized him, and fell on his face, and said, “Is it you, my lord Elijah?”
1 Kings 18:8He answered him, “It is I. Go, tell your lord, ‘Behold, Elijah is here!’ ”
1 Kings 18:11Now you say, ‘Go, tell your lord, “Behold, Elijah is here.” ’
1 Kings 18:14Now you say, ‘Go, tell your lord, “Behold, Elijah is here”.’ He will kill me.”
1 Kings 18:15Elijah said, “As Yahweh of Armies lives, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself to him today.”
1 Kings 18:16So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him; and Ahab went to meet Elijah.
1 Kings 18:17When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Is that you, you troubler of Israel?”
1 Kings 18:21Elijah came near to all the people, and said, “How long will you waver between the two sides? If Yahweh is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” The people didn’t say a word.
1 Kings 18:22Then Elijah said to the people, “I, even I only, am left as a prophet of Yahweh; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred fifty men.
1 Kings 18:25Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one bull for yourselves, and dress it first; for you are many; and call on the name of your god, but put no fire under it.”
1 Kings 18:30Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me!”; and all the people came near to him. He repaired Yahweh’s altar that had been thrown down.
1 Kings 18:31Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom Yahweh’s word came, saying, “Israel shall be your name.”
1 Kings 18:36At the time of the evening offering, Elijah the prophet came near, and said, “Yahweh, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word.
1 Kings 18:40Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal! Don’t let one of them escape!” They seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and killed them there.
1 Kings 18:40Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal! Don’t let one of them escape!” They seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and killed them there.
1 Kings 18:41Elijah said to Ahab, “Get up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain.”
1 Kings 18:42So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he bowed himself down on the earth, and put his face between his knees.
1 Kings 18:46Yahweh’s hand was on Elijah; and he tucked his cloak into his belt and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.
1 Kings 19:1Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword.
1 Kings 19:2Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I don’t make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time!”
1 Kings 19:9He came to a cave there, and camped there; and behold, Yahweh’s word came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
1 Kings 19:13When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle, went out, and stood in the entrance of the cave. Behold, a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
1 Kings 19:13When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle, went out, and stood in the entrance of the cave. Behold, a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
1 Kings 19:19So he departed from there, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth. Elijah went over to him, and put his mantle on him.
1 Kings 19:20Elisha left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, “Let me please kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.” He said to him, “Go back again; for what have I done to you?”
1 Kings 19:21He returned from following him, and took the yoke of oxen, and killed them, and boiled their meat with the instruments of the oxen, and gave to the people, and they ate. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and served him.
1 Kings 21:17Yahweh’s word came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,
1 Kings 21:20Ahab said to Elijah, “Have you found me, my enemy?” He answered, “I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do that which is evil in Yahweh’s sight.
1 Kings 21:28Yahweh’s word came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,
2 Kings 1:3But Yahweh’s angel said to Elijah the Tishbite, “Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and tell them, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel, that you go to inquire of Baal Zebub, the god of Ekron?
2 Kings 1:4Now therefore Yahweh says, “You will not come down from the bed where you have gone up, but you will surely die.” ’ ” Then Elijah departed.
2 Kings 1:8They answered him, “He was a hairy man, and wearing a leather belt around his waist.” He said, “It’s Elijah the Tishbite.”
2 Kings 1:10Elijah answered to the captain of fifty, “If I am a man of God, then let fire come down from the sky, and consume you and your fifty!” Then fire came down from the sky, and consumed him and his fifty.
2 Kings 1:12Elijah answered them, “If I am a man of God, then let fire come down from the sky, and consume you and your fifty!” Then God’s fire came down from the sky, and consumed him and his fifty.
2 Kings 1:13Again he sent the captain of a third fifty with his fifty. The third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and begged him, and said to him, “Man of God, please let my life, and the life of these fifty of your servants, be precious in your sight.