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H429 · Hebrew · Old Testament
אֵלֶּה
Elleh
Demonstrative pronoun
These / These Things

Definition

Elleh (אֵלֶּה) is a very common Hebrew demonstrative pronoun meaning "these" — referring to a plural group of persons, things, or matters. It appears over 700 times throughout the Old Testament, functioning grammatically to point to specific, identifiable people, objects, commands, or events that have already been mentioned or are immediately present. It is the plural counterpart of zeh (this) and zot (this, feminine).

Usage & Theological Significance

Though grammatically simple, elleh carries enormous theological weight in its contexts. "These are the generations" (elleh toledot, Genesis 2:4) is one of the most structurally important phrases in Genesis, introducing each major section of human history. "These are the commands" (elleh ha-mitzvot) appears repeatedly in Deuteronomy to introduce divine law. The word calls the reader to pay attention — to take seriously what is being identified. It is the biblical word for sacred specificity: not abstract religion, but these people, these words, these promises. God's covenant is never vague; it is always pointed at something real, named, and particular.

Key Bible Verses

Genesis 2:4 These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens.
Deuteronomy 6:1 Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go to possess it.
Genesis 10:1 Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. And unto them were sons born after the flood.
Exodus 20:1 And God spoke all these words: "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery."
Numbers 36:13 These are the commandments and regulations the LORD gave through Moses to the Israelites on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho.

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