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H454 · Hebrew · Old Testament
אֶלְיְהוֹעֵינַי
El'yehow'eynay
Proper noun, masculine
My Eyes Are Toward Yahweh

Definition

Elyehoeynay is a compound Hebrew name meaning "my eyes are toward Yahweh" or "toward YHWH are my eyes," from el (toward), YHWH (the LORD), and ayin (eye). It is one of the longest personal names in the Hebrew Bible. The name appears in Ezra 10:22 and 10:27, referring to two men who had married foreign wives and agreed to send them away during Ezra's reformation.

Usage & Theological Significance

A name meaning "My eyes are toward Yahweh" is a declaration of single-hearted devotion. The eyes in Hebrew thought represent orientation, desire, and the trajectory of a person's life. Psalm 25:15 says: "My eyes are ever on the LORD, for only he will release my feet from the snare." To have eyes fixed on God is to be delivered from entrapment. Ironically, the men bearing this name in Ezra had let their eyes wander from that focus — marrying outside the covenant. But the very fact that they submitted to Ezra's reform suggests that their name had not completely lost its hold on them. Our identity in God is always calling us back to who we were made to be.

Key Bible Verses

Ezra 10:22 From the descendants of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad and Elasah.
Psalm 25:15 My eyes are ever on the LORD, for only he will release my feet from the snare.
Psalm 141:8 But my eyes are fixed on you, Sovereign LORD; in you I take refuge — do not give me over to death.
Hebrews 12:2 Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Isaiah 45:22 "Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other."

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