The Hebrew word elil is a derogatory term for idols and false gods. Its derivation from a root meaning 'weak, worthless, of no account' makes it a polemical label — these are not merely foreign gods but nothings, vanities, and frauds. The word appears 20 times in the Old Testament, concentrated in Psalms, Isaiah, and Ezekiel.
Elil is one of the Bible's most pointed critiques of idolatry. Where pagans call their gods by lofty names, Scripture strips them down to what they truly are: elilim — nothings. Leviticus 19:4 commands, 'Do not turn to idols (elilim) or make for yourselves any gods of cast metal.' Psalm 97:7 declares that all who serve idols (elilim) are put to shame. Isaiah presses the argument to its conclusion: the craftsman who cuts a tree, burns half of it to warm himself, and carves the other half into a god is deceived by a heart that 'has turned him aside' (Isaiah 44:20). The sharp irony of elil — that the thing worshiped is worth nothing — is a recurring weapon in the prophetic arsenal against false religion.