עִלִּי (il.li)
il.li
upper
H:AQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:A
Word Overview
The Hebrew adjective illi simply means "upper" or "on high." It is a straightforward descriptor used to indicate position, distinguishing something located above another thing in space or hierarchy.
This word appears only twice in the Old Testament, both within the book of Judges. In Judges 18:31 and 19:18, it describes the location of the idolatrous shrine or the place where the Levite stayed, specifically referring to "upper" chambers or areas. Its rarity makes these specific instances stand out as precise geographical markers rather than metaphorical concepts.
Because it is so limited in use, illi does not carry deep theological weight on its own. Instead, it serves a practical narrative function, helping the reader visualize the physical layout of scenes involving conflict or displacement. Translators typically render it as "upper" to maintain this clear spatial meaning without adding extra nuance.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word illi is a simple Hebrew adjective meaning "upper." It appears only twice in the Old Testament, both within the book of Judges. In these contexts, it serves as a precise geographical marker, distinguishing an "upper" location from a lower one. This spatial clarity helps readers visualize the physical settings of the narratives, grounding the story in tangible reality.
While the word itself carries no heavy theological weight, its use highlights how God’s people navigated their world with specific, practical details. The distinction between upper and lower springs or chambers reminds us that faith operates in real places with real constraints. These minor details anchor the biblical text in history, showing that God cares about the concrete circumstances of life.
When you encounter such precise language, it invites you to see Scripture as a record of actual events in real spaces. This attention to detail encourages trust in the reliability of the biblical account. It suggests that the same God who guided His people through specific locations is present in the particularities of your own life.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- upper2×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- עִלִּיּ֔וֹת1×
- עִלִּ֔ית1×