elef · thousand

What it means

elef (אֶלֶף) is a Hebrew word of the Bible that means “thousand”.

How to say it

Approximate pronunciation. Vowels sound as in Spanish (a as in father, e as in bed, i as in machine, o as in note, u as in rule); the syllable in bold is stressed. The voice is your device's.

Its senses in the Bible

1. One thousand: a large, round number.
2. A large unit of the army or a tribe, led by a chief.

From Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906)

Word study

Thousand. Besides the number, it names a division of the people or the army: “the thousands of Israel”.

• The number one thousand Psalms 90:4Deuteronomy 7:9
• A unit of the army: “chiefs of thousands” Exodus 18:21
• “The thousands of Israel”: the divisions of the tribes Numbers 1:16

How we translate it

“Thousand” 450 times, “thousands” 47. When the word names groups and not a figure, it is translated “thousands” (“the heads of the thousands of Israel”, Numbers 1:16). With other numbers it forms larger figures (“six hundred thousand”).

How it is translated

The words this translation uses for it, most frequent first.

• thousand ×450
• thousands ×47
• million ×4
• eleven hundred ×3
• three ×1

Related words

Words of the same family, by Strong’s numbering.

Where it appears

• Genesis×2
• Exodus×11
• Numbers×104
• Deuteronomy×6
• Joshua×12
• Judges×34
• 1 Samuel×28
• 2 Samuel×19
• 1 Kings×21
• 2 Kings×11
• 1 Chronicles×81
• 2 Chronicles×62
• Ezra×19
• Nehemiah×17
• Esther×2
• Job×8
• Psalms×8
• Ecclesiastes×2
• Song of Songs×3
• Isaiah×6
• Jeremiah×3
• Ezekiel×40
• Daniel×3
• Amos×1
• Micah×2

• Genesis 20:16

  And to Sarah he said, “Look, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver; look, it is for you a covering for the eyes for all who are with you; and before everyone you are vindicated.”

• Genesis 24:60

  They blessed Rebekah and said to her, “Our sister, may you become thousands of ten thousands, and may your offspring possess the gate of those who hate it.”

• Exodus 12:37

  The sons of Israel set out from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides the little ones.

• Exodus 18:21

  And you shall look for, from all the people, capable men, who fear Elohim, men of truth, who hate unjust gain; and place them over them as chiefs of thousands, chiefs of hundreds, chiefs of fifties, and chiefs of tens.

• Exodus 18:25

  Moses chose capable men from all Israel and made them heads over the people, chiefs of thousands, chiefs of hundreds, chiefs of fifties, and chiefs of tens.

• Exodus 20:6

  but showing loyal love to thousands, to those who love me and keep my commandments.

• Exodus 32:28

  And the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses, and there fell of the people on that day about three thousand men.

• Exodus 34:7

  keeping loyal love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, calling to account the iniquity of fathers on sons and on sons’ sons, to the third and to the fourth generation.”

• Exodus 38:25

  And the silver of those counted of the community was a hundred talents and a thousand seven hundred and seventy-five shekels, by the shekel of the sanctuary:

• Exodus 38:26

  a beka per head, half a shekel, by the shekel of the sanctuary, for everyone who passed over to those counted, from twenty years old and upward, for six hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty.

• Exodus 38:28

  And with the thousand seven hundred and seventy-five he made hooks for the pillars, and overlaid their tops and joined them with rods.

• Exodus 38:29

  And the bronze of the wave offering was seventy talents and two thousand and four hundred shekels.

• Numbers 1:16

  These were the ones called from the community, the chiefs of the tribes of their fathers; they were the heads of the thousands of Israel.

• Numbers 1:21

  those of them counted from the tribe of Reuben were forty-six thousand five hundred.

• Numbers 1:23

  those of them counted from the tribe of Simeon were fifty-nine thousand three hundred.

• Numbers 1:25

  those of them counted from the tribe of Gad were forty-five thousand six hundred fifty.

• Numbers 1:27

  those of them counted from the tribe of Judah were seventy-four thousand six hundred.

• Numbers 1:29

  those of them counted from the tribe of Issachar were fifty-four thousand four hundred.

• Numbers 1:31

  those of them counted from the tribe of Zebulun were fifty-seven thousand four hundred.

• Numbers 1:33

  those of them counted from the tribe of Ephraim were forty thousand five hundred.

• Numbers 1:35

  those of them counted from the tribe of Manasseh were thirty-two thousand two hundred.

• Numbers 1:37

  those of them counted from the tribe of Benjamin were thirty-five thousand four hundred.

• Numbers 1:39

  those of them counted from the tribe of Dan were sixty-two thousand seven hundred.

• Numbers 1:41

  those of them counted from the tribe of Asher were forty-one thousand five hundred.

• Numbers 1:43

  those of them counted from the tribe of Naphtali were fifty-three thousand four hundred.

• Numbers 1:46

  all those counted were six hundred three thousand five hundred fifty.

• Numbers 2:4

  and his army, those of them counted, are seventy-four thousand six hundred.

• Numbers 2:6

  and his army, those of them counted, are fifty-four thousand four hundred.

• Numbers 2:8

  and his army, those of them counted, are fifty-seven thousand four hundred.

• Numbers 2:9

  All those counted of the camp of Judah are one hundred eighty-six thousand four hundred, by their armies. They shall set out first.

• Numbers 2:11

  and his army, those of them counted, are forty-six thousand five hundred.

• Numbers 2:13

  and his army, those of them counted, are fifty-nine thousand three hundred.

• Numbers 2:15

  and his army, those of them counted, are forty-five thousand six hundred fifty.

• Numbers 2:16

  All those counted of the camp of Reuben are one hundred fifty-one thousand four hundred fifty, by their armies. They shall set out second.

• Numbers 2:19

  and his army, those of them counted, are forty thousand five hundred.

• Numbers 2:21

  and his army, those of them counted, are thirty-two thousand two hundred.

• Numbers 2:23

  and his army, those of them counted, are thirty-five thousand four hundred.

• Numbers 2:24

  All those counted of the camp of Ephraim are one hundred eight thousand one hundred, by their armies. They shall set out third.

• Numbers 2:26

  and his army, those of them counted, are sixty-two thousand seven hundred.

• Numbers 2:28

  and his army, those of them counted, are forty-one thousand five hundred.

And 465 more times.