Eliyahu Hanavi

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Pronunciations

Eliyahu Hanavi (eli-YA-hu ha-na-VEE) listen

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Definitions

  • n. The 9th century B.C.E. prophet tasked with announcing the arrival of the Messiah.

  • n. A song sung during the Passover Seder and Havdalah.

Example Sentences

  • "Leave a seat open for Eliyahu Hanavi, in case he drops by tonight."

  • "Let us welcome the new week by coming together for Eliyahu ha-Havi."

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Languages of Origin

  • Textual Hebrew

Etymology

  • אליהו הנביא Eliyahu ha-Navi

      • Who Uses This

      • Religious: Jews who are engaged in religious observance and have some Jewish education
      • Camp: Jews who attend or work at a Jewish overnight summer camp

      Regions

      • North America

      Dictionaries

      • The JPS Dictionary of Jewish Words, by Joyce Eisenberg and Ellen Scolnic, (Philadelphia, 2001).
      • The Joys of Hebrew, by Lewis Glinert (New York, 1992).

      Alternative Spellings

      Eliyahu ha-navi, Elijah, Eliyahu

Notes

  • "An angry prophet, Elijah often thought God had forsaken him and that he was the last righteous man. According to tradition, Elijah is a spiritual visitor at every Pesach seder and brit milah. Because of his pessimism about the fate of the Jewish people, he is now forced to bear witness to the vitality and continuity of the Jewish people by attending these family gatherings." (Eisenberg & Scolnic)

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