בן אלוהים
ben Elohim/beːn ʔiloːˈhiːm/word by word
The English phrase 'child of God' is translated into Hebrew as בן אלוהים (ben Elohim).
This phrase refers to a person believed to be the offspring or a divine creation of a deity.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of בן (son) and אלוהים (God).
How does it change in a sentence?
To specify a female child, the masculine בן (son) is replaced with the feminine בת (daughter), resulting in בת אלוהים. The plural form for 'sons of God' or 'children of God' is בני אלוהים.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is ben Elohim and the IPA is /beːn ʔiloːˈhiːm/.
Did you know?
- In the Hebrew Bible, the phrase בני אלוהים can refer to a class of celestial beings or angels rather than human descendants. In this context, it describes a divine status rather than a biological relationship.
- In modern Hebrew, the word בן is used to express age, such as saying 'a child of ten' to mean a ten-year-old. This differs from the spiritual sense used in בן אלוהים.
- In the name בִּנְיָמִין (Benjamin), the 'ben' part is actually an ancient, unaltered form of בן used in a construct state. This shows how the word for 'son' has been preserved in names for thousands of years.
Examples in context
- הסיפור מדבר על בן אלוהים.hasipor medaber al ben elohim.The story talks about a child of god.
- האם הוא בן אלוהים?ha'im hu ben elohim?Is he a child of god?
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a philosophical book.
- נועה Noaהאם הדמות בספר היא בן אלוהים?ha'im hadamut hasapar hi ben elohim?Is the character in the book a child of god?
- נועם Noamכן, הוא מתואר כבן אלוהים.ken, hu metu'ar ke'ben elohim.Yes, he is described as a child of god.
- נועה Noaזה נשמע מאוד עמוק.ze nishma me'od amok.That sounds very deep.
- נועם Noamבהחלט, נועה.behekhlat, Noa.Definitely, Noa.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (בן, אלוהים) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries אלוהים, בן, CC BY-SA 4.0.
