אלה
éle/ˈe.le/
The Hebrew word for goddess is אלה (éle).
The term refers to a female deity.
Meaning: female deity (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced as éle. The stress is on the first syllable.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers may confuse אלה (éle, goddess) with the demonstrative pronoun 'these', which is spelled identically in Hebrew but pronounced differently.
Did you know?
- The word אלה shares a root with אֵילִים, which refers to 'mighty trees'. This suggests a prehistoric conceptual link between the divine and the enduring strength of nature.
- Ancient Canaanite religions, which used languages closely related to Hebrew, worshipped a goddess known as אשירה (Asherah) alongside the god אל (El).
- In modern Hebrew, אלה is rarely used in a religious context due to the strict monotheism of Judaism. It appears more frequently in academic discussions of mythology or in fantasy literature.
Examples in context
- הפסל מייצג אלה של הטבע.hapasal meyatzeg elā shel hata-va.The statue represents a goddess of nature.
- הסיפור מדבר על אלה עוצמתית.hasipor medaber al elā otzmatit.The story speaks about a powerful goddess.
Example conversation
Rotem and Daniel are visiting a museum.
- רוטם Rotemדניאל, תראה את הפסל הזה.Daniel, t're et hapasal haze.Daniel, look at this statue.
- דניאל Danielזו אלה יפה מאוד, רוטם.Zo elā yafa me'od, Rotem.It is a very beautiful goddess, Rotem.
- רוטם Rotemמי היא האלה הזאת?Mi hi ha'elā hazot?Who is this goddess?
- דניאל Danielזה כתוב על השלט כאן.Ze katuv al hashalet kan.It is written on the sign here.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry אלה, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries אלה, CC BY-SA 4.0.
