Word Study for H5962 (עַלְמִי)

ʻAlmîy /al-mee'/ Ask about this word

Root(Aramaic) patrial from a name corresponding to עֵילָם contracted

Meaningan Elamite or inhabitant of Elam

KJV usageElamite.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of ʻAlmîy — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Aramaic word ʻAlmîy, represented by H5962, is a patrial term for an Elamite. It appears 1 times across 1 unique verses in the Bible. The term is derived from a name corresponding to Elam and is used to identify an inhabitant of that region.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

The single biblical use of H5962 occurs in an administrative context. It is found in a list of various peoples who were companions to Rehum the chancellor and Shimshai the scribe. In a letter of protest, these groups are identified, including the Elamites, as part of the coalition of peoples writing to the king Ezra 4:9.

Related Words & Concepts

Several other patrial terms appear in the same context, identifying the diverse groups involved in the correspondence:

H896 Bablîy (a Babylonian): This term for an inhabitant of Babylonia appears in the same list of peoples mentioned in Ezra 4:9.
H7801 Shûwshankîy (a Shushankite): This word identifies the Susanchites as another group listed alongside the Elamites Ezra 4:9.
H1723 Dahăvâʼ (Dehavites): This name refers to the Dehavites, a people colonized in Samaria, who are also included in the same list of companions Ezra 4:9.

Theological Significance

The significance of H5962 is primarily historical and administrative rather than theological.

Ethnic Identification: Its main function is to identify a specific ethnic group, the Elamites, within a larger, multi-ethnic collection of peoples.
Political Coalition: The term is used in the context of a formal letter, indicating the Elamites were part of a political bloc of various relocated peoples who were co-signatories to the correspondence Ezra 4:9.
Geopolitical Context: The presence of the Elamites alongside Babylonians, Susanchites, and others in this list illustrates the diverse populations present in the region during the post-exilic period.

Summary

In summary, H5962 is a highly specific Aramaic term for an Elamite. Its sole appearance in scripture serves to identify one of the many groups of people listed in a formal, political letter recorded in the book of Ezra. Its importance lies in the precise ethnic and historical detail it provides for understanding the geopolitical landscape of that time.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a noun across 1 occurrence, inflected in 1 grammatical form — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

עֵלְמָיֵ

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

1 verse, all in Ezra — and none of the other 38 Old Testament books.

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.