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H0457 H0457
Conj-w  |  20× in 2 senses
Worthless thing, idol; concretely a pagan deity or carved image, abstractly vanity or utter insufficiency.
Built from a root suggesting weakness or nothingness, elil is a devastatingly dismissive term for pagan gods. The prophets and psalmists wield it as a polemic: the gods of the nations are merely elilim, 'nothings' (Ps 96:5; 1 Chr 16:26). There may even be a deliberate wordplay with el ('God'), as if to say these supposed gods are really 'not-gods' or 'un-gods.' In a few passages the abstract sense surfaces: Zechariah's worthless shepherd (Zech 11:17), Job's worthless physicians (Job 13:4), and Jeremiah's worthless divination (Jer 14:14) all use the word to describe emptiness and futility rather than a concrete idol. Spanish and English track the two senses well, using 'idolo/idol' for the concrete and 'vanidad/worthlessness' for the abstract.

Senses
1. idol, false god A concrete idol or false deity, an object of pagan worship regarded with contempt as a 'nothing-god.' The Holiness Code forbids turning to elilim (Lev 19:4; 26:1); the Psalms declare that all the gods of the peoples are elilim (Ps 96:5; 97:7). Isaiah's oracles against idolatry use the term repeatedly (Isa 2:8, 18, 20; 10:10-11; 19:1, 3; 31:7). English 'idol,' Spanish 'idolo,' and German 'Gotze' all converge on the concrete, cultic object. 17×
RELIGIOUS_LIFE Religious Activities Idols and Images
AR["أَصناماً", "أَصنَامًا", "أَصْنَامًا", "أَصْنَامٌ", "أَصْنَامَ", "أَوثَانَ", "أَوْثَانٌ", "أَوْثَانُ", "ال-أَوْثَانِ", "الأَوْثَانِ", "الْأَصْنَامَ", "الْأَصْنَامِ", "بِ-الأَصْنَامِ", "وَ-أَصْنَامَ", "وَ-الأَصنَامُ", "وَ-بِـ-أَوْثَانِهَا"]·ben["-মূর্তিগুলির", "-মূর্তিদের", "ও-তার-মূর্তিদের-প্রতি", "ও-মূর্তিগুলো", "ও-মূর্তিরা", "প্রতিমাগুলি", "মূর্তি", "মূর্তিগুলি", "মূর্তিগুলি,", "মূর্তিগুলিতে", "মূর্তিগুলো", "মূর্তিতে", "মূর্তিদের"]·DE["Goetze", "Goetzen", "Goetzen-von", "[אלילים]", "der-Goetzen", "in-worthless-idols", "sind-worthless-idols", "und-Goetze", "und-Goetzen-von"]·EN["and-his-idols", "and-the-idols", "and-to-her-idols", "are-worthless-idols", "his-gold", "his-idols", "his-silver", "idols", "idols-of", "in-worthless-idols", "the-idol", "the-idols", "worthless-gods"]·FR["[אלילים]", "dans-idole", "et-idole", "et-idoles-de", "idole", "idoles", "idoles-de", "idols", "le-idols"]·heb["אלילי", "אלילים", "אלילם", "ב-אלילים", "ה-אליל", "ה-אלילים", "ו-אלילי", "ו-ה-אלילים", "ו-ל-אליליה"]·HI["और-उसकी-मूर्तियों-से", "और-मूर्तियां", "देवताओं-को", "मूर्तियाँ", "मूर्तियां", "मूर्तियों", "मूर्तियों-के", "मूर्तियों-से", "में-मूर्तियों"]·ID["-berhala", "Dan-berhala-berhala", "berhala", "berhala-berhala", "dalam-berhala", "dan-berhala-berhala", "dan-kepada-berhala-berhalanya", "patung-patung"]·IT["[אלילים]", "[באלילים]", "e-idolo", "idoli", "idolo", "il-idoli"]·jav["Lan-brahala", "brahala", "brahala-brahala", "déwa-déwa", "lan-brahala", "lan-dhateng-brahala-brahala-nipun"]·KO["그-우상들", "그녀의-우상들-에게", "그리고-우상들을", "우상-들-로", "우상-들을", "우상-이로다", "우상들", "우상들로", "우상들은", "우상들을", "우상들이", "우상의", "헛된-것들을"]·PT["E-os-ídolos", "e-a-ídolos-dela", "e-ídolos-de", "nos-ídolos", "nulidades", "o-ídolo", "os-ídolos", "os-ídolos-de", "são-ídolos", "ídolos", "ídolos-de"]·RU["и-идолам-его", "и-идолов-", "и-идолы", "идолам", "идолами", "идолов", "идолов-", "идолы", "ничтожества"]·ES["Y-los-ídolos", "de-ídolos", "e-ídolos-de", "en-los-ídolos", "imágenes", "los-ídolos", "y-a-sus-ídolos", "ídolos", "ídolos-de"]·SW["kwa-vinyago", "na-sanamu", "na-sanamu-zake", "ni-sanamu", "sanamu", "sanamu-zake-za", "sanamu-zisizosema", "vinyago", "za-sanamu"]·TR["boş-şeyler", "putlar", "putlara", "putlardır", "putlari", "putlarin", "putlarini", "putlarla", "sahte-ilahlar", "sahte-tanrıları", "ve-putlar", "ve-putlarina", "ve-putlarini"]·urd["اور-اُس-کے-بتوں-سے", "اور-بت", "اور-بتوں-کو", "بت", "بت-ہیں", "بتوں", "بتوں-سے", "بتوں-پر", "بتوں-کو", "بتوں-کی", "بتوں-کے", "بُت", "بُت-ہیں", "بُتوں", "ڈھونگوں"]
2. worthlessness, vanity The abstract quality of worthlessness, vanity, or insufficiency. Zechariah 11:17 condemns the 'shepherd of worthlessness' (roeh ha-elil); Job 13:4 dismisses his friends as 'physicians of worthlessness' (rof'e elil); Jeremiah 14:14 describes false prophecy as 'worthless divination.' Here the term functions as an adjective or abstract noun rather than a label for a foreign deity. Spanish 'vanidad/nada' and English 'worthlessness' capture the sense of utter emptiness.
ECONOMICS_PROPERTY Value Worthlessness and Vanity
AR["الْبَاطِلِ", "بَاطِلٍ", "وَ-بَاطِلَا"]·ben["অকর্মণ্য", "অসারের", "ও-অসার"]·DE["Goetze", "[אלל]", "[האליל]"]·EN["and-worthlessness", "the-worthless", "worthlessness"]·FR["[האליל]", "idole", "אלל"]·heb["אליל", "ה-אליל", "ו-אליל"]·HI["और-व्यर्थ", "मूर्ख-के", "व्यर्थ"]·ID["(dan-kesia-siaan)", "tidak-berguna", "yang-tidak-berguna"]·IT["[האליל]", "idolo", "worthlessness"]·jav["brahala", "lan-barang-tanpa-guna", "tanpa-gina"]·KO["(헛된)", "쓸모-없는", "쓸모-없는-것-의"]·PT["e-nulidade]", "nada", "o-ídolo"]·RU["-ничтожному", "и-пустота", "никчёмные"]·ES["(y-vanidad)", "el-ídolo", "nada"]·SW["asiyefaa", "na-ubatili", "ubatili"]·TR["(ve-boşluk)", "değersiz"]·urd["باطل", "بے-کار", "بے-کار-کے"]

Related Senses
H5414 1. give, bestow (1855×)H3947 1. take, seize, grasp (Qal) (940×)H3548 1. priest, cultic officiant (750×)G2192 1. possess / have (680×)G5547 1. Christ, Messiah, Anointed One (540×)G1325 1. give, bestow (336×)H5030 1. Prophet, divine spokesperson (317×)H5930a 1. burnt offering (sacrifice) (286×)H3881 1. Levites (priestly class) (283×)H5159 1. inherited land or property (170×)G4396 1. prophet, spokesperson of God (146×)G2983 1. receive, obtain (134×)H3423 1. Qal: take possession of land (130×)H6944 1. sanctuary, holy place (129×)G0749 1. high priest, chief priest (123×)H6944 2. holiness, sacredness (abstract quality) (123×)G2983 2. take, take up (113×)G5330 1. Pharisee (99×)G2398 1. one's own, belonging to oneself (91×)G4336 1. pray to God (86×)

BDB / Lexicon Reference
אֱלִיל n.m. (etym. uncertain: most prob. akin to Syriac ܐܰܠܻܝܠ weak, feeble, poor; perhaps also in usage [cf. b.] felt to suggest אַל not; cf. Che on Is 2:8) insufficiency, worthlessness. a. Zc 11:17 רֹעִי הָאֱלִיל the shepherd of worthlessness = the worthless shepherd, Jb 13:4 רֹפְאֵי אֱלִל worthless physicians (‖ טֹפְלֵי־שֶׁקֶר), Je 14:14 Qr concr. a thing of nought (uttered by prophets), but