Abarim Publications' online Biblical Greek Dictionary
ηλιος
The noun ηλιος (helios) means sun, and occurs 32 times the New Testament; see full concordance.
The Greeks had a god named Helios (Ηλιος) and the Romans had their Sol Invictus cult, but the New Testament appears to incorporate curiously little commentary on sun-worship. Still, see our article on the name Nazarene for a discussion on the competition between nationalistic solar cults and the message of personal freedom and responsibility of Jesus Christ. Also see our discussion of the Hebrew noun שחר (shahar), which is commonly interpreted as dawn but which rather refers to a solar eclipse.
Our noun ηλιος (helios) appears to stem from a hugely ancient Proto-Indo-European root from whence also stem the words sol (and hence solar) and sun. Equally old are the Latin words sollus (whole, entire), solus (alone, sole) and salus (being safe and sound; hence our word salvation), which share an etymological root in Sanskrit (says Lewis and Short's Latin Dictionary). In Greek these words are reflected by the related word ολος (olos), meaning whole, entire, complete, and although it's not specifically mentioned, here at Abarim Publications we wouldn't be surprised if the Latin words sol, solus, sollus and salus arose simultaneously in a most primitive solar worship and associated theology. It's even conceivable that the formations of the very old Semitic divine names El (in Greek Ηλ) and Elohim were either helped along or else directed by this root.
The genitive of the name Elijah in Greek (Ηλιον), namely Ηλιου is the same as the genitive of the name Ηλιος. Slightly less cryptic: in Greek the phrase "of Elijah" is identical to the phrase "of Helios" or "of the sun-god". The Hebrew word for sun is שמש (shemesh), from whence comes the name Samson.
ηλος
The noun ηλος (helos) refers to a stud or nail head (John 20:25). It probably stems from the PIE root "wel-", which means to turn (hence words like waltz and helix and the noun αλυσις, alusis, chain), but it also bears a striking resemblance to the noun ηλιος (helios), sun (see above). Our noun could describe shoe nails (or even warts) but also ornamental studs. There are even instances in the Greek classics where the stars are described by this noun, which makes it proximity to the noun ηλιος (helios) all the more remarkable.
Also remarkable is this noun's sole occurrence in the New Testament, namely in the scene where Thomas speaks of the imprint of the nail studs in Jesus' hands (rather than the holes made by the peg). The Romans used vast amounts of iron nails, but in the Bible iron nails are mentioned only in 1 Chronicles 22:3: "David prepared large quantities of iron to make the nails for the doors of the [temple] gates...".
From this noun derives:
- Together with the prefix προς (pros), which describes a motion toward: the verb προσηλοω (proseloo), meaning to nail something onto something else (Colossians 2:14 only).
ελισσω
The Attic verb ελισσω (elisso) and its variants ελιττω (elitto) and ελιξοττω (elixotto) mean to turn, rotate or roll up. This Attic variant occurs in the New Testament in Hebrews 1:12 only. There is also an Ionic variant, namely ειλισσω (eilisso), which occurs in Revelation 6:14 only. The manuscript that Tischendorf used had in Hebrews 1:12 the verb αλλασσω (allasso), to otherize, but that reading was unanimously rejected by all the other major versions.
Our verb, in any of its forms, has nothing to do with the familiar Latin word "elixir", which rather derives from ξηρος (xeros), dry. It's also not technically related to ελαια (elaia), meaning olive, or the verb ελαυνω (elauno), to impel or urge on, or the Latin word elate, from which we get our adjective "elated".
Instead, our verb ελισσω (elisso) derives from the same PIE root as the above, namely "wel-", which means to turn.
Despite its rarity in the New Testament, it's quite common in the classics in descriptions of the coursing "chariot of the day" or the many conflicting "winds" that drive the eddies and flows and dust-devils of the human world. It may describe the winding of one's mind around a certain topic or the rallying of soldiers around their captain. It may describe the coiling of a snake, the billowing of smoke, or the feet of runners and dancers. In Homer our verb is even rather specialized in specifically describing the turning of a chariot around a turning mark during a race (to commemorate the fallen Patroclus: Iliad.23.309).
From the Ionic variant, namely ειλισσω (eilisso), comes:
- Together with the preposition εν (en), meaning in, on, at: the verb ενειλεω (eneileo), meaning to roll up in or to wrap in (Mark 15:46 only).