I. Name

Derived from the Hebrew verb ʿālâ, meaning ‘to ascend’, ʿelyôn in the OT may be used either as an adjective, describing something that is spatially higher than something else (‘upper’, ‘highest’), or as a substantive, used primarily in reference to the ‘most high’ deity. In Ps. 89.27, however, it is used in reference to the king. As a divine name, ʿElyôn appears either on its own (e.g. Ps. 9.3; Isa. 14.14), in combination with other divine names (Yahweh, Elohim [God], El e.g., Pss. 7.17; Pss.…