Boys · Greek · New Testament · rising · New Testament references to OT prophet
Elias
/eh-LY-us/
Ἠλίας
"The Lord is my God"
Matthew 17:3
RoleGreek form of Elijah — see Elijah for full story
Etymology
The Greek form of Elijah (Eliyahu). Used in the New Testament when referring to the prophet Elijah. The softer Greek sound has made it increasingly popular as an alternative to the sharper English Elijah.
Who they were
Elias is the form of Elijah used throughout the Greek New Testament. When Jesus took Peter, James, and John up the mountain and was transfigured before them — his face shining like the sun, his clothes becoming white as light — Moses and Elias appeared, talking with him. The disciples did not see 'Elijah' (Hebrew) — they saw 'Elias' (Greek). The same form appears in Jesus' cry from the cross: bystanders thought he was calling for Elias. The name carries the same prophetic fire as Elijah but in a form that sounds gentler, more Mediterranean, more accessible. It has been rising steadily in popularity across Europe and the Americas, valued by parents who want the weight of the prophet's name without the harder English consonants. The meaning is identical: my God is Yahweh.
Character qualities
- See Elijah
Where they appear
Themes
Variants & related forms
Elijah · Elia · Elie · Ilias
Read their story
Elias's story begins in Matthew.
The full passage is at Matthew 17:3. Any modern translation will do — the NLT and NIV are the most readable; the ESV and NKJV stay close to the wording the church has used for centuries.
Find a Bible to read it in →