Meaning & History
Leui is a Greek form of the name Levi used in the Greek Bible (the Septuagint and the Greek New Testament). The name Levi, from which Leui derives, possibly means “joined” or “attached” in Hebrew, reflecting the hope of his mother Leah that her husband Jacob would become attached to her (Genesis 29:34).
Etymology
Leui (Λευῒ) is a transliteration of the Hebrew Levi into Greek, adapted to the Greek phonetic and orthographic system. In the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, Hebrew names were often rendered in Hellenized forms, and Leui represents one such version.
Biblical Context
In the Old Testament, Levi was the third son of Jacob and Leah, and the ancestor of the tribe of the Levites, who were set apart for religious duties. This tribe included Moses and Aaron. In the New Testament, Leui is mentioned as a son of Alphaeus (Mark 2:14), likely identical with the apostle Matthew. Thus, the name carries significant religious and historical weight within both Jewish and Christian traditions.
Usage
Leui is primarily a historical form confined to Greek biblical manuscripts and is not commonly used as a given name in modern times. By comparison, the Hebrew form Levi is widely used in the English-speaking world, while Lewi is found in Biblical Hebrew contexts, and Leevi is a Finnish variant.
Key Facts
- Meaning: “joined, attached” (Hebrew origin)
- Origin: Hebrew, via Greek
- Type: Biblical form
- Usage: Greek Bible