Eliakim Whom God will raise up. (1.) The son of Melea (Luk 3:30), and probably grandson of Nathan. (2.) The son of Abiud, of the posterity of Zerubbabel (Mat 1:13). (3.) The son of Hilkiah, who was sent to receive the message of the invading Assyrians and report it to Isaiah (Kg2 18:18; Kg2 19:2; Isa 36:3; Isa 37:2). In his office as governor of the palace of Hezekiah he succeeded Shebna (Isa 22:15). He was a good man (Isa 22:20; Kg2 18:37), and had a splendid and honourable career. (4.) The original name of Jehoiakim, king of Judah (Kg2 23:34). He was the son of Josiah.

Eliam God's people. (1.) The father of Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah (Sa2 11:3). In Ch1 3:5 his name is Ammiel. (2.) This name also occurs as that of a Gilonite, the son of Ahithophel, and one of David's thirty warriors (Sa2 23:34). perhaps these two were the same person.

Elias The Greek form of Elijah (Mat 11:14; Mat 16:14, etc.), which the Revised Version has uniformly adopted in the New Testament. (See ELIJAH.)

Eliashib Whom God will restore. (1.) A priest, head of one of the courses of the priests of the time of David (Ch1 24:12). (2.) A high priest in the time of Ezra and Nehemiah (Neh 12:22, Neh 12:23). He rebuilt the eastern city wall (Neh 3:1), his own mansion being in that quarter, on the ridge Ophel (Neh 3:20, Neh 3:21). His indulgence of Tobiah the Ammonite provoked the indignation of Nehemiah (Neh 13:4, Neh 13:7).

Eliathah To whom God will come, one of the fourteen sons of the Levite Heman, and musician of the temple in the time of David (Ch1 25:4).

Elidad Whom God has loved, son of Chislon, and chief of the tribe of Benjamin; one of those who were appointed to divide the Promised Land among the tribes (Num 34:21).

Eliel To whom God is might. (1.) A chief of Manasseh, on the east of Jordan (Ch1 5:24). (2.) A Gadite who joined David in the hold at Ziklag (Ch1 12:11). (3.) One of the overseers of the offerings in the reign of Hezekiah (Ch2 31:13).

Eliezer God his help. (1.) "Of Damascus," the "steward" (R.V., "possessor") of Abraham's house (Gen 15:2, Gen 15:3). It was probably he who headed the embassy sent by Abraham to the old home of his family in Padan-aram to seek a wife for his son Isaac. The account of this embassy is given at length in Gen. 24. (2.) The son of Becher, and grandson of Benjamin (Ch1 7:8). (3.) One of the two sons of Moses, born during his sojourn in Midian (Exo 18:4; Ch1 23:15, Ch1 23:17). He remained with his mother and brother Gershom with Jethro when Moses returned to Egypt. (Exo 18:4). They were restored to Moses when Jethro heard of his departure out of Egypt. (4.) One of the priests who blew the trumpet before the ark when it was brought to Jerusalem (Ch1 15:24). (5.) Son of Zichri, and chief of the Reubenites under David (Ch1 27:16). (6.) A prophet in the time of Jehoshaphat (Ch2 20:37). Others of this name are mentioned Luk 3:29; Ezr 8:16; Ezr 10:18, Ezr 10:23, Ezr 10:31.

Elihu Whose God is he. (1.) "The son of Barachel, a Buzite" (Job 32:2), one of Job's friends. When the debate between Job and his friends is brought to a close, Elihu for the first time makes his appearance, and delivers his opinion on the points at issue (Job 32-37). (2.) The son of Tohu, and grandfather of Elkanah (Sa1 1:1). He is called also Eliel (Ch1 6:34) and Eliab (Ch1 6:27). (3.) One of the captains of thousands of Manasseh who joined David at Ziklag (Ch1 12:20). (4.) One of the family of Obed-edom, who were appointed porters of the temple under David (Ch1 26:7).

Elijah Whose God is Jehovah. (1.) "The Tishbite," the "Elias" of the New Testament, is suddenly introduced to our notice in Kg1 17:1 as delivering a message from the Lord to Ahab. There is mention made of a town called Thisbe, south of Kadesh, but it is impossible to say whether this was the place referred to in the name given to the prophet. Having delivered his message to Ahab, he retired at the command of God to a hiding-place by the brook Cherith, beyond Jordan, where he was fed by ravens. When the brook dried up God sent him to the widow of Zarephath, a city of Zidon, from whose scanty store he was supported for the space of two years. During this period the widow's son died, and was restored to life by Elijah (1 Kings 17:2-24). During all these two years a famine prevailed in the land. At the close of this period of retirement and of preparation for his work (compare Gal 1:17, Gal 1:18) Elijah met Obadiah, one of Ahab's officers, whom he had sent out to seek for pasturage for the cattle, and bade him go and tell his master that Elijah was there. The king came and met Elijah, and reproached him as the troubler of Israel. It was then proposed that sacrifices should be publicly offered, for the purpose of determining whether Baal or Jehovah were the true God. This was done on Carmel, with the result that the people fell on their faces, crying, "The Lord, he is the God." Thus was accomplished the great work of Elijah's ministry. The prophets of Baal were then put to death by the order of Elijah. Not one of them escaped. Then immediately followed rain, according to the word of Elijah, and in answer to his prayer (Jam 5:18) Jezebel, enraged at the fate that had befallen her priests of Baal, threatened to put Elijah to death (Kg1 19:1). He therefore fled in alarm to Beersheba, and thence went alone a day's journey into the wilderness, and sat down in despondency under a juniper tree. As he slept an angel touched him, and said unto him, "Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee." He arose and found a cake and a cruse of water. Having partaken of the provision thus miraculously supplied, he went forward on his solitary way for forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God, where he took up his abode in a cave. Here the Lord appeared unto him and said, "What dost thou here, Elijah?" In answer to his despondent words God manifests to him his glory, and then directs him to return to Damascus and anoint Hazael king over Syria, and Jehu king over Israel, and Elisha to be prophet in his room (Kg1 19:13; compare Kg2 8:7; Kg2 9:1). Some six years after this he warned Ahab and Jezebel of the violent deaths they would die (Kg1 21:19; Kg1 22:38). He also, four years afterwards, warned Ahaziah (q.v.), who had succeeded his father Ahab, of his approaching death (2 Kings 1:1-16). (See NABOTH.) During these intervals he probably withdrew to some quiet retirement, no one knew where. His interview with Ahaziah's messengers on the way to Ekron, and the account of the destruction of his captains with their fifties, suggest the idea that he may have been in retirement at this time on Mount Carmel. The time now drew near when he was to be taken up into heaven (Kg2 2:1). He had a presentiment of what was awaiting him. He went down to Gilgal, where was a school of the prophets, and where his successor Elisha, whom he had anointed some years before, resided. Elisha was solemnized by the thought of his master's leaving him, and refused to be parted from him. "They two went on," and came to Bethel and Jericho, and crossed the Jordan, the waters of which were "divided hither and thither" when smitten with Elijah's mantle. Arrived at the borders of Gilead, which Elijah had left many years before, it "came to pass as they still went on and talked" they were suddenly separated by a chariot and horses of fire; and "Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven, "Elisha receiving his mantle, which fell from him as he ascended. No one of the old prophets is so frequently referred to in the New Testament. The priests and Levites said to the Baptist (Joh 1:25), "Why baptizest thou, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias?" Paul (Rom 11:2) refers to an incident in his history to illustrate his argument that God had not cast away his people. James (Jam 5:17) finds in him an illustration of the power of prayer. (See also Luk 4:25; Luk 9:54.) He was a type of John the Baptist in the sternest and power of his reproofs (Luk 9:8). He was the Elijah that "must first come" (Mat 11:11, Mat 11:14), the forerunner of our Lord announced by Malachi. Even outwardly the Baptist corresponded so closely to the earlier prophet that he might be styled a second Elijah. In him we see "the same connection with a wild and wilderness country; the same long retirement in the desert; the same sudden, startling entrance on his work (Kg1 17:1; Luk 3:2); even the same dress, a hairy garment, and a leather girdle about the loins (Kg2 1:8; Mat 3:4)." How deep the impression was which Elijah made "on the mind of the nation may be judged from the fixed belief, which rested on the words of Malachi (Mal 4:5, Mal 4:6), which many centuries after prevailed that he would again appear for the relief and restoration of the country. Each remarkable person as he arrives on the scene, be his habits and characteristics what they may, the stern John equally with his gentle Successor, as proclaimed to be Elijah (Mat 11:13, Mat 11:14; Mat 16:14; Mat 17:10; Mar 9:11; Mar 15:35; Luk 9:7, Luk 9:8; Joh 1:21). His appearance in glory on the mount of transfiguration does not seem to have startled the disciples. They were 'sore afraid,' but not apparently surprised." (2.) The Elijah spoken of in Ch2 21:12 is by some supposed to be a different person from the foregoing. He lived in the time of Jehoram, to whom he sent a letter of warning (compare Ch1 28:19; Jer. 36), and acted as a prophet in Judah; while the Tishbite was a prophet of the northern kingdom. But there does not seem any necessity for concluding that the writer of this letter was some other Elijah than the Tishbite. It may be supposed either that Elijah anticipated the character of Jehoram, and so wrote the warning message, which was preserved in the schools of the prophets till Jehoram ascended the throne after the Tishbite's translation, or that the translation did not actually take place till after the accession of Jehoram to the throne (Ch2 21:12; Kg2 8:16). The events of 2 Kings 2 may not be recorded in chronological order, and thus there may be room for the opinion that Elijah was still alive in the beginning of Jehoram's reign.