497. Eladah

Lexical Summary

Eladah: Eladah

Original Word: אֶלְעָדָה
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: El`adah
Pronunciation: el-aw-daw'
Phonetic Spelling: (el-aw-daw')
KJV: Eladah
NASB: Eleadah
Word Origin: [from H410 (אֵל - God) and H5710 (עָדָה - To pass on)]

1. God has decked
2. Eladah, an Israelite

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

Eladah

From 'el and adah; God has decked; Eladah, an Israelite -- Eladah.

see HEBREW 'el

see HEBREW adah

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from el and adah
Definition
"God has adorned," an Ephraimite
NASB Translation
Eleadah (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

אֶלְעָדָה proper name, masculine (God has adorned, compare עֲדִיאֵל) an Ephraimite 1 Chronicles 7:20.

Topical Lexicon

Biblical Occurrence

Eleadah is mentioned a single time in Scripture, within the genealogical record of the tribe of Ephraim (1 Chronicles 7:20).

Genealogical Context

1 Chronicles 7 presents two family branches of Ephraim. Eleadah is positioned halfway down the first branch:

Ephraim → Shuthelah → Bered → Tahath → Eleadah → Tahath.

The list then extends to Zabad and a second Shuthelah before recounting the loss of Ezer and Elead at the hands of the men of Gath (1 Chronicles 7:21). This placement underscores the continuity of Ephraim’s line despite repeated setbacks and grief, including the later exile.

Historical and Covenant Significance

1. Tribal Importance. Ephraim held a place of prominence among the northern tribes, producing leaders such as Joshua (1 Chronicles 7:27). By recording Eleadah, the Chronicler preserves a precise pre-monarchic lineage that affirms Israel’s covenant history.
2. Post-Exilic Assurance. Chronicles was compiled after the Babylonian exile to reassure returning Jews of their identity. The insertion of lesser-known figures like Eleadah testifies to God’s meticulous preservation of His people (Ezra 2:59-63).
3. Contrast with Tragedy. Immediately after Eleadah’s generation, the text narrates the slaying of Ezer and Elead. The Chronicler thereby frames Eleadah as part of a generation that bridges prosperity and calamity, highlighting both blessing and suffering under God’s providence.

Theological Insights

• Divine Faithfulness. The precision of the genealogy, including Eleadah’s name, reinforces the reliability of God’s redemptive plan. Every generation is recorded; none are forgotten (Psalm 105:8-10).
• Hope beyond Loss. Ephraim’s mourning (1 Chronicles 7:22) is not the final word. The lineage continues, prefiguring the greater hope fulfilled in the Messiah, Himself traced through equally detailed genealogies (Matthew 1:1-17; Luke 3:23-38).
• Identity and Inheritance. By situating Eleadah within Ephraim, Scripture upholds the tribal allocations promised in Numbers 26:52-56, reminding believers that divine promises are irrevocable (Romans 11:29).

Ministry Applications

1. Valuing the Unknown. Eleadah receives no exploits or speeches, yet God deemed his inclusion important. Ministry today must honor every believer, not only those in public roles (1 Corinthians 12:22).
2. Generational Discipleship. The repeated “his son” pattern encourages fathers to transmit faith to their children (Deuteronomy 6:6-7; Ephesians 6:4).
3. Comfort in Grief. Ephraim’s lament parallels congregational seasons of sorrow. The text models communal consolation: “His brothers came to comfort him” (1 Chronicles 7:22). Churches should likewise surround the afflicted.

Related Scriptures and Themes

• Joshua’s Ephraimite heritage: Numbers 13:8; 1 Chronicles 7:27.
• God’s remembrance of names: Malachi 3:16; Revelation 3:5.
• The role of genealogies in redemptive history: Genesis 5; Ruth 4:18-22; Luke 3:23-38.

Eleadah, though briefly mentioned, contributes to a tapestry that proclaims God’s steadfast commitment to His covenant people across generations.

Forms and Transliterations

וְאֶלְעָדָ֥ה ואלעדה veelaDah wə’el‘āḏāh wə·’el·‘ā·ḏāh

Englishman's Concordance

1 Chronicles 7:20
HEB: וְתַ֣חַת בְּנ֔וֹ וְאֶלְעָדָ֥ה בְנ֖וֹ וְתַ֥חַת
NAS: his son, Eleadah his son,
KJV: his son, and Eladah his son,
INT: Tahath his son Eleadah his son Tahath

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 497
1 Occurrence

wə·’el·‘ā·ḏāh — 1 Occ.