אֱלִישָׁה (e.li.shah)
e.li.shah
Elishah
N:N-M-PQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- N:N-M-P
Word Overview
Elishah is a proper noun found in only two verses, Genesis 10:4 and 1 Chronicles 1:7. It identifies a son of Javan and brother to Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. In the context of the Table of Nations, this name represents one of the ancestral lines that spread across the earth after the flood.
The meaning is given as "God of the coming (one)." While the name appears in genealogies, it likely refers to a place or people group rather than just an individual. Some sources suggest Elishah may be another name for Kittim, often associated with Cyprus or the Aeolian Greeks. This connection highlights how ancient Hebrew writers mapped known Mediterranean regions onto their family trees.
Its rarity in Scripture makes it a specific marker of early Greek or Ionian settlement. The name preserves a theological claim about divine providence over distant lands, even when those lands are listed briefly among many others.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The name Elishah appears in the Table of Nations, listing the descendants of Javan. This brief mention connects ancient family lines to specific regions, showing how early Hebrew writers understood the spread of peoples after the flood. It reminds us that God’s providence extends to distant lands and diverse cultures, not just one nation.
When we read these genealogies, we see a world being populated under divine oversight. The inclusion of names like Elishah highlights the breadth of human history recorded in Scripture. It invites reflection on how every people group has a place in God’s grand narrative, even when their stories are told in just a few words.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- [were] Elishah2×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- אֱלִישָׁ֣ה2×
Key Verses
-
Genesis 10:4
The sons of Javan were: Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.
This verse lists Elishah as a son of Javan, anchoring the name in the primary account of post-flood nations.
-
I Chronicles 1:7
The sons of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Rodanim.
The parallel record in Chronicles confirms the lineage, showing the consistency of the tradition across different biblical books.