1 Chronicles 3:8 — Word Study
WLCוֶאֱלִישָׁמָ֧ע וְאֶלְיָדָ֛ע וֶאֱלִיפֶ֖לֶט תִּשְׁעָֽה׃
BSAElishamaʼĔlîyshâmâʻ [a man of God, from the tribe of Judah] EliadaʼElyâdâʻ [having God's knowledge] and ElipheletʼĔlîypheleṭ [God is deliverance] nine [in all]têshaʻ [a total count]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וֶאֱלִישָׁמָ֧ע | and Elishama | Conjunction, noun proper masculine |
| וְאֶלְיָדָ֛ע | and Eliada | Conjunction, noun proper masculine |
| וֶאֱלִיפֶ֖לֶט | and Eliphelet | Conjunction, noun proper masculine |
| תִּשְׁעָֽה׃ | nine | Noun common, both singular absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet—nine in all. |
| KJV | And Elishama, and Eliada, and Eliphelet, nine. |
| ASV | and Elishama, and Eliada, and Eliphelet, nine. |
| YLT | and Elishama, and Eliada, and Eliphelet, nine. |
| WEB | Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet, nine. |
| BBE | And Elishama and Eliada and Eliphelet, nine. |
Where they part company is in the names listed and the total count — see How Translations Differ.
The structure is straightforward, listing names followed by a count, emphasizing clarity in the genealogical record.
6 commentators on this verse
Jamieson, Poole, Trapp, Ellicott & more — read them ›
clause
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — 1 Chronicles 3:8
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Sons of Davidgenerated
1 Chronicles 3:8 lists three sons of David, highlighting their names and indicating a total count of nine sons. This genealogy serves to establish David's lineage, which is significant for understanding the royal line leading to future kings, including Solomon. The mention of these names connects to broader themes of heritage and divine purpose in the Old Testament narrative.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 Chronicles 14:7 | Elishama, Beeliada, and Eliphelet. |
| 2 | 1 Chronicles 14:7 | Elishama, Beeliada, and Eliphelet. |
| 3 | 2 Samuel 5:14–16 | These are the names of the children born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 3 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — אֱלִישָׁמָע, ve.'e.li.sha.Ma'generated
The first name, אֱלִישָׁמָע (Eliyshama), means "my God has heard". It combines elements for God and hearing, indicating a connection to divine responsiveness. This name appears in various contexts, including leadership roles within Israel's history.
The second name, אֶלְיָדָע (Elyada), translates to "God knows" and emphasizes divine knowledge. This name also appears in the context of notable figures in Israel's history, including a son of David.
Lastly, אֲלִיפֶ֫לֶט (Eliyphelet) means "God is deliverance", linking it to themes of salvation and divine intervention. Each name reflects a distinct aspect of God's relationship with His people.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
The verse is translated in the Berean Standard Bible as well as the KJV, ASV, YLT, WEB, and BBE, all agreeing on the names listed and the total count of nine.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The sentence structure consists of a main clause listing the names of David's sons, followed by a predicate that provides their total count. The names are presented in a straightforward manner, emphasizing the lineage.
The finite verb is implied in the context, with the focus on the noun phrases that identify the sons of David.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates the names directly, maintaining the same order as the Hebrew text. The Greek rendering reflects the same meanings associated with the names, preserving the significance of the lineage.
The names are transliterated in the Septuagint as ελισαμα, ελιαδα, and ελιφαλετ, showing consistency in the representation of these key figures.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
1 Chronicles 3:8 lists three of David's sons: Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet, totaling nine sons. This verse emphasizes the importance of David's lineage and heritage.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
They were sons of King David, each with names that reflect significant meanings related to God.
The number nine indicates the total count of David's sons mentioned in this genealogical record.
Each name reflects a relationship with God, emphasizing themes of divine hearing, knowledge, and deliverance.
This verse establishes the royal line of David, which is crucial for understanding the future kings of Israel, including Solomon.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What do the names of David's sons reveal about his relationship with God?
- How does understanding David's lineage enhance your comprehension of biblical history?
- In what ways can the meanings of these names inspire your faith today?
- Why is it important to consider genealogies in the context of the Old Testament?
Commentators on this verse — 6 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on 1 Chronicles 3:8 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAnd Elishama, and Eliada, and Eliphelet, nine. Nine. The number of David's sons born after his removal to Jerusalem was eleven (2 Samuel 5:14), but only nine are mentioned here-two of them being
Read Robert Jamieson on 1 Chronicles 3 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleObject. There are but seven mentioned , &c. Answ. Two of them are omitted there, because they died very early, or were inglorious, or died without issue; and here we have all the sons of David, as it here follows, , which clause is not added, 2 Samuel 5.
Read Matthew Poole on 1 Chronicles 3 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments1 Chronicles 3:8 And Elishama, and Eliada, and Eliphelet, nine.Ver. 8. And Elishama.] See 1 Chronicles 3:6.
Read John Trapp on 1 Chronicles 3 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(8) Eliada.—(“God knoweth”) The Beeliada (“Lord knoweth”) of 1 Chronicles 14:7 is probably more ancient, though Samuel also has Eliada. God was of old called Baal as well as El; and the former title was only discarded because it tended to foster a confusion between the degrading cultus of the Canaanite Baals, and the true religion of Israel. So it came to pass in later times that men were unwilling to write or speak the very name of Baal, and in names compounded therewith they substituted either El or Iah as here; or the word bosheth (shame) as in Ishbosheth instead of Eshbaal, Jerubbesheth instead of Jerubbaal.
Read Charles John Ellicott on 1 Chronicles 3 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 8. Nine.] There are thirteen if we count the four sons of Bath-sheba, and nine without them; and in the second book of Samuel there are eleven, reckoning the above four, and without them only seven. In the book of Samuel probably only those who were alive were reckoned, while the author of the Chronicles comprises those also who were dead in this enumeration. Jarchi supposes that the duplicate Elishama and Eliphelet are those which increase the regular number seven to nine; and that the dead without posterity, as well as the living, are mentioned to increase the number of David's descendants; for, says he, the whole book is written for the honour of David and his seed.
Read AdamClarke on 1 Chronicles 3 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges8. Eliada] so in 2 Samuel 5:16, but in 1 Chronicles 14:7 Beeliada (i.e. Baaliada). The original reading, probably Baaliada (“The Lord—the Baal—knows”), seems to have been changed to Eliada (“God knows”) at the time at which the Hebrews ceased to apply the title Baal to Jehovah. From Hosea 2:16 it appears that Baal once used as an epithet of Jehovah fell into disuse owing to its overpoweringly heathen associations. Cp. 1 Chronicles 8:33, note.
Read Cambridge on 1 Chronicles 3 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet—nine in all.
Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet, nine.
Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet—nine in all.
Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.
Tyndale line
And Elishama, and Eliada, and Eliphelet, nine.
and Elishama, and Eliada, and Eliphelet, nine.
and Elishama, and Eliada, and Eliphelet, nine.
And Elishama, and Eliada, and Eliphelet, nine.
And Elishama, and Eliada, and Eliphelet, nine in nomber.
Strictly literal
and Elishama, and Eliada, and Eliphelet, nine:
and Elishama, and Eliada, and Eliphelet, nine.
and Elishama, and Eliada, and Eliphelet—nine.
And Elishama', and Elyada', and Eliphelet, nine.
Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.
From the Latin
And Elisama, and Eliada, and Elipheleth, nine:
Simplified
Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet, a total of nine.
And Elishama and Eliada and Eliphelet, nine.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree on the names and the total count of nine, confirming the consistency of this genealogical record across different textual traditions.
וֶאֱלִישָׁמָ֧ע וְאֶלְיָדָ֛ע וֶאֱלִיפֶ֖לֶט תִּשְׁעָֽה׃
4 of the 4 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in 1 Chronicles 3:8
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
אֱלִישָׁמָע (Eliyshama) means "my God has heard" and refers to several individuals in the Old Testament, including a chief of the tribe of Ephraim, a son of David, and a scribe under Jehoiakim. The name is built from the elements for God and hearing. It appears in various contexts, including leadership and priesthood.
אֱלִישָׁמָע (God has heard)
chief of Ephraim
son of David
scribe of Jehoiakim
one of the royal seed
a man of Judah
a priest
base
H476 אֱלִישָׁמָע
476 'Eliyshama` el-ee-shaw-maw'
from 410 and 8085; God of hearing; Elishama, the name of
seven Israelites:--Elishama.
see HEBREW for 0410
see HEBREW for 08085
אֱלִישָׁמָע (e.li.sha.ma) — Elishama.
A man of the tribe of Ephraim living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Num.1.10;
son of: Ammihud (H5989);
father of: Nun (H5126)
§ Elishama = "my God has heard"
1) an Ephraimite chief in the wilderness
2) a son of David
3) Jehoiakim's secretary
4) a priest who taught the law
5) a man of Judah
אֱלִישָׁמָע (e.li.sha.ma) — Elishama.
A man of the tribe of Judah living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 2Sa.5.16;
son of: David (H1732);
brother of: Amnon (H0550), Chileab (H3609), Absalom (H0053), Adonijah (H0138), Shephatiah (H8203), Ithream (H3507), Shammua (H8051H), Shobab (H7727), Nathan (H5416), Solomon (H8010), Ibhar (H2984), Elishua (H0474), Nepheg (H5298H), Japhia (H3309I), Eliada (H0450), Eliphelet (H0467), Tamar (H8559H), Elpelet (H0467I), Nogah (H5052) and Jerimoth (H3406N)
Conj | N-proper — Conjunction · noun proper masculineHC/Npm
e-lish'-a-ma ('elishama`, "God has heard"):
(1) Grandfather of Joshua and son of Ammihud; prince of the tribe of Ephraim in the Exodus (Nu 1:10; 7:48,53; 1Ch 7:26).
(2) A son of David, born in Jerusalem (2Sa 5:16; 1Ch 3:8).
(3) By textual corruption in 1Ch 3:6 for Elishua, another of David's sons; compare 2Sa 5:15.
Elishama
Whom God hears. (1.) A prince of Benjamin, grandfather of Joshua (Num. 1:10; 1 Chr. 7:26). (2.) One of David’s sons (2 Sam. 5:16). (3.) Another of David’s sons (1 Chr. 3:6). (4.) A priest sent by Jehoshaphat to teach the people the law (2 Chr. 17:8).
(whom God hears). The "prince" or "captain" of the tribe of Ephraim in the wilderness of Sinai. (Numbers 1:10; 2:18; 7:48; 10:22) (B.C. 1491.) From (1 Chronicles 7:26) we find that he was grandfather to the great Joshua. A son of King David. (1 Samuel 5:16; 1 Chronicles 3:8; 14:7) Another son of David, (1 Chronicles 3:6) who in the other lists is called ELISHUA. (B.C. after 1044.) A descendant of Judah. (1 Chronicles 2:41) The father of Nethaniah and grandfather of Ishmael. (2 Kings 25:25;
God hearing
The Hebrew word אֶלְיָדָע (*Elyada*) means 'God knows' and refers to several individuals in the Old Testament. It is built from the roots for 'God' and 'knowing.' The entries note Eliada as a son of David, a Benjamite warrior chief, and an Aramean father of an adversary of Solomon, with references primarily in 2 Samuel and 1 Kings.
אֶלְיָדָע n.pr.m. (God knows)
son of David
father of an adversary of Solomon
chief of Benjamin
base
H450 אֶלְיָדָע
450 'Elyada` el-yaw-daw'
from 410 and 3045; God (is) knowing; Eljada, the name of two
Israelites and of an Aramaean leader:--Eliada.
see HEBREW for 0410
see HEBREW for 03045
אֶלְיָדָע (el.ya.da) — Eliada.
A man of the tribe of Judah living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 2Sa.5.16;
son of: David (H1732);
brother of: Amnon (H0550), Chileab (H3609), Absalom (H0053), Adonijah (H0138), Shephatiah (H8203), Ithream (H3507), Shammua (H8051H), Shobab (H7727), Nathan (H5416), Solomon (H8010), Ibhar (H2984), Elishua (H0474), Nepheg (H5298H), Japhia (H3309I), Elishama (H0476H), Eliphelet (H0467), Tamar (H8559H), Elpelet (H0467I), Nogah (H5052) and Jerimoth (H3406N); also called Beeliada at 1Ch.14.7;
Also named: be.el.ya.da (בְּעֶלְיָדָע "Beeliada" H1182)
§ Eliadah or Eliada = "God knows"
1) a son of David
2) a Benjamite warrior chief
3) an Aramean, the father of an enemy of Solomon
אֶלְיָדָע (el.ya.da) — Eliada.
A man living at the time of United Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ki.11.23;
father of: Rezon (H7331)
Conj | N-proper — Conjunction · noun proper masculineHC/Npm
Eliada
Whom God cares for. (1.) One of David’s sons born after his establishment in Jerusalem (2 Sam. 5:16).
(2.) A mighty man of war, a Benjamite (2 Chr. 17:17).
(3.) An Aramite of Zobah, captain of a marauding band that troubled Solomon (1 Kings 11:23).
(known by God). One of David’s sons; according to the lists, the youngest but one of the family born to him after his establishment in Jerusalem. (2 Samuel 5:16; 1 Chronicles 3:8) (B.C. after 1033.) A mighty man of war, a Benjamite, who led 200,000 of his tribe to the army of Jehoshaphat. (2 Chronicles 17:17) (B.C. 945.)
knowledge of God
The Hebrew word אֲלִיפֶ֫לֶט (*Eliyphelet*) means 'God is deliverance' and refers to several individuals in the Old Testament, primarily linked to the tribe of Judah and the lineage of King David. It is associated with David's youngest son, a mighty warrior, and a Benjamite descendant of Jonathan. The name appears in various contexts, including 2 Samuel and 1 Chronicles, but there are no significant disagreements among the lexicons regarding its meaning or usage.
אֲלִיפֶ֫לֶט n.pr.m. (God is deliverance)
son of David
one of David’s heroes
a Benjamite
one of the line of Adonikam
of the line of Hashum
base
H467 אֲלִיפֶ֫לֶט
467 'Eliyphelet el-ee-feh'-let
or (shortened) Elpelet {el-peh'-let}; from 410 and 6405; God
of deliverance; Eliphelet or Elpelet, the name of six
Israelites:--Eliphalet, Eliphelet, Elpalet.
see HEBREW for 0410
see HEBREW for 06405
אֲלִיפֶ֫לֶט (e.li.phe.let) — Eliphelet.
A man of the tribe of Judah living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 2Sa.5.16;
son of: David (H1732);
brother of: Amnon (H0550), Chileab (H3609), Absalom (H0053), Adonijah (H0138), Shephatiah (H8203), Ithream (H3507), Shammua (H8051H), Shobab (H7727), Nathan (H5416), Solomon (H8010), Ibhar (H2984), Elishua (H0474), Nepheg (H5298H), Japhia (H3309I), Elishama (H0476H), Eliada (H0450), Tamar (H8559H), Elpelet (H0467I), Nogah (H5052) and Jerimoth (H3406N)
§ Elpalet or Eliphalet or Eliphelet = "God is deliverance"
1) David's youngest son
2) one of David's mighty warriors
3) a Benjamite descendant of Jonathan
4) a leader of the clan of Adonikam
5) one of the line of Hashum
אֲלִיפֶ֫לֶט (e.li.phe.let) — Eliphelet.
A man living at the time of United Monarchy, only mentioned at 2Sa.23.34;
son of: Ahasbai (H0308)
Conj | N-proper — Conjunction · noun proper masculineHC/Npm
e-lif'-e-let.
See ELIPHALAT; ELIPHAL.
Eliphelet
God his deliverance. (1.) One of David’s distinguished warriors (2 Sam. 23:34); called also Eliphal in 1 Chr. 11:35.
(2.) One of the sons of David born at Jerusalem (1 Chr. 3:6; 14:5); called Elpalet in 1 Chr. 14:5. Also another of David’s sons (1 Chr. 3:8); called Eliphalet in 2 Sam. 5:16; 1 Chr. 14:7.
(3.) A descendant of king Saul through Jonathan (1 Chr. 8:39).
(the God of deliverance). The name of a son of David, one of the children born to him after his establishment in Jerusalem. (1 Chronicles 3:6) (B.C. after 1044.) Another son of David, belonging also to the Jerusalem family, and apparently the last of his sons. (1 Chronicles 3:8) One of the thirty warriors of David’s guard. (2 Samuel 23:34) Son of Eshek, a descendant of King Saul through Jonathan. (1 Chronicles 8:39) (B.C. before 536.) One of the leaders of the Bene-Adonikam who returned from Babylon with Ezra. (Ezra 8:13) (B.C. 459.) A man of the Bene-Hushum in the time of Ezra who had married a foreign wife. (
תֵּ֫שַׁע (tesha`) means 'nine' and can refer to both the cardinal and ordinal forms of the number. It may also appear in combination with other numbers. The word is possibly derived from the idea of turning towards the next full number, ten.
תֵּ֫שַׁע, תִּשְׁעָה 58 n.m. et f. a nine, nonad
base
H8672 תֵּ֫שַׁע, תִּשְׁעָה nine, nonad
8672 tesha` tay'-shah
or (masculine) tishtah {tish-aw'}; perhaps from 8159 through
the idea of a turn to the next or full number ten; nine or
(ord.) ninth:--nine (+ -teen, + -teenth, -th).
see HEBREW for 08159
תֵּ֫שַׁע (te.sah) — nine.
1) nine, nonad
1a) nine (as cardinal number)
1b) ninth (as ordinal number)
1c) in combination with other numbers
Adj — Noun common · both singular absoluteHNcbsa