2 Samuel 5:16 — Word Study
WLCוֶאֱלִישָׁמָ֥ע וְאֶלְיָדָ֖ע וֶאֱלִיפָֽלֶט׃ פ
BSAElishamaʼĔlîyshâmâʻ [a man of God] EliadaʼElyâdâʻ [son of God] and ElipheletʼĔlîypheleṭ [God is deliverance, Eliphalet]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וֶאֱלִישָׁמָ֥ע | and Elishama | Conjunction, noun proper masculine |
| וְאֶלְיָדָ֖ע | and Eliada | Conjunction, noun proper masculine |
| וֶאֱלִיפָֽלֶט׃ פ | and Eliphelet | Conjunction, noun proper masculine |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet. |
| KJV | And Elishama, and Eliada, and Eliphalet. |
| ASV | and Elishama, and Eliada, and Eliphelet. |
| YLT | and Elishama, and Eliada, and Eliphalet. |
| WEB | Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet. |
| BBE | And Elishama and Eliada and Eliphelet. |
The translations agree on the names listed in this verse.
The verse consists of a simple list of names without additional clauses or complexity.
3 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Trapp & 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 — 2 Samuel 5:16
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
2 Samuel 5:16 lists the names of three of King David's sons: Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet. These names are part of a genealogy that establishes David's lineage and highlights the significance of his family in the narrative of Israel's history. This passage is situated in the broader context of David's reign and the challenges he faced as king, particularly from the Philistines, as seen in the surrounding verses.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 Chronicles 14:7 | Elishama, Beeliada, and Eliphelet. |
| 2 | 1 Chronicles 3:8 | Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet—nine in all. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 2 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — אֱלִישָׁמָע, Eliyshamagenerated
The name אֱלִישָׁמָע (Eliyshama) means "my God has heard" and is associated with several individuals in the Old Testament, including a son of David. It is formed from the elements for God and hearing, indicating a divine connection.
Elishama is a proper masculine noun, indicating a specific individual. His mention here highlights his role in the lineage of David, which is significant in the context of Israel's history and the establishment of David's dynasty.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
The verse is rendered similarly across various translations, including the Berean Standard Bible, KJV, and ASV.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The structure of this verse is straightforward, consisting of a noun phrase listing the names of David's sons. The conjunctions וְ (and) link the names together, indicating a series.
The simple list format emphasizes the familial connections without additional commentary, making it clear that these are significant figures in David's lineage.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates the names directly, using ελισαμα, ελιαδα, and ελιφελετ. This choice reflects a direct correspondence to the Hebrew names, maintaining their significance.
The Greek translation does not alter the meaning or context of the names, preserving their importance in the lineage of David.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
2 Samuel 5:16 lists three of King David's sons: Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet. These names are important as they represent David's lineage and contribute to the understanding of his family and reign.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
They are sons of King David, each with their own significance in the lineage of Israel.
Elishama means 'my God has heard' and signifies a connection to divine hearing.
Genealogy establishes the lineage and heritage of significant biblical figures, highlighting God's promises and covenants.
Yes, these names appear in genealogical lists and narratives that emphasize David's family and lineage.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What significance do you see in the names of David's sons?
- How does understanding David's lineage help us grasp the narrative of his reign?
- In what ways do genealogies in the Bible reveal God's faithfulness?
- How can we apply the lessons of family heritage and legacy from this passage?
Commentators on this verse — 3 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on 2 Samuel 5:16 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAnd Elishama, and Eliada, and Eliphalet. Seven more by some other wife or wives; nine are mentioned in 1 Chronicles 3:6; there being in that account two Eliphalets, and another called Nogah; which
Read John Gill on 2 Samuel 5 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAnd these be the names of those that were born unto him in Jerusalem; Shammuah, and Shobab, and Nathan, and Solomon, No JFB commentary on these verses.
Read Robert Jamieson on 2 Samuel 5 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments2 Samuel 5:16 And Elishama, and Eliada, and Eliphalet.Ver. 16. And Elishama.] See 2 Samuel 5:15. And Eliada.] Called also Beeliada. And Eliphalet.] My God heareth, my God knoweth, my God delivereth. "My God" was much in David’ s mind and mouth when he named these three sons in this sort. The wicked, on the other side, have God neither in their heads, nor hearts, nor words, nor ways.
Read John Trapp on 2 Samuel 5 →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.
Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.
Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.
Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.
Tyndale line
And Elishama, and Eliada, and Eliphalet.
and Elishama, and Eliada, and Eliphelet.
and Elishama, and Eliada, and Eliphelet.
And Elishama, and Eliada, and Eliphalet.
And Elishama, and Eliada, and Eliphalet.
Strictly literal
and Elishama, and Eliada, and Eliphelet.
and Elishama, and Eliada, and Eliphalet.
and Elishama, and Eliada, and Eliphalet.
And Elishama', and Elyada', and Eliphelet.
Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.
From the Latin
And Japhia, and Elisama, and Elioda, and Eliphaleth.
Simplified
Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.
And Elishama and Eliada and Eliphelet.
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 listed in this verse, with no significant differences. The Dead Sea Scrolls provide the names as well but have been edited to restore the text, indicating a consensus on these figures.
וֶאֱלִישָׁמָ֥ע וְאֶלְיָדָ֖ע וֶאֱלִיפָֽלֶט׃ פ
3 of the 3 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.
[ואלישמע] [ובעלידע] [ואליפלט]
nothing on the leather here — 3 supplied entire by an editor.
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 2 Samuel 5:16
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. (