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Eliab meaning

Eliab in Biblical Hebrew
אליאב
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Source: https://www.abarim-publications.com/Meaning/Eliab.html

🔼The name Eliab: Summary

Meaning
(My) God Is Father
Etymology
From (1) the word אל ('el), God, and (2) the noun אב ('ab), father.
Related names
• Via אל ('el): See the 'browse by form' menu for a long list of 'el-names.
• Via אב ('ab): Abba, Abi, Abi-albon, Abiasaph, Abiathar, Abida, Abidan, Abiel, Abiezer, Abigail, Abihail, Abihu, Abihud, Abijah, Abijam, Abimael, Abimelech, Abinadab, Abinoam, Abiram, Abishag, Abishai, Abishalom, Abishua, Abishur, Abital, Abitub, Abiud, Abner, Abram, Absalom, Ahab, Atroth-beth-joab, Barabbas, Bebai, Ben-abinadab, Chileab, Huram-abi, Jeshebeab, Joab, Job, Moab, Oholiab

🔼The name Eliab in the Bible

The name Eliab is assigned six times in the Bible. Most famous is Eliab the first born son of Jesse, the father of David (1 Samuel 16:6).

Other Eliabs are:

  • A son of Helon and the chief of Zebulun during the first part of the wilderness years (Numbers 7:24).
  • A Reubenite, whose sons Abiram and Dathan die during the insurrection of Korah (Numbers 16:1).
  • A Levite from the Kohath family (1 Chronicles 6:27); the great-grandfather of Samuel who may also be called Eliel (1 Chronicles 6:34), and Elihu (1 Samuel 1:1).
  • A Gadite counted among David's mighty-men (1 Chronicles 12:9).
  • A Levite musician (1 Chronicles 15:20).

🔼Etymology of the name Eliab

The name Eliab consists of two elements. The first part is the word אל (El), either the prominent Canaanite deity whose name became applied to the God of Israel, or the common abbreviation of Elohim, the genus God:

Excerpted from: Abarim Publications' Biblical Dictionary
אל  אלה

In names אל ('el) usually refers to אלהים ('elohim), that is Elohim, or God, also known as אלה ('eloah). In English, the words 'God' and 'god' exclusively refer to the deity but in Hebrew the words אל ('l) and אלה ('lh) are far more common and may express approach and negation, acts of wailing and pointing, and may even mean oak or terebinth.

— See the full Dictionary article —

The letter yod may serve in this name to make the word El possessive: my God

The second part is the common Hebrew word אב ('ab), basically meaning father:

Excerpted from: Abarim Publications' Biblical Dictionary
אב

The noun אב ('ab) means father, but describes primarily a social relationship rather than a biological one. That social fatherhood was the defining quality of the community's alpha male, the one around whom all economy revolved and from whom emanated all instructions by which the 'sons' (בן, ben) operated. It's unclear where this word אב ('ab) comes from but the verb abu means to decide.

— See the full Dictionary article —

🔼Eliab meaning

For a meaning of the name Eliab, NOBSE Study Bible Name List and BDB Theological Dictionary both read God Is Father. Jones' Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names proposes My God Is Father.