Elhanan אֶלְחָנָן
Warrior from Bethlehem who killed Goliath's brother Lahmi
Biography
Elhanan is mentioned in 2Sa.21.19 and 1Ch.20.5 as a warrior from Bethlehem who fought against the Philistines. In 2 Samuel, he is described as the son of Jaare-oregim, while in 1 Chronicles, he is called the son of Jair. Elhanan is noted for killing Lahmi, the brother of Goliath the Gittite. This event is similar to David's famous battle with Goliath, but Elhanan's victory highlights the ongoing conflicts between Israel and the Philistines. The passages suggest that Elhanan was a skilled warrior who played a significant role in Israel's military successes.
Family
In Scripture
2 biblical books2 Samuel 1 verse
- 2 Samuel 21:19
"There was again war with the Philistines at Gob; and Elhanan the son of Jaare-Oregim the Bethlehemite killed Goliath the Gittite’s brother, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam."
1 Chronicles 1 verse
- 1 Chronicles 20:5
"Again there was war with the Philistines; and Elhanan the son of Jair killed Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam."
Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script | Strong's |
|---|---|---|---|
| Named | Hebrew | אֶלְחָנָן | H0445G |
Elhanan
le:1Chr.20.5">1Ch 20:5. In the former passage we read, "And there was again war with the Philistines at Gob; and Elhanan, the son of Jaare-oregim the Beth-lehemite, slew Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver's beam"; while in the latter we are told, "And there was again war with the Philistines; and Elhanan the son of Jair slew Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver's beam." Most modern critics prefer as the original text of the latter part of the two discrepant statements the following: "and Elhanan the son of Jair the Beth-lehemite slew Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver's beam." It is contended that the Chronicler slightly modified the text before him, in order to bring it into harmony with 1Sa 17, where David is said to have slain a Philistine giant Goliath. There is almost unanimous agreement that "Jaare-oregim" is a corrupt reading, and the "Jair" in 1Ch is to be preferred. From Jerome to the present some scholars identify Elhanan with David, and thus remove the discrepancy. Ewald ( Hist, III, 70) argued that the name "Goliath" was inserted in 1Sa 17 and 21 by the narrators whose compositions are embodied in Samuel, Elhanan being the real victor over Goliath, while David's antagonist was simply called "the Philistine."
(2) The son of Dodo of Bethlehem, one of David's mighty men (2Sa 23:24; 1Ch 11:26). Some moderns think that there was only one Elhanan, and that he was the son of Dodo of the clan of Jair.
John Richard Sampey
A descendant of Ithamar, the fourth son of Aaron, who exercised the office of high priest in Shiloh at the time of the birth of Samuel. For the first time in Israel, Eli combined in his own person the