ELHANAN (el-ha'nan), (Heb. el-khaw nawn', God is gracious).
1. A warrior of the time of David, who dis tinguished himself against the Philistines. Accord ing to 2 Sam. xxi :19, he was the son of Jaare Oregim, the Bethlehemite, and slew Goliath the Gittite. The A.V. inserts the words "the brother of" Goliath, etc., to make the passage conform with t Chron. xx :5, which says that Elhanan was the son of Jair or Jaor and slew Lahrni, Goliath's brother. The last is probably the more correct as Goliath, the Gittite, was killed by David (I Sam. xvii) ; though this has been questioned. (B. C. 1020.) 2. Son of Dodo of Bethlehem. He was one of David's guard of "thirty" (2 Sam. xxiii :24 ; Chron. xi :26).
ELI (E'11), (Heb. ay-lee', ascent, summit, raised up).
1. A descendant of Aaron through Ithamar (Lev. x :1, 2, 12), as appears from the fact that Abiathar, who was certainly a lineal descendant of Eli (1 Kings ii :27), had a son; Ahimelech, who is expressly stated to have been "of the sons of Ithamar" (i Chron. xxiv :3; comp. 2 Sam. viii:i7; Joseph. Antiq. v. 9, 1).
(1) High-Priest. Eli is generally supposed to have been the first high-priest of the line of Ithamar, Aaron's youngest son. This is deduced from I Chron. xxiv :3, 6 (comp. as above, Joseph. Antiq. v. 9, i). It also appears from the omission of the names of Eli and his immediate successors in the enumeration of the high-priests of Eleazar's line in t Chron. vi What occasioned this remarkable transfer is not known—most probably the incapacity or minority of the then sole rep resentative of the elder line; for it is very evident that it was no unauthorized usurpation on the part of Eli (I Sam. ii:27. 28).
(2) Judge. Eli also acted as regent or civil judge of Israel after the death of Samson. This function, indeed, seems to have been intended, by the theocratical constitution, to devolve upon the high-priest, by virtue of his office, in the absence of any person specially appointed by the Divine King, to deliver and govern Israel. He is said to have 'edged Israel forty years (I Sam. iv :18) ; the Septuagint makes it twenty • and chronologers are divided on the matter. But the probability seems to be that the forty years comprehend the whole period of his administration as high• priest and judge, including, in the first half, the twenty years in which Samson is said to have judged Israel (Judg. xvi:31), when some of his civil functions in southern Palestine may have been in abeyance. As Eli died at the age of nine ty-eight (I Sam. iv :15), the forty years must have commenced when he was fifty-eight years old.
(3) His Sons. His sons, Hophni and Phine has, whom he invested with authority, miscon ducted themselves so outrageously as to excite deep disgust among the people, and render the services of the tabernacle odious in their eyes.
Of this misconduct Eli was aware, but contented himself with mild and ineffectual remonstrances, where his station required severe and vigorous action.
(4) Prophetic Warnings. For this neglect the judgment of God was at length pronounced upon his house, through the young Samuel, who, under peculiar circumstances (see SAMUEL), had been attached from childhood to his person (I Sam. ii :29; iii :18).
(5) Death. Some years passed without any apparent fulfillment of this denunciation—but it came at length in one terrible crash, by which the old man's heart was broken. The Philistines had gained the upper hand over Israel, and the ark of God was taken to the field, in the con fidence of victory and safety from its presence. But in the battle which followed, the ark it self was taken by the Philistines, and the two sons of Eli, who were in attendance upon it, were slain. The high-priest, then blind with age, sat by the wayside at Shiloh, awaiting tidings from the war, 'for his heart trembled for the ark of God.' A man of Benjamin, with his clothes rent, and with earth upon his head, brought the fatal news ; and Eli heard that Israel was defeated —that his sons were slain—that the ark of God was taken—at which last word he fell heavily from his seat, and died (i Sam. iv :i8).
The ultimate doom upon Eli's house was ac complished when Solomon removed Abiathar (the last high-priest of this line) from his office, and restored the line of Eleazar in the person of Zadok. (See ABIATHAR.) • (6) Character. Eli seems to have been a re ligious man; there was no indication of hypocrisy or want of faith in God. But, though he may have been vigorous in other respects in his earlier years, he apparently had no adequate sense of pa ternal authority, and contented himself with a mild rebuke, when the most unbending severity was de manded. if lighter measures failed. It was no case of disrespect to himself or to a fellow man, but the foulest abuse of the priesthood of Jehovah, which he had been appointed, as head, to guard and honor. He must have been not only an easy or indulgent parent, but cold and phlegmatic by nature, else such a scandal would have roused him to prompt and vigorous action. (Geikie, HOW'S with the Bible.) 2. The last of our Saviour's ancestors ac cording to the flesh (Luke iii :23).
3. The exclamation of Christ on the cross (Matt. xxvii :46), (meaning "My God").