ELEALEH (n^vS in Nu 32" m _ '), Nu 32»- ", Is 15* 16", Jer 48=".— A town of the Moabite plateau, conquered by Gad and Reuben, and rebuilt by the latter tribe. The expression (v.**), ' their names being changed,' referring to this and other towns, is rendered by Knobel (following the LXX), 'en- closing them with walls' ; but this is very improb- able {y.v 'wall ' is only poetic). See Dillni. ad loc. Elealeh is noticed with Heshbon, and in the 4th cent. A.D. was known (Onomasticon, s.v.) as being a Roman mile from Heshbon. It is now the ruined mound of El-'Al, about a mile N. of Heshbon. See SEP vol. i. under the Arab. name.
C. R. CONDER.
ELEASAH (n^y^'x 'God hath made '). — 1. A Judalute (1 Ch 2»«). 2. A descendant of Saul (lCh8"9*'). SeeELASAH.
ELEAZAR (i.n'-N 'God has helped.'— Cf. Azarel, 1 Ch 12", and the Phoen. names Eshmunazar = ' Eshmun has helped,' CIS I. i. 3, 1. 1 ; 13aalazar = ' Haal has helped,' CIS I. i. 256, 1. 2).
Ten or eleven persons bearing this name are mentioned in the canonical and apocryphal books.
1. The third son of Aaron by Elisheba (Ex 6-^, Nu 3-), who, with his father and three brothers, was admitted to the priestly ofiice (Ex 28'). After the death of Nadab and Abiliu by tire, E. and Ithamar were the chief assistants of Aaron (Lv 10"- "). The former is represented as the chief of the Levites in the time of Moses (Nu S"). When Aaron died, E. succeeded him in his functions (Nu 20'*- ", Dt 10"). He is spoken of as taking part with Moses in the numuering of the people (Nu 26'- '"); and after the death of Moses he aided Joshua in the work of partitioning the newly conquered land of Canaan amongst the twelve tribes (Jos 14' 17' 19" 21'). His burial-place is mentioned in Jos 24". From Elcazar and his wife, a daughter of Putiel (Ex e-"), were descended all succeeding high priests down to the Maccabnmn l>criod ; the only exceptions being the high priests who lived in the ])eriod between Kli and Solomon, when, for some unexplained reason, the office was held by members of the family of Ithamar. 2. A son of Abinadab, who was sanctified to take charge of the ark at Kiriathjoarini, after its return from the country of the Philistines (1 S 7'). 3. Son of Dodo, one of David's three principal mighty men (2 S 23", 1 Ch II'-"). The name shoul.i probably be inserted in 1 Ch 27*. 4. A Levite, son of Mahli, and grandson of Merari(l Ch 23"- >" 24"). 5. A priest of the time of Ezra (Ezr 8'", Neh T-"-). (There may be here two distinct persons.) 6. Due of the family of Parosh, who had married a ' strange wimian,' i.e. one of non-Israelitish descent, in the timeof Ezra (E/r 10"). 7. The fourth son of Mattathias, and bmlher of Judas Maccaba-ue, sumamed Avaran (1 Mac 2°). He foU in the battle
678
ELECTION
ELECTION
fought at Bethzaeliaiias against Antiochus v. Eupator, B.C. 163(1 Mac 6** ■"). His name occurs also in 2 Mac S-^. 8. ' One of the principal scribes ' martyred during the persecution of Antiochus Ejiiphaues, B.C. 168 (2 Mac 6"-^'). 9. The father 01^ that Jason wlio was sent on an embassy to Rome by Judas Maocab.x'us in B.C. 161 (1 Mac 8"). 10. An E. is mentioned in the genealogy of our Lord given by St. Matthew (1").
"W C ALL£N
ELECTION [4K\or^. The aubst. is rare, not found in LXX(yet Aq. Is 22', Symm. Th. Is 37*^, cf. Ps.-Sol 9' 18«). In NT, Ac 9'», Ro 9" IP'- 2", 1 Th 1*, 2 P 1>». Cf. ^KX^70Mai (in LXX generally for in3) = to 'choose,' implying (see Cremer's Lex.) (1) a special relation between the chooser and the object of his choice, and (2) the selection of one object out of many : ^xXesTds (in LXX for iina or Tnj, also fairly often for var. forms of -ri^, besides being used occasionally, sometimes by a misreading of the Heb. text, for 17 other Heb. roots=' chosen ' or ' choice ' (adj.)]. The word is common in Dt and II Is. It is not in Hos, Am (but idea in 3'), or Is (yet cf. LXX Is 28", which is the source of 1 P 2»). It is used chiefly to describe God's choice of Israel ont of all the nations of the world to be His own people, Dt 4^7' etc. , and of Jems, to be the covenant home of worship, Dt 12* etc. It is used also of God's choice of individuals to the chief oflices in the nation, e.g. His choice of Aaron and his family for the service of the sanctuary. His choice of the king, and especially of David. It is once used of Abraliam ; and in Is 40-66 it passes naturally from its use in connexion with Israel to the ' Servant of the Lord.'
It is rare in the Apocrypha ; yet cf. Wis 3', Sir 46' etc. It is constant in Enoch. Cf. Ps-Sol 9' W.
In NT it is used once of God's choice of OT Israel (Ac 13"), but for the most part it passes over with other theocratic titles to the ' Israel of God,' and describes either the Church as a whole, or individual members of it, sometimes merely in virtue of their membership, sometimes as chosen to some special office or work, e.g. the Twelve, St. Peter, St. Paul. It is twee used as part of the title of our Lord (Lk 9» [var. led.] 2S^, Jn 1^). The word appears constantly in the Apostolic Kathers, especially in 1 Clement and Hermas.