ELIHD (Kn-i-K, LXX 'EXioOs, 'my God is He,' cf. Elijah, 'my God is J"'). — Described in Job 32- as 'son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram ' ; he would therefore be descended from Nahor, brother of Abraham (Gn 22'-', J). E. is introduced as an interlocutor in the Book of Job, speaking after the three friends Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zopliar have failed to convince Job by their arguments. He is described as younger than the three; he undertakes, however, to act as moderator between the disputants, and speaks at length in clis. 32-37. But the fact that E. is mentioned neither in the prologue nor in the epilogue of the book ; that his arguments do not add substantially to the discussion ; tliat the transition from ch. 38 to ch. 39 is abrupt and awkward ; together with certain features of style in the sjieeches assigned to E., — have led most critics to the conclusion that clis. .32-37 represent a later addition to the book. Lightfoot, Rosenmiiller, Derenbourg, and others BU]jport the strange conjecture that E. is the name of the author himself (see Job, Book of).
W. T. Davison.
ELIJAH ('.t'7N; .t^k in2K l»•8■'^ Mai 3=3[Eng. 4i>] 'J" is God'; LXX'HX«(o<;; NTHXtiaj, AVElias).— 1. The loftiest prophet of the OT, rai.sed up by J" at a crisis in the history of Israel to save the nation from lapsing into heathenism. His public life is sketched in a few narratives wonderful for their vivid representations and graphic details. His personal hi.story is full of human interest, and presents les.sons of the highest ethical and spiritual value. His first appearance is surrounded with an element of mystery which is in keeping with his whole history. There is but a single brief refer- ence (1 K 17') to his origin, and even that is not without ambiguity. The words are tr. by AV, in accordance with the MT, ' E. the Tishhite, who was of the inliabitants of Gilead.' If this render- ing is correct, it signifies that a certain place called Tishbeh or Tishbi of Gilead, not named elsewhere, had the distinction of giving l)irth to the prophet. Some have sought to identify it with Tliisbe of Naphtali, mentioned in To 1'. They point out that the correct rendering of 'adBD (on the a.ssumption that it is a common, not a proper name) is not ' of the inhabitants,' but 'of tiie sojourners' (so RV), which would imply that E. came from another or foreign district. But the LXX makes the dis- puted word a projier name, and reads ' E. the Tishbite from Thesbon of Gilead.' This reading ii«ems to be followed by Josephus {Ant. vin.
xiii. 2). It is supported by the fact that, when- ever the word is a common noun, it is written DCJin. There seems therefore little reason to doubt that E. was a native of the wild but beautiful mountain district of GUead, the highlands of Palestine, on the eastern side of the Jordan, bordering on the ^eat desert. There he had a prophet's nurture in solitude. He alwa3's loved the wild deliles and rushing torrents of his native land. Lonely mountains and bleak deserts were congenial to his spirit. He learned to dwell familiarly on the sterner aspects of religion and morality. He had the austere, a-scetic, mono- theistic spirit of the desert. He learned the fear of J" which knew no other fear.
Nothing is s.iid of his parentage, and the omis- sion is in .striking contrast to the wealth of detail with which the descent of some other prophets is stated. E. occupied from the first a unique and exalted position in the goodly fellowsliip. He .seemed to be like Melchizedek ' without father, without mother, without genealogy, haWng neither beginning of days nor end of life.' Strange tradi- tions arose in later times among the Rabbis, as that he was Phinehas, the grandson of Aaron, returned to life, or an angel in human form.
E.'s whole manner of life is meant to be a protest against a corrupt civilisation. He has some of the habits of the ancient Nazirite, and not a few of the characteristics of the modern Bedawin. His unshorn locks streaming down his shoulders and his rough mantle of camel's hair (2 K 1') alone make him a remarkable figure in Israel. He has the fleet foot of a true son of the desert (1 K IS*), and an iron frame which enables him to endure a forty days' fast (19"). He dwells in the clefts of the Clierith (17'), sleeps under a desert broom (19*), lodges in the cave of Horeb(19'), and haunts the slopes of Carmel. If he enters a city, it is only to deliver the message of J" and be gone. His start- ling appearances, abrupt speeches, and sudden dis- appearances create around his personality a pro- found air of mystery. He is believed to lie borne hither and thither by the Spirit of J" (1 K 18'-', 2 K 2'*). He comes down from the hills of Gilead as the cliampion and prophet of J" in the dark days of Israel's apostasy. He comes to bear witness to truths which ought never to have been denied in Israel. Like every true reformer, he takes his stand upon old principles. He is the personified conscience of the nation. He comes, a prophet of heroic mould, to witness by deeds rather than by words.