It should be remembered, however, that grave doubts have been cast upon the poptilar identifica- tion of Mt. Sinai (see SlNAl); and as these doubts turn, in part, upon the identification of Elim and of the encampment by the sea, we must be careful not to fall into a toi)ogra|)hical reasoning in a circle, so as to identify Sinai by means of Elim, and then Elim by means of Sinai.
It has been suggested that the Elim of Ex 16. Nu 33, is only a variant form of the jilural name Eloth which we find in 1 K G-*, 2 Ch S", a place which was certainly situated near the head of the gulf of Akabah, and whose name still survives in the Arabic Aileh (cf. the suggestive doublet of Hazeroth, Nu 1I», and Hazerim, Dt 22^). If this be so, then the camp by the sea is to be sought for in the neighbourhood of Akabah, the position of Mt. Sinai is unknown, and the earlier stages of the journey of the children of Israel are to be sought in the line of the present Haj routo from Egypt to Mecca. See Beke, Origines Biblicre, 1839 ; Baker Greene, The Hebrew Migration from Egypt, 1879; Sayce, HCM, 1894; and the art. ExoDCTS (Route). J. Rendel Harris.
ELIMELECH (^hvh^ 'God is king,'* so the name Malchiel). — The husband of Naomi and father of Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Beth-lehem-judah (cf. 1 S 17'-). He was driven by a famine into the country of Moab, where, after a residence of undefined length, he died. He is spoken of as if he were the head of a clan in the tribe of Judah (cf. Ru 2'-'). This would be the Hezronites (1 Ch 2», cf. Gn 46").
H. A. Redpath.
ELIOENAI ('if\^ 'to J" are mine eyes').— 1. A Simeonite chief (1 Ch i^). 2. A Benjamite (1 Ch 7*). 3. A descendant of David who lived after the Exile (1 Ch 3^-^). i. A son of Pashhur who had married a foreign wife (Ezr 10--), called in 1 Es 9^ Elionas. 5. A son of Zattu who had committed the same ofl'ence (Ezr 10^), called in 1 Es 9»* Eliadas. 6. A priest (Neh 12^').
ELIONAS.— 1. (A "EXiavis, B 'EXiwraJf), 1 Es g". —In Ezr 10", ElioeNAI. 2. (A 'EXtu^dt, B -Sat), 1 Es 9^- = Ezr Iff" Eliezer.
ELIPHAL (Su'Sn 'God hath judged').— One of David s mighty men (1 Ch 11«>), called in 2 S 23« Eliphelet (wh. see).
ELIPHALAT. — 1. (A 'EXi^cfXaTos, B 'EXft^oXa, AV Eliphalet), 1 Es 8«».— In Ezr 8" Eliphelet. 2. CEXfi^aXar), 1 Es 9^ = Ezr 10** ELIPHELET.
ELIPHAZ [i5''?f!, possibly ' God is fine gold ' ; but in the absence of analogous meanings this must be considered very doubtful. LXX generally 'EXi^ii (so A in Gn) or 'EXfi^as (so B in Ch and Job, except 2") or 'EXi^a'f (so A iu Ch and Job, and D in Gn 36'*)] is the name of two foreigners (Arabs) mentioned in OT. 1. E. appears in the Edomite genealogy of Gn 36 (and hence 1 Ch 1^') as son of Esau by Adah (vv.'' '"), and father of Amaiek by his Horite concubine Timnali (vv.'^-^). In v.'"- various other sons are mentioned, as ' the dukes that came of E. in the land of Edom,' noticeable among them being ' Duke Teman,' and another is the well-known tribal name Kenaz. See further, art. Edom. 2. See next article. G. B. Gray.
ELIPHAZ (i5'^i«, LXX 'EXi^rfj, an Idumaean name, tiansposed"=I'h!is,ael?). — Descrilied as the first, and apparently the oldest and most important, friend of Job. lie is called 'the Temanite.' Teman was a son of Eliphaz, the eldest son of Esau (Gn Z&°- '°) ; and jc-n was a district of Iduma;a, proverbially known for its wisdom (Jer 49'). It IS mentioned in close connexion with Edom in Jer 49''". E. sjieaks at greater length than either Bildad or Zophar ; his speeches are recorded in Job 4. 5. 15. and 22. He is al.so more moderate in tone than tlie otliers ; his first speech, especially, is gravely tender towards what he holds • Or Bcc. to others, ' My god is Melek' (the god-kingX
ELIPHKLEHU
EI.ISIIA
693
to be Job's errors. Many of his utterances, taken by tbemselves, contain important truth ; but his orthojox statements and maxims fail to cover the fact« of Job's case. In his later speeches E. speaks more directly and sharjily, but he never becomes violent or cruel. For an outline of his arguments, ■ee Job, Book of. W. T. Davison.
ELIPHELEHU (""??•> 'may God distinguish bim,' AV EUpheleh).— A doorkeeper (1 Ch IS'*-").
ELIPHELET (d'tjSs 'God U deliverance').—!. One of David's sons (2 S 5'«, 1 Ch 14' (AV Eliphalet), 1 Ch 3''»=Elpelet of 1 Ch 14»). The doulile occurrence of the name in Chronicles, as if David had had two sons named E., is probably due to a scribal error. 2. One of David's mighty men (2 S 23"=Eliphal of 1 Ch 1 1"). 3. A descendant of Jonathan (1 Ch 8**). 4. One of the sons of Adoni- kam who returned from exile (Ezr 8"=Eliphalat of 1 EsS"). S. A son of Hashum who hail married a fondgn wife (Ezr lff»=Eliphalat of 1 Es 9*").
ELISABETH {'EXurdper [WH ;E\fi.] ; Heb. pjy-^K 'God is an oath,' Ex 6'^). — Thewifeof Zacharias, and the mother of John the Baptist (Lk l"*-)- E- herself belonge<l to the priestly family of Aaron, and was a kinswoman {(rvyyeyls) of the Virgin Mary, though we do not know what the actual relationship was. She IB described, along with Zacharias, as 'righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.' Upon her, however, had fallen what to a Jewish woman was the heaviest of misfortunes, the reproach of barren- ness. And not till she and her husl)and were 'well stricken in years' was the promise of a son given them. Five months later Elisabeth was visited in lier home in the hill-country of Judah by her kinswoman Mary, and the degree of illumi- nation which she had readied is proved by her addressing Mary as 'the mother of my Lora' (Lk 1*). See Zacharias. G. AIilliqan.