אֱלִיצָפָן
𐤀𐤋𐤉𐤑𐤐𐤍
Elitsafan
H469 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A personal name meaning 'El has protected' or 'El has treasured.' Used in the Hebrew Bible as the name of several individuals, most notably an Israelite leader of the clan of Qohath (Kohath) from the tribe of Levi. The name likely conveys the sense of divine guardianship or valued status by the deity El.
Semantic Range
El has protected, El has treasured, one protected or treasured by El; personal name for Israelite and Judahite men
Root / Etymology
From the root אֵל ('El,' a designation for God or a deity in Northwest Semitic languages), and צָפַן (to hide, store up, treasure, protect). The name is a theophoric compound, with the second element expressing protection or safeguarding. The shorter form אֶלְצָפָן shares the same etymology.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the biblical narrative, אֱלִיצָפָן refers to: (1) a leader of the clan of Qohath, son of Uzziel (Exod 6:22; Num 3:30), and (2) a Judahite during King Hezekiah's reign (2 Chr 29:13). The name occurs in both the longer and shortened forms; both refer to the same underlying meaning. The translation 'God of treasure' in older lexicons is misleading; the sense is better rendered as 'El has treasured/protected.' This theophoric naming pattern, combining a deity's name with a verb expressing action or attribute, was common in the Iron Age Levant. The use of such names suggests a family’s wish for divine favor or protection over a child. English renderings ('Elizaphan' or 'Elzaphan') are transliterations and do not capture the theophoric nuance of the Hebrew. The individuals named אֱלִיצָפָן in the biblical text are Levites or Judahites, highlighting the cross-tribal presence of the name in Israelite society, though the name itself does not identify them as 'priests' or 'Levites' per se. Later translations or traditions sometimes render the name as 'Elzaphan' or, less commonly, as 'Elizaphan.'
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
or (shortened) אֶלְצָפָן; from אֵל and צָפַן; God of treasure; Elitsaphan or Eltsaphan, an Israelite; Elizaphan, Elzaphan.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.
Root Family
אל צפן (Elitsafan) — to be strong/powerful (אל), to hide, to treasure, to store up (צפן)
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H469-02 |
אֱלִֽיצָפָ֑ן | elitsafan | HNp |
Elizaphan | El has protected | Elitsafan | 4 |
H469-01 |
אֶלְצָפָ֔ן | eletsafan | HNp |
Elzaphan | El has protected | Elitsafan | 1 |
H469-03 |
וְ/אֶלְצָפָ֖ן | veeletsafan | HC/Np |
and Elzaphan | and El-has-protected | and Elitsafan | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
6 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H469-03 |
Exodus 6:22 | וְ/אֶלְצָפָ֖ן | veeletsafan | HC/Np |
and Elzaphan | and El-has-protected | and Elitsafan |
H469-01 |
Leviticus 10:4 | אֶלְצָפָ֔ן | eletsafan | HNp |
Elzaphan | El has protected | Elitsafan |
H469-02 |
Numbers 3:30 | אֶלִיצָפָ֖ן | elitsafan | HNp |
Elizaphan | El has protected | Elitsafan |
H469-02 |
Numbers 34:25 | אֱלִיצָפָ֖ן | elitsafan | HNp |
Elizaphan | El has protected | Elitsafan |
H469-02 |
1 Chronicles 15:8 | אֱלִֽיצָפָ֑ן | elitsafan | HNp |
Elizaphan | El has protected | Elitsafan |
H469-02 |
2 Chronicles 29:13 | אֱלִ֣יצָפָ֔ן | elitsafan | HNp |
Elizaphan | El has protected | Elitsafan |