אֶלְחָנָן
𐤀𐤋𐤇𐤍𐤍
Elechanan
H445 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A personal name meaning 'El is gracious' or 'God has shown favor.' The name expresses the idea that God (El) has granted grace or favor to the person or their family. Used exclusively as a proper noun for specific individuals in the Hebrew Bible.
Semantic Range
personal name—'El is gracious'; theophoric name expressing divine favor; used for individuals, not as a general descriptive term
Root / Etymology
Formed from אֵל (El, the general Hebrew word for 'god,' often designating the God of Israel in personal names) and the verb חָנַן (ḥanan), meaning 'to be gracious' or 'show favor.' Thus, אֶלְחָנָן (Elḥanan) literally means 'El (God) has shown grace.' The construction reflects a typical theophoric pattern in Hebrew naming.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The name אֶלְחָנָן appears as the name of at least two individuals in the Hebrew Bible, notably a warrior in David's court (2 Samuel 21:19; 1 Chronicles 20:5) and the son of Dodo, one of David's elite fighters. The use of אֵל in compound theophoric names is characteristic of first-millennium BCE Israelite onomastics, in parallel with names bearing the element יָה or יְהוָה. English translations have sometimes rendered 'Elhanan' simply as a proper name, occasionally conflating it with similar names like Elkanah due to phonetic resemblance, though they are distinct. The meaning, emphasizing divine favor, is consistent with other Hebrew personal names of the monarchic period.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from אֵל and חָנַן; God (is) gracious; Elchanan, an Israelite; Elkanan.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
אל חנן (ʾ-l ḥ-n-n) — God (El), to be gracious, to show favor
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H445-01 |
אֶלְחָנָן֩ | elechanan | HNp |
Elhanan | El-is-gracious | 4 |
Occurrences in Scripture
4 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H445-01 |
2 Samuel 21:19 | אֶלְחָנָן֩ | elechanan | HNp |
Elhanan | El-is-gracious |
H445-01 |
2 Samuel 23:24 | אֶלְחָנָ֥ן | elechanan | HNp |
Elhanan | El-is-gracious |
H445-01 |
1 Chronicles 11:26 | אֶלְחָנָ֥ן | elechanan | HNp |
Elhanan | El-is-gracious |
H445-01 |
1 Chronicles 20:5 | אֶלְחָנָ֣ן | elechanan | HNp |
Elhanan | El-is-gracious |