אֱלִישׁוּעַ
𐤀𐤋𐤉𐤔𐤅𐤏
Elishua
H474 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A personal name meaning 'My God is salvation' or 'God is help.' Used as the name of a son of King David in the early monarchic period. The name expresses a theological affirmation of trust in the divine as deliverer or helper, typical of theophoric names in ancient Israel.
Semantic Range
(personal name) My God is salvation, My God is help, My God is deliverance; used as a theophoric name
Root / Etymology
Composed of אֵל ('El, God/deity) and שׁוּעַ ('shua', related to 'help', 'deliverance', or 'salvation'). The root שׁוּעַ stems from the verb יָשַׁע (to save, to deliver), with the noun form indicating help or deliverance.
Historical & Contextual Notes
אֱלִישׁוּעַ appears in the Hebrew Bible as the name of a son of King David (2 Samuel 5:15; 1 Chronicles 14:5). The name is a typical Israelite theophoric compound, reflecting the common practice of attributing one's help or salvation to the deity 'El.' The form and elements of the name reflect the early monarchic period's onomastic conventions, where 'El' is not a generic term for God but the specific name used for the deity of Israel. Unlike related names such as אֱלִישָׁע (Elisha, 'God is salvation'), with a different ending, אֱלִישׁוּעַ is attested only rarely and is not widely used beyond its brief biblical occurrence. English translations sometimes use 'Elishua,' but add little to the understanding of the original meaning. The meaning 'God of supplication' found in some older sources is less supported lexically than 'God is help/salvation.' There are no major semantic shifts or significant usage beyond the genealogical reference.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from אֵל and שׁוּעַ; God of supplication (or of riches); Elishua, the son of King David; Elishua.
Bantu Hebrew
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+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
אלשוע (ʾ-l-š-ʿ) — save, deliver, help
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H474-01 |
וֶ/אֱלִישׁ֖וּעַ | veelishua | HC/Np |
and Elishua | and My God is salvation | 2 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H474-01 |
2 Samuel 5:15 | וֶ/אֱלִישׁ֖וּעַ | veelishua | HC/Np |
and Elishua | and My God is salvation |
H474-01 |
1 Chronicles 14:5 | וֶ/אֱלִישׁ֖וּעַ | veelishua | HC/Np |
and Elishua | and My God is salvation |