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אֶלְנָתָן

𐤀𐤋𐤍𐤕𐤍

Elenatan

H494 noun

SILEX Entry

Root אלן god, deity, give, grant

Definition

Elnatan: a personal name meaning 'God has given' or 'El has given.' Used as a theophoric name among Israelites, Elnatan designates an individual recognized as a recipient of a gift or blessing from El (i.e., God). The name appears as the designation of multiple persons in the Hebrew Bible.

Semantic Range

personal name, 'El has given,' God has given, recipient of God's gift, Israelite male name

Root / Etymology

Compound of אֵל (El, a common term for 'God' or a generic divine appellation in ancient Northwest Semitic languages) and נָתָן (natan, 'he has given'). The name Elnatan thus derives from conjoining the divine element with the verb 'to give,' forming a theophoric name structure common in Israelite onomastics.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Elnatan occurs as a personal name in several biblical passages (e.g., 2 Kings 24:8, Jeremiah 26:22, 36:12, 36:25), always in the context of Israelite individuals. The name reflects a broader ancient Near Eastern custom of theophoric names incorporating El or other deities—a tradition attested in contemporary Northwest Semitic cultures as well. The root construction parallels common Israelite and Judahite naming patterns such as Nethanel ('God has given', but with the elements reversed). Standard English translations uniformly transliterate the name, but the original meaning is transparent to Hebrew readers; later translations and traditions occasionally render the referents generically or conflate with the term's apparent meaning. The occurrence of the name in different historical settings indicates its persistent usage across both the monarchic and post-monarchic periods; the individuals bearing this name in the biblical text include court officials and persons of administrative importance.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from אֵל and נָתַן; God (is the) giver; Elnathan, the name of four Israelites; Elnathan.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

אלן (ʾ-l-n) — god, deity, give, grant

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H437 אַלּוֹן mighty oak
H438 אַלּוֹן Oak
H440 אֵלוֹנִי the Elonite

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H494-02 וּ/לְ/אֶלְנָתָ֨ן uleelenatan HC/R/Np and-to-Elnathan and to El-has-given 3
H494-01 אֶלְנָתָ֖ן elenatan HNp Elnathan El-has-given 3
H494-03 וְ/אֶלְנָתָ֨ן veelenatan HC/Np and Elnathan and El-has-given 1

Occurrences in Scripture

7 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H494-01 2 Kings 24:8 אֶלְנָתָ֖ן elenatan HNp Elnathan El-has-given
H494-01 Jeremiah 26:22 אֶלְנָתָ֧ן elenatan HNp Elnathan El-has-given
H494-03 Jeremiah 36:12 וְ/אֶלְנָתָ֨ן veelenatan HC/Np and Elnathan and El-has-given
H494-01 Jeremiah 36:25 אֶלְנָתָ֨ן elenatan HNp Elnathan El-has-given
H494-02 Ezra 8:16 וּ/לְ/אֶלְנָתָ֨ן uleelenatan HC/R/Np and-to-Elnathan and to El-has-given
H494-02 Ezra 8:16 וּ/לְ/אֶלְנָתָ֧ן uleelenatan-2 HC/R/Np and-to-Elnathan and to El-has-given
H494-02 Ezra 8:16 וּ/לְ/אֶלְנָתָ֖ן uleelenatan-3 HC/R/Np and-to-Elnathan and to El-has-given
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