Boy Old Testament Rare
Eliab
God is my father; God is the father
אֱלִיאָב e.li.av
Eliab (Hebrew: אֱלִיאָב, e.li.av) means “God is my father; God is the father”, by traditional interpretation. Five men in scripture bear the name; the best attested is a king. In 2025 it was given to 54 children in the United States. Use is rising. Appears in the same passages as Abidan.
Which Eliab?
Five men in scripture bear this name. Here is each of them.
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Eliab
sibling of King David; son of Jesse
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Eliab
father of Dathan
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Eliab
son of Helon
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Eliab
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Eliab
Scripture against society
The two measures, side by side
At a glance
- Verses
- 19 across 5 books
- Bearers
- 5 distinct people in scripture
- Testament
- Old
- Era
- United Monarchy
Using it today
Based on 2025 births across the United States.
| Measure | Value | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Given in 2025 | 54 | Rising |
| All-time total | 945 | Since records begin in 1880 |
| Peak | 98 in 2022 | Its highest year on record |
| Strongest state | TX | Highest share relative to births |
In scripture
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| First appears | Numbers 1:9 |
| Last appears | 2 Chronicles 11:18 |
| Cross-references | 204 linked passages |
Names connected to this one
- Raddai attested sibling Attested sibling — both named as children of Jesse.
- David attested sibling Attested sibling — both named as children of Jesse.
- Nethanel attested sibling Attested sibling — both named as children of Jesse.
- Ozem attested sibling Attested sibling — both named as children of Jesse.
- Helon co-occurrence Appears with Helon in Numbers 7.
- Jaaziel co-occurrence Appears with Jaaziel in 1 Chronicles 15.
- Shemiramoth co-occurrence Appears with Shemiramoth in 1 Chronicles 15.
- Jehiel co-occurrence Appears with Jehiel in 1 Chronicles 15.
Origin & meaning
A man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ch.12.9
§ Eliab = "my God is father" or "God is father"
1) son of Helon, leader of Zebulun in the wilderness
2) a Reubenite chief, father of Dathan and Abiram
3) David's oldest brother
4) a Levite musician
5) a Gadite warrior for David
6) a Kohathite
Eliab was a Gadite warrior who joined David at Ziklag.
The biblical story
Eliab is mentioned in 1Ch.12.9 as one of the Gadite warriors who joined David at Ziklag while he was fleeing from King Saul. These warriors were described as brave, experienced soldiers who could handle shield and spear. They were swift as gazelles and as strong as lions on the mountains. Eliab and the other Gadite warriors played a crucial role in supporting David during his time of exile and helped him establish his kingdom.
Key verses
Eliab appears in 1 verse. Here are some of the most notable:
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Ezer the first, Obadiah the second, Eliab the third,
1 Chronicles 12:9
Show all 1 reference
1 Chronicles (1)
- 1 Chronicles 12:9