Girl Old Testament Rare
Eglah
heifer; chariot; round
עֶגְלָה eg.lah
Eglah (Hebrew: עֶגְלָה, eg.lah) means “heifer; chariot; round”, by traditional interpretation. It appears in 2 verses across 2 books of the Bible. In United States birth records the name is below the reporting threshold. Appears with Abital in 1 Chronicles 3.
The bearer in scripture
One person in scripture bears this name.
-
Eglah
Scripture against society
The two measures, side by side
At a glance
- Verses
- 2 across 2 books
- Bearers
- 1 one person only
- Testament
- Old
- Era
- United Monarchy
Using it today
In United States birth records this name is below the reporting threshold. The Social Security Administration does not publish counts under five, so a name given to four children looks the same as one given to none.
In scripture
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| First appears | 2 Samuel 3:5 |
| Last appears | 1 Chronicles 3:3 |
| Cross-references | 2 linked passages |
Names connected to this one
- Ithream co-occurrence Appears with Ithream in 1 Chronicles 3.
- Abital co-occurrence Appears with Abital in 1 Chronicles 3.
- Shephatiah co-occurrence Appears with Shephatiah in 1 Chronicles 3.
- Laish co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Laish.
- Maacah co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Maacah.
- Chileab co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Chileab.
- Palti co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Palti.
- Talmai co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Talmai.
Origin & meaning
A woman living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 2Sa.3.5; married to David (H1732);
mother of: Ithream (H3507)
§ Eglah = "a heifer"
a wife of David and mother of Ithream
Eglah was one of David's wives and the mother of his son Ithream, born in Hebron.
The biblical story
Eglah is mentioned in 2Sa.3.5 and 1Ch.3.3 as one of King David's wives. She is specifically identified as the mother of David's son Ithream, who was born to David while he was reigning in Hebron.
The context of these passages is the listing of David's sons born to him in Hebron, where he reigned over Judah for seven years and six months before becoming king over all Israel (2Sa.5.5). Eglah is mentioned alongside David's other wives, such as Ahinoam, Abigail, Maacah, and Haggith, each of whom bore him a son during this period.
Interestingly, Eglah is the only one of David's wives mentioned in this list who is not given a descriptive title or background information. The other wives are identified as the daughter of a king or the widow of a notable figure, but Eglah is simply mentioned by name.
Some scholars suggest that Eglah may have been another name for Michal, David's first wife and the daughter of King Saul. However, this is not stated explicitly in the text, and there is no conclusive evidence to support this theory.
Apart from being listed as the mother of Ithream, no further information is provided about Eglah in the biblical text. Her mention in these genealogies serves to highlight David's family structure and the sons born to him during his reign in Hebron.
Key verses
Eglah appears in 2 verses. Here are some of the most notable:
-
And the sixth, Ithream, by Eglah David’s wife. These were born to David in Hebron.
2 Samuel 3:5 -
The fifth, Shephatiah of Abital: the sixth, Ithream by Eglah his wife.
1 Chronicles 3:3
Show all 2 references
2 Samuel (1)
- 2 Samuel 3:5
1 Chronicles (1)
- 1 Chronicles 3:3