an oak; a curse; perjury

(an oak, strength).

1. The son and successor of Baasha king of Israel. (1 Kings 16:8-10) His reign laster for little more than a year; comp. ver. 8 with 10. (B.C. 928-7.) He was killed while drunk, by Zimri, in the house of his steward Azra, who was probably a confederate in the plot.
2. Father of Hoshea, the last king of Israel. (2 Kings 15:30; 17:1) (B.C. 729 or before.).

1. A valley in which David slew Goliath, 1 Samuel 17:2,3,19. It was probably about eleven miles southwest from Jerusalem.

2. Son and successor of Baasha, king of Israel, B. C. 926. After reigning two years, he was slain while intoxicated, by Zimri, one of his officers, who succeeded him as king. Zimri destroyed all the family of Baasha, according to the prediction of Jehu, 1 Kings 16:6 10.

e'-la ('elah, "oak" or "terebinth"):

(1) A "duke" or "sheik" (head of a clan, the Revised Version (British and American) "chief") of Edom (Genesis 36:41).

(2) Shimei-ben-Elah, Solomon's commissary in Benjamin (1 Kings 4:18 the King James Version).

(3) A son of Caleb the son of Jephunneh (1 Chronicles 4:15).

(4) Father of Hoshea, last king of Israel (2 Kings 15:30; 2 Kings 17:1).

(5) A Benjamite, son of Uzzi, one of the chiefs of the tribes when the country was settled (1 Chronicles 9:8).

(6) King of Israel. See next article.

ELAH (2)

e'-la.

Son of Baasha, fourth king of Israel (1 Kings 16:6-14).

He reigned two years, 888-887 B.C. The statement that he came to the throne in the 26th year of Asa, reigned two years, and died in the 27th year of Asa, illustrates the Hebrew method of synchronizing the reigns of the kings of Israel and Judah (compare 1 Kings 15:33; 1 Kings 16:8). Elah appears to have been a debauchee. While he was drinking himself drunk in the house of Azra, his chamberlain, Zimri, one of his military leaders, conspired against him and murdered him. According to Josephus (VIII, xii, 4) he took advantage of the absence of the army, which was at Gibbethon, to kill Elah. The extirpation of the royal family followed the murder of the king. Baasha's dynasty had its origin in a murder and it ended in a murder. The government had no stability. These revolutions illustrate the truth that "they who take the sword shall perish with the sword."

S. K. Mosiman

ELAH, VALE OF

(`emeq ha-'elah, "valley of the terebinth"; he koilas Ela; A, tes druos):

The scene of the events of 1 Samuel 17:2, referred to also in 1 Samuel 21:9. There can be no doubt that this is the Wady ec CunT ("valley of the tercbinth"), or part of it. This is the southernmost of the great valleys which cut through the Shephelah. Commencing near Hebron, close to Beit Sur, it descends under the name Wady es Sur in a more or less northerly direction until near Beit Nettif where it turns abruptly west and receives the name Wady ec CunT. Here it is joined by the Wady en Najil, coming from the North, and from the East by the Wady el-Jindy, down which descends an ancient road from Bethlehem. Where all these valleys coalesce the Wady ec CunT expands into a wide and level bottom, half a mile across. On a steep hill to the southern side and a little Southeast of the wide expanse is Kh. esh-Shuweikeh, the site of Socoh. That the great events of 1 Samuel 17:2 took place here there can be no doubt: the Philistines ranged themselves upon the southern hills; the Israelites to the North or Northeast. Upon the wide level valley the contest with Goliath occurred. The exact position of Saul's forces may be a matter of speculation, but the late Principal Miller of Madras, who made a special study of the locality (Least of All Lands, chapter v), considered that the little valley ascending Northeast from Wady ec CunT to Belt Nettif was probably the actual Vale of Elah and that here the Israelites had their fortifications. His elucidation of the whole story is most convincing.

E. W. G. Masterman

(1.) Valley of, where the Israelites were encamped when David killed Goliath (1 Samuel 17:2, 19). It was near Shochoh of Judah and Azekah (17:1). It is the modern Wady es-Sunt, i.e., "valley of the acacia." "The terebinths from which the valley of Elah takes its name still cling to their ancient soil. On the west side of the valley, near Shochoh, there is a very large and ancient tree of this kind known as the 'terebinth of Wady Sur,' 55 feet in height, its trunk 17 feet in circumference, and the breadth of its shade no less than 75 feet. It Marks the upper end of the Elah valley, and forms a noted object, being one of the largest terebinths in Palestine." Geikie's, The Holy Land, etc.

(2.) One of the Edomite chiefs or "dukes" of Mount Seir (Genesis 36:41).

(3.) The second of the three sons of Caleb, the son of Jephunneh (1 Chronicles 4:15).

(4.) The son and successor of Baasha, king of Israel (1 Kings 16:8-10). He was killed while drunk by Zimri, one of the captains of his chariots, and was the last king of the line of Baasha. Thus was fullfilled the prophecy of Jehu (6, 7, 11-14).

(5.) The father of Hoshea, the last king of Israel (2 Kings 15:30; 17:1).

424. elah -- a terebinth
... << 423, 424. elah. 425 >>. a terebinth. Transliteration: elah Phonetic Spelling:
(ay-law') Short Definition: oak. Word Origin fem. ... << 423, 424. elah. 425 >>. ...
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426. elah -- God, god
... << 425, 426. elah. 427 >>. God, god. Transliteration: elah Phonetic Spelling:
(el-aw') Short Definition: God. ... << 425, 426. elah. 427 >>. Strong's Numbers.
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414. Ela -- an Israelite
... NASB Word Usage Ela (1). Elah. A variation of 'elah; oak; Ela, an Israelite -- Elah.
see HEBREW 'elah. << 413, 414. Ela. 415 >>. Strong's Numbers.
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841. Asarelah -- a son of Asaph
... From the same as 'Asar'el; right toward God; Asarelah, an Israelite -- Asarelah.
Compare Ysar'elah. see HEBREW 'Asar'el. see HEBREW Ysar'elah. << 840, 841. ...
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7956. Shelah -- a son of Judah
... Shelah. The same as sh'elah (shortened); request; Shelah, the name of a postdiluvian
patriarch and of an Israelite -- Shelah. see HEBREW sh'elah. << 7955, 7956. ...
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427. allah -- an oak
... Word Origin of uncertain derivation Definition an oak NASB Word Usage oak (1). oak.
A variation of 'elah -- oak. see HEBREW 'elah. << 426, 427. allah. 428 >>. ...
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8634. Taralah -- a city in Benjamin
... Taralah. Probably for tar'elah; a reeling; Taralah, a place in Palestine -- Taralah.
see HEBREW tar'elah. << 8633, 8634. Taralah. 8635 >>. Strong's Numbers.
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