אֶלְדָּד
Eldad, an Israelite
Definition
Eldad is a proper name meaning 'God has loved' or 'beloved of God.' In the Bible, Eldad is one of the seventy elders appointed by Moses to assist in governing Israel (Numbers 11:16). He, along with Medad, uniquely received the Spirit of God and prophesied within the camp, even though they had not gone out to the tent of meeting with the other elders (Numbers 11:26-27). This event highlights a surprising and sovereign move of God's Spirit beyond expected religious structures.
Biblical Usage
The name Eldad appears only twice in the Old Testament, both in the book of Numbers (Numbers 11:26, 27). It is used exclusively in the narrative of the seventy elders. The context is God's provision of leadership assistance for Moses and the unexpected outpouring of the prophetic spirit on Eldad and Medad, which became a point of contention and a teaching moment for Moses.
Etymology
The name Eldad (אֶלְדָּד) is a compound of two Hebrew elements: 'El' (אֵל, H410), meaning 'God,' and a form derived from the root 'dwd' (דּוֹד, H1730), meaning 'to love' or 'beloved.' Thus, the name directly translates to 'God has loved' or 'beloved of God.' It is a theophoric name, common in Israelite culture, which incorporates a divine name or title.
Semantic Range
The story of Eldad is theologically significant as it illustrates God's sovereignty in dispensing His Spirit. It shows that God's presence and gifting are not confined to official ceremonies or locations (Numbers 11:26). Moses' response—'I wish that all the LORD’s people were prophets and that the LORD would put his Spirit on them!' (Numbers 11:29)—foreshadows the New Testament promise of the Spirit being poured out on all believers (Joel 2:28-29, Acts 2:17-18).
In ancient Israelite culture, names often carried significant meaning, reflecting a parent's hopes or a statement about God. 'Eldad' is a classic example of a name expressing faith in God's covenantal love. The incident with the seventy elders reflects a tension between established religious protocol and the unpredictable freedom of God's Spirit, a dynamic present in many prophetic movements.
Medad (Mêdâd, H4312) — Eldad's partner who also prophesied in the camp; the two are always mentioned together in the biblical narrative.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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