אֱלִיחֹרֶף
Elichoreph, an Israelite
Definition
אֱלִיחֹרֶף (Elichoreph) is a proper name meaning 'God of autumn' or 'God is my harvest.' It belongs to a man, Elichoreph, who served as a scribe in the royal administration of King Solomon, as recorded in 1 Kings 4:3. This single biblical reference identifies him alongside his brother Ahijah as one of the king's secretaries, a position of significant trust and responsibility. The name itself is a compound theophoric name, combining a reference to God (אֵל) with a term related to the harvest season, reflecting a personal or familial acknowledgment of divine provision.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only once in the Old Testament, in 1 Kings 4:3, within a list of Solomon's high officials. It functions strictly as a personal name, identifying one of the king's scribes. The context is administrative, detailing the structure of Solomon's government during the peak of Israel's united monarchy. No other usage patterns or variations exist in the biblical text.
Etymology
The name is a compound of two Hebrew elements: אֵל (ʼēl, H410), meaning 'God,' and חֹרֶף (ḥōrep̄, H2779), meaning 'autumn' or 'harvest time.' Thus, the name literally translates to 'God of autumn' or 'God of the harvest.' It is a theophoric name, a common practice in Israelite culture where a deity's name (here, El) is incorporated to express devotion or attribute a characteristic (like providing the harvest) to God.
Semantic Range
While the name itself is not central to major doctrines, it offers a tangible glimpse into Israelite piety. As a theophoric name, it reflects a personal or family faith that recognized God (El) as the sovereign provider, specifically associated with the vital agricultural cycle and harvest (autumn). Understanding such names enriches Bible reading by revealing how theological concepts like God's provision were woven into the very identity of individuals, even those in the royal bureaucracy.
In ancient Israel, names were often meaningful statements of faith or circumstance. 'Elichoreph' fits the pattern of theophoric names, which were extremely common. The association with 'autumn/harvest' directly connects the individual's identity to the agricultural rhythm of life and the community's dependence on God for sustenance. Serving as a royal scribe was a position of high literacy and influence, indicating Elichoreph was part of the educated elite in Solomon's prosperous and organized kingdom.
Ahijah (ʼAchiyah, H281) — Elichoreph's brother and fellow scribe, another theophoric name meaning 'brother of Yahweh.'
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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