אֱלִיהוּ
Elihu, the name of one of Job's friends, and of three Israelites
Definition
Elihu is a Hebrew personal name meaning 'He is my God' or 'God of him.' It is borne by several individuals in the Old Testament. Most notably, Elihu is the youngest of Job's friends who speaks in Job 32–37, offering a different perspective on suffering that emphasizes God's justice and majesty. Other individuals include an ancestor of Samuel (1 Samuel 1:1), a military officer under David (1 Chronicles 12:20), a gatekeeper (1 Chronicles 26:7), and a tribal officer (1 Chronicles 27:18).
Biblical Usage
The name Elihu appears 11 times, primarily in the books of Job and 1 Chronicles. In Job 32–37, it is used repeatedly to introduce the lengthy speech of Job's friend. In the historical books (1 Samuel 1:1, 1 Chronicles 12:20, 26:7, 27:18), it simply identifies various Israelite men, often in genealogical or administrative lists. The usage is consistently as a proper name without narrative variation.
Etymology
The name is a compound of אֵל (ʼēl, H410), meaning 'God,' and הוּא (hûʼ, H1931), the third-person masculine singular pronoun meaning 'he' or 'him.' Thus, it literally translates to 'He is my God' or 'God of him.' The variant form אֱלִיהוּא (ʼĔlîyhûwʼ) includes an additional final aleph, but carries the same meaning.
Semantic Range
Elihu's role in the Book of Job is theologically significant. His speech (Job 32–37) bridges the dialogues of Job's three friends and God's direct response. He introduces the idea that suffering can be a disciplinary or refining tool from God (Job 33:19-30, 36:8-15), not merely punitive retribution. Understanding his name, 'He is my God,' frames his discourse as a testimony to God's sovereign character and justice, preparing the reader for the divine speeches that follow.
As a theophoric name (containing God's name 'El'), Elihu reflects the common Israelite practice of embedding divine elements into personal names, expressing faith and identity. His youth and respectful hesitation to speak before his elders (Job 32:4-7) highlight the high cultural value placed on age and wisdom in ancient Near Eastern society.
אֵלִיָּהוּ (ʼÊlîyyāhû, H452) — The prophet Elijah, meaning 'Yahweh is my God,' using the divine name YHWH instead of the generic 'El.'
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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