Elasah
Elasah was a messenger who carried Jeremiah's letter to the exiles in Babylon.
Biography
Elasah son of Shaphan served as a royal emissary who carried the prophet Jeremiah's famous letter to the Israelite exiles in Babylon, as recorded in Jeremiah 29:3. He traveled to Babylon alongside Gemariah son of Hilkiah as part of a diplomatic delegation sent by King Zedekiah to Nebuchadnezzar around 597 BC. Elasah's father, Shaphan, was the royal secretary who had read the rediscovered Book of the Law to King Josiah (2 Kings 22:8-10), placing Elasah within a family deeply embedded in Judah's royal and prophetic circles. By conveying Jeremiah's letter, which instructed the exiles to settle in Babylon, build houses, plant gardens, and pray for the city's welfare, Elasah served as a vital link between the prophet and the scattered covenant community.
Significance
Elasah's mission to Babylon, carrying Jeremiah's letter, made him an instrument of one of the most theologically significant prophetic communications in the Old Testament. Jeremiah's letter challenged the false prophets encouraging the exiles to expect a quick return, instead calling the community to long-term faithful engagement with the land of their captivity, to 'seek the welfare of the city' (Jeremiah 29:7). Elasah's role as the bearer of this word placed him at the hinge point between prophetic proclamation and its reception by a disoriented people. His family background in Shaphan's household, a family sympathetic to Jeremiah, suggests that his willingness to carry this message was itself an act of alignment with authentic prophetic witness over royal convenience.
Verse Appearances (1)
Jeremiah
References
- Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References (TIPNR). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Wikidata contributors (n.d.) Wikidata. Available at: https://www.wikidata.org. [CC0]
- Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]