Eliezer
Eliezer was the second son of Moses and Zipporah (Exo.18.4; 1Ch.23.15,17).
Biography
Eliezer was the second son born to Moses and his Midianite wife Zipporah (Exodus 18:4). His name, meaning 'my God is help,' commemorated the divine rescue of Moses from Pharaoh's sword before his mission to Egypt began. When Moses' father-in-law Jethro brought Eliezer and his mother back to Moses in the wilderness after the Exodus (Exodus 18:5), the family reunion marked a moment of thanksgiving and divine acknowledgment. Eliezer appears again in 1 Chronicles 23:15, 17, where his lineage through his son Rehabiah is noted, a single son who nonetheless produced an extraordinarily numerous line of descendants. Though Eliezer himself lived in the shadow of his more prominent father, his lineage continued within the Levitical order, serving in temple administration during the monarchy period.
Significance
Eliezer's very existence testifies to God's providential protection of Moses during the years of exile in Midian. His name is a living memorial: 'my God is help', embedded in Moses' family as a perpetual reminder that divine rescue had made Moses' leadership mission possible. Eliezer's later lineage, multiplied remarkably through Rehabiah (1 Chronicles 23:17), illustrates the covenant blessing of fruitfulness extended to the families of those who served God faithfully. His story reminds readers that the children of God's servants carry a heritage of divine rescue and calling, and that faithful families become channels through which God's purposes flow across generations, even when individual members are not among the most prominent figures of their day.
Verse Appearances (4)
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]