Who was Elioenai in the Bible?

Elioenai was a priest who served during the time of Nehemiah. He is specifically mentioned as participating in the joyful dedication ceremony for the rebuilt wall of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 12:41).

What did Elioenai do in the book of Nehemiah?

Elioenai's key recorded action was taking part in the procession and celebration for the dedication of Jerusalem's wall. He was among the priests who played trumpets during this significant event of worship and thanksgiving (Nehemiah 12:35, 41).

Why is Elioenai's role in Nehemiah 12 important?

His participation highlights the communal and priestly nature of restoring Jerusalem. It shows that the project's success was celebrated by the entire community, with priests like Elioenai leading the worship to dedicate their work to God.

Elioenai

Old TestamentExile & ReturnMalePriest

Elioenai was a priest who participated in the dedication of Jerusalem's wall (Neh.12.41).

Elioenai

Biography

Elioenai was a priest who participated in the solemn dedication of Jerusalem's rebuilt walls during the governorship of Nehemiah (Nehemiah 12:41). He is listed among the priests who played musical instruments, specifically trumpets, during the great procession that accompanied the dedication ceremony. Two large choirs and companies of leaders processed along the tops of the city walls in opposite directions, converging at the temple in a celebration of thanksgiving and praise. The ceremony marked the completion of Nehemiah's great building project and the re-consecration of Jerusalem as a holy city under God's protection. Elioenai's participation placed him at the center of one of the most significant liturgical events in the post-exilic restoration.

Significance

Elioenai's role as a trumpeting priest at the dedication of Jerusalem's walls places him within one of the most theologically resonant moments of the post-exilic period. The dedication of the walls was not merely a civic event but an act of worship, celebrating God's faithfulness to His covenant people and the restoration of Jerusalem as the city of God. The sounding of trumpets at sacred occasions was deeply embedded in Israel's liturgical tradition (Numbers 10:1-10), signifying divine presence and communal consecration. Elioenai's priestly service at this moment connects the mundane work of wall-building to the transcendent reality of God's ongoing commitment to dwell among His people.

Authority Records

Wikidata

FatherNeariahChildHodaiahChildEliashibChildPelaiahChildAkkubChildJohananChildDalaiahChildAnani

Verse Appearances (1)

Nehemiah

Nehemiah 12:41

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]

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