Who was Elon in the Bible?

Elon was a son of Zebulun, one of the twelve sons of Jacob (Israel). He is noted as the founder of the Elonite clan within the tribe of Zebulun (Genesis 46:14; Numbers 26:26).

What is the significance of Elon in the Bible?

Elon's significance lies in his role as a clan founder, which helped establish the tribal structure of Israel. His descendants, the Elonites, were counted as part of the tribe of Zebulun during the census in the wilderness (Numbers 26:26).

Are there any key events in Elon's life in the Bible?

The Bible does not record specific events in Elon's life. His mention is primarily genealogical, identifying him as a son of Zebulun who went to Egypt with Jacob's family and whose descendants formed a clan (Genesis 46:14).

Elon

Old TestamentEgypt & WildernessMaleSon

Elon was a son of Zebulun and the founder of the Elonite clan within the tribe of Zebulun (Gen.46.14; Num.26.26).

Elon

Biography

Elon was one of the three sons born to Zebulun, the sixth son of Jacob and Leah (Genesis 46:14). He accompanied his father and the rest of the household of Israel when they descended into Egypt during the great famine, joining the approximately seventy souls who formed the nucleus of the nation in exile. Though Elon himself is not individually highlighted in the narrative of the Egyptian sojourn, his lineage proved enduring: by the time of the second census in the wilderness, his descendants had grown into a recognizable clan known as the Elonites (Numbers 26:26). This genealogical reference confirms that Elon's family survived and multiplied through the generations of Egyptian bondage, contributing to the tribal structure of Zebulun that would eventually receive an allotment in the Promised Land.

Significance

Elon's significance lies primarily in his role as a clan founder within the tribe of Zebulun. The preservation and growth of the Elonite clan through centuries of Egyptian slavery testifies to God's faithfulness to the Abrahamic promise that Israel would multiply into a great nation (Genesis 12:2). The census data of Numbers 26 demonstrates that God's covenant purposes were not thwarted by oppression or hardship. Elon's descendants, enumerated alongside the other Israelite clans, participated in the inheritance of Canaan, giving concrete shape to God's long-promised gift of land to the sons of Jacob.

Verse Appearances (2)

Genesis

Genesis 46:14

Numbers

Numbers 26:26

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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