ELNATHAN

el-na'-than ('elnathan, "God has given"):

(1) The grandfather of Jehoiachin (2 Kings 24:8).

(2) A courtier of Jehoiakim; he was one of those sent to Egypt to bring back the prophet Uriah (Jeremiah 26:22), and one of those who heard the reading of Jeremiah's roll and entreated Jehoiakim not to burn the roll (Jeremiah 36:12,25)--possibly the same person as (1) above.

(3, 4, 5) The name of two "chief men"--unless textual corruption has introduced the name at its second occurrence--and of one "teacher" sent for by Ezra from the camp at the river Ahava (Ezra 8:16).

F. K. Farr

From the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
Edited by James Orr, published in 1939 by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.