Elkanah

From Bible Exegesis

el-kā´na (אלקנה, 'elḳānāh, “God has possessed,” or "God-created"):

(1) An Ephraimite, the father of Samuel (1 Samuel 1:1-28; 1 Samuel 2:11-20). Of his two wives, Hannah, the childless, was best beloved. At Shiloh she received through Eli the promise of a son. Elkanah, with Hannah, took the young Samuel to Shiloh when he was weaned, and left him with EIi as their offering to YHWH. They were blessed with three other sons and two daughters.

(2) The second son of Korah (Exodus 6:24), who escaped the fate of Korah, Dathan and Abiram (Numbers 26:11), or, according to 1 Chronicles 6:22, 1 Chronicles 6:23, more correctly his grandson.

(3) One “next to the king” in Jerusalem in the time of Ahaz; slain by one Zichri of Ephraim in war with Pekah (2 Chronicles 28:7).

(4) One of the Korahites among David's “mighty men” (1 Chronicles 12:1, 1 Chronicles 12:6).

(5) A Levite, possibly the same as (2) above (1 Chronicles 6:23, 1 Chronicles 6:15, 1 Chronicles 6:36).

(6) Another Levite of the same line (1 Chronicles 6:26, 1 Chronicles 6:35) of Heman the singer, although he does not seem to have performed any of the usual Levitical offices. He was father of Samuel the prophet (1 Chronicles 6:27, 1 Chronicles 6:34). He was “an Ephrathite” (1 Samuel 1:1, 1 Samuel 1:4, 1 Samuel 1:8), but lived at Ramah, a man of wealth and high position. He had two wives, Hannah, who was the mother of Samuel, and Peninnah.

(7) Another Levite, ancestor of Berechiah (1 Chronicles 9:16).

(8) Another Levite (if not the same as (4) above), one of the “doorkeepers for the ark” (1 Chronicles 15:23).