Why Are Several People Named Elioenai in the Bible?

　　Let’s be honest with ourselves. How many of us have blipped over the Old and New Testaments genealogies? I can’t be the only one. When it comes to names in the Bible, we can often skip those with only one mention.

　　So when it comes to the name Elioenai, it probably rings a bell for no one. In fact, when my editor assigned me this name—even though I’ve read the Bible from cover to cover several times, I couldn’t recall this particular one.

　　Nevertheless, every name is in the Bible for a reason. Today, we’ll uncover the various men who held the name Elionai in the Bible and what we can learn from each of them.

What Is the Meaning of the Name Elioenai?

　　Naming people in the Bible had greater importance than in modern Western societies. If you named someone something, that meant you had power over them. Hence, when God renames people throughout the Old and New Testaments, he gives them a new identity. We see this happening when Abram becomes Abraham and Simon becomes Peter.

　　Rulers took advantage of this when they captured Israel. For example, when the Babylonians take Daniel and his friends into exile, King Nebuchadnezzar gives them new names after Babylonian gods. He essentially told them—by renaming them—that Babylon and its religion were their new identities.

　　In Elioenai’s case, the name fortunately means something good. It means, “toward Jehovah are my eyes.”

　　We have to remember that Jehovah is a name that got a little confused in the transliteration for YHWH in the Old Testament. Nevertheless, the name has a beautiful meaning. If we substitute Jehovah for Yahweh, we can think of the name as “My eyes are on Yahweh.” It brings to mind Peter walking on water. As long as his eyes were on Yahweh, he did not sink.

　　Now that we have a better understanding of the name Elioenai, let’s look at the several men named Elioenai in the Bible.

Who Were the Men Named Elioenai in the Bible?

　　1. Elioenai son of Beker

　　Listed in 1 Chronicles 7:8, Elioenai is one of the many sons of a man named Beker. We don’t know a ton about either of these men, but they hail from the Tribe of Benjamin. If anyone remembers the story of Joseph, they remember that Jacob was his father. Jacob blessed, and cursed, certain of his sons—who would become the heads of tribes.

　　For the tribe of Benjamin, Jacob foretold that they would be a warrior people akin to wolves. It’s possible that Elioenai could’ve had warrior-like tendencies. Some other famous people from the tribe of Benjamin include Ehud (the left-handed judge), Mordecai, Esther, and the Apostle Paul.

　　Even if we can’t gather much from this man, we know his tribe had an incredible legacy. Ehud saved Israel from their enemies. Mordecai and Esther saved Israel from genocide. And Paul introduced Israel to a new way of living—through salvation in Jesus Christ alone.

　　2. Elioenai, a Descendant of Shimei and the Tribe of Simeon

　　We can assume this isn’t the same Shimei who cursed out David, as that happens much later in history than 1 Chronicles 4.

　　But we can look into the Tribe of Simeon and see what they were known for—since we don’t know many details about this Elioenai, except that his family had many descendants.

　　Sadly, because Simeon and his brother acted in wrath on one occasion, Jacob placed a curse on Simeon (Genesis 49:5–7). Not only were his descendants one of the smallest tribes of Israel (and the weakest), but they ended up divided and scattered when enemies set foot in their territory. Equally sad, not many notable descendants hailed from this tribe. Simeon had few descendants who redeemed the family honor.

　　3. Elioenai, a Descendant of Pashur

　　Most likely, Pashur was a priest, which meant that this Elioenai hailed from a priestly family (we can assume from the tribe of Judah). He shows up in Ezra 10:22 when the exiles step back into Israel.

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　　God allowed the priestly line of Levi to continue, even after Israel had been taken captive and relocated to Babylon.

　　Funnily enough, Levi and Simeon received similar curses, but we have far more notable people from the tribe of Levi than we do from the tribe of Simeon. Some include Aaron, Moses, Miriam, and Eleazar.

　　Elioenai, a Descendant of Zatu

　　Again, not much on either of these men. But we know that at least one of the Elioenais mentioned in Ezra 10 is a descendant of Zerubbabel, who plays a very important role in the return of the exiles.

　　Zerubbabel was an influential leader during the exilic return. He also played an important role in the rebuilding of the temple. Unfortunately, he started a feud by refusing help from people who offered to help with the rebuilding (Ezra 4:3), so one might argue that he helped to stall the efforts.

What Can We Learn from Elioenai in the Bible?

　　1. Each Member of the Body Is Important, Seen or Unseen

　　We’re often used to the spotlight types of people in the Bible. The Peters and the Pauls and the Moseses. We don’t often spend much time on people like Elioenai.

　　Still, every person has the fingerprints of God on them. They are important and intentionally made.

　　All the men called Elioenai are part of greater genealogies. One is in the same family as Paul! And Paul wouldn’t exist if that genealogy didn’t exist.

　　In the same way, we should treat every believer the same. Whether it’s a pastor, a celebrity, or a janitor who mops the bathrooms in our church, we’re all part of a bigger story. Every body part is necessary and equally important.

　　2. Many People in the Bible Come from Different Tribes

　　Knowing the differences between the people groups in the Bible is important. Although the twelve tribes were united under one Israel, they all had different functions. Some of our Elioenais would’ve served in the priesthood, hailing from the Tribe of Levi. Some would’ve been warrior-like, coming from Benjamin.

　　The Bible comes to life when we better understand each sub-culture within Israel. We can better understand the background of important saints when we have a better grasp of biblical history.

　　In the same way, when we evangelize, it’s better to know where people are coming from. If we don’t understand someone’s background, we can’t build relationships with them. And if we can’t do that, we can’t communicate the gospel effectively.

　　3. We Should Always Keep Our Eyes on God

　　Sometimes people in the Bible did live up to their name. Other times, they didn’t.

　　In the case of Elioenai, we have no idea if each of these men constantly kept their eyes on Yahweh. We can hope the ones that lived in the Chronicles period, to the last ones mentioned in the post-exilic period, did keep their focus on Jehovah.

　　No matter what the case, we should keep our eyes pressed on our Savior. Like Peter, when we do so, we won’t drown. And we will have our gaze on what truly matters.