The Hebrew word elah (אֵלָה) refers to the oak or terebinth tree (Pistacia terebinthus or Quercus species), a large, spreading tree prominent in the landscape of ancient Israel. As a proper noun, Elah is the name of (1) a valley where David slew Goliath (1 Samuel 17:2), (2) a king of Israel (1 Kings 16:6–14), and (3) several other individuals in the Old Testament.
Trees in the Hebrew world carried deep symbolic weight. The terebinth was often a landmark for covenant ceremonies, prophetic encounters, and sacred memory. Abraham sat under terebinths at Mamre when God appeared to him (Genesis 18:1). Deborah judged Israel under a palm tree. The great oaks and terebinths were gathering places for the nation's most pivotal moments. The Valley of Elah — literally the Valley of the Oak — became forever associated with the triumph of faith over insurmountable odds when the shepherd boy David refused to let God's name be defamed. The tree that gave the valley its name pictures strength, longevity, and rootedness — virtues modeled by those who trust in the living God (Psalm 1:3).