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H443 · Hebrew · Old Testament
אֶלְזָבָד
Elzabad
Proper noun, masculine
God Has Given / God Has Bestowed

Definition

Elzabad (אֶלְזָבָד) is a Hebrew proper name meaning "God has given" or "whom God has endowed," combining el (God) and zabad (to give, to bestow, to endow). The name appears for two individuals in the Old Testament: (1) a Gadite warrior who joined David at Ziklag (1 Chronicles 12:12), and (2) a Korahite temple gatekeeper (1 Chronicles 26:7).

Usage & Theological Significance

The name Elzabad encapsulates the Hebrew theology of gift: every good endowment traces back to God. The Gadite warriors who bore this name were men whose abilities — military strength, loyalty, courage — were understood not as self-made qualities but as gifts from God. The theology of divine bestowal runs throughout Scripture (James 1:17; Psalm 127:1). The gatekeepers of the temple similarly understood their positions as God-given assignments. Names like Elzabad remind us that our gifts are trust funds from heaven, not trophies of self-achievement.

Key Bible Verses

1 Chronicles 12:12 Elzabad the eighth, Jeremiah the ninth, Machbannai the tenth — these Gadites were army commanders; the least was a match for a hundred, and the greatest for a thousand.
1 Chronicles 26:7 The sons of Shemaiah: Othni, Rephael, Obed and Elzabad; his relatives Elihu and Semakiah were also able men.
James 1:17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
1 Corinthians 4:7 For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?
Psalm 127:1 Unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain.

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External Resources

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