Elpaal (אֶלְפַּעַל) combines El (God) and paal (to work, make, do). The meaning is "God has worked" or "God is the worker." The name appears in 1 Chronicles 8:11–18 in the Benjaminite genealogy as the father of several leaders.
The name Elpaal is a confession embedded in genealogy: God is not inactive but a Worker. The God of Scripture is not the unmoved mover of Greek philosophy but the One who creates (Genesis 1), redeems (Exodus 15), and restores (Revelation 21). Paul declares in Ephesians 2:10 that believers are "God's handiwork [poiema], created in Christ Jesus to do good works." Elpaal's name anticipates this: God's people are themselves a divine masterwork.