ELISHAMA

(E·lishʹa·ma) [God has heard].

1. Son of Ammihud of the tribe of Ephraim; grandfather of Joshua. (Num. 1:10; 2:18; 1 Chron. 7:26, 27) Elishama was one of the twelve chieftains designated by Jehovah to assist Moses and Aaron in registering the sons of Israel for the army. He was also over the army of his tribe. (Num. 1:1-4, 17; 2:18; 10:22) Besides sharing in the group presentation made by the chieftains after the setting up of the tabernacle, Elishama thereafter represented his tribe individually in presenting an offering on the seventh day for the inauguration of the altar.—Num. 7:1, 2, 5, 10, 11, 48-53.

2. Son of Jekamiah of the tribe of Judah.—1 Chron. 2:3, 41.

3. A son born to David in Jerusalem. This Elishama is listed as Elishua in 2 Samuel 5:15; 1 Chronicles 14:5 and in two Hebrew manuscripts at 1 Chronicles 3:6. Elishua is generally considered to be the correct name, as the name Elishama appears again in 1 Chronicles 3:8 and therefore could easily have crept into verse 6 through a scribal error. However, since the Masoretic text, the Septuagint, the Syriac Peshitta Version and the Latin Vulgate read “Elishama” at 1 Chronicles 3:6, this form of the name has been retained in the New World Translation as well as other translations.

4. Another son born to David in Jerusalem.—2 Sam. 5:16; 1 Chron. 3:8; 14:7.

5. A priest in the days of King Jehoshaphat who, with other Levites and princes, “kept going around through all the cities of Judah and teaching among the people.”—2 Chron. 17:1, 7-9.

6. A secretary in the court of King Jehoiakim.—Jer. 36:12, 20, 21.

7. Grandfather of Ishmael the assassin of the Jewish governor Gedaliah.—2 Ki. 25:25; Jer. 41:1-3.