Meaning of the Name Eliezer
Eliezer is formed from the Hebrew Eli ('my God') and ezer ('help') and means 'my God is help' or 'my God is my helper'. In Exodus, Moses explicitly confirms this meaning when he names his son, saying that the God of his father was his help. The etymology is clear; Elazar (Eleazar), the name behind Lazarus, is a closely related name built on the same root for help.
Origin
The name Eliezer is of Hebrew origin.
Who is Eliezer in the Bible?
Several people in the Bible bear the name Eliezer. The best known are Eliezer of Damascus, whom Abraham names as his heir while still childless, and Eliezer, the second son of Moses and Zipporah. A prophet of the same name warns King Jehoshaphat, and Luke's Gospel names an Eliezer in Jesus' genealogy.
The story of Eliezer in the Bible
The name Eliezer is first heard from Abraham himself. When God promises Abram a great reward, Abram replies that he is childless and that the heir of his house will be Eliezer of Damascus. Ancient Near Eastern documents show that a childless man could make a trusted member of his household his heir. God, however, declares that his heir will be his own son, and showing Abram the stars, promises that his descendants will be as many. In Genesis 24 the elderly servant who goes to find a wife for Isaac is traditionally identified with Eliezer, though the text does not name him. The name's second well-known bearer is Moses' son. Naming his second son Eliezer, Moses recalls that the God of his father was his help and delivered him from Pharaoh's sword; the name becomes a testimony of rescue. His grandfather Jethro brings Eliezer, his older brother Gershom and his mother Zipporah to Moses in the wilderness after the exodus. In later times a prophet, a priest who blew the trumpet before the Ark of the Covenant in David's day, and others bear the same name. Each of them carries the same confession: my God is help.
Is Eliezer mentioned in the Quran?
The name Eliezer does not appear in the Quran. In the Bible it is borne by Abraham's servant from Damascus, by a son of Moses and by several others.
Verses where Eliezer appears
- Genesis 15:2 —
Abram said, “Lord Yahweh, what will you give me, since I go childless, and he who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?”
- Exodus 18:4 —
The name of the other was Eliezer, for he said, “My father’s God was my help and delivered me from Pharaoh’s sword.”
- 2 Chronicles 20:37 —
Then Eliezer the son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, “Because you have joined yourself with Ahaziah, Yahweh has destroyed your works.” The ships were broken, so that they were not able…