H0473 H0473
Elishah (descendant of Javan; possibly Aeolis, Hellas, or Italian territories)
A descendant of Javan listed in the Table of Nations, representing a people or region from which valuable materials came. Scholars have proposed various identifications: Aeolis in Asia Minor, Hellas (Greece), or even Italy and Sicily. Ezekiel mentions 'the coastlands of Elishah' as a source of purple dye, suggesting maritime trade connections. The uncertainty of identification reflects how ancient trade networks brought Israel into contact with distant Mediterranean peoples, some whose exact locations have been lost to history.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Genesis 10:4 and 1 Chronicles 1:7 list Elishah among the sons of Javan, grandson of Noah through Japheth. Ezekiel 27:7 adds that 'purple from the coastlands of Elishah' covered Tyre's deck—a luxury item associated with royalty and wealth. The multilingual glosses preserve the name but offer little clue to identity. Ancient interpreters proposed Hellas, Italy, or Carthage; modern proposals include Aeolis or Cyprus. The mystery reminds us that Israel's Scriptures preserve memories of trade connections spanning the Mediterranean world. 3×
AR["أَليشاه", "أَلِيشَةَ", "أَلِيشَةُ"]·ben["ইলীশা", "ইলীশার"]·DE["Elischa", "[אלישה]"]·EN["Elishah"]·FR["Elishah", "Élie", "Élischa"]·heb["אלישה"]·HI["एलीशा", "एलीशाह", "एलीशाह-के"]·ID["Elisa"]·IT["Eliscia", "Elishah", "[אלישה]"]·jav["Elisa", "Èlisa", "Élisa"]·KO["엘리사", "엘리샤의"]·PT["Elishah"]·RU["Елиса", "Елисы", "Элиша"]·ES["Elisa", "Elishá"]·SW["Elisha"]·TR["Elişa", "Elişa'nın"]·urd["الیشہ", "الیشہ-کے"]
Related Senses
G3588 1. definite article (18298×)H0853 1. definite direct object marker (10915×)G2532 1. (8312×)H3068 1. YHWH (the divine name) (6522×)H0834a 1. relative pronoun (who/which/that) (4839×)H3588a 1. causal: because, for (3498×)G1161 1. and (2806×)H3478 1. Israel (proper name and nation) (2507×)G4771 1. you (plural address) (1853×)H1931 1. personal pronoun he/she/it (1431×)G3739 1. relative pronoun who/which/that (1149×)H1732 1. David (proper name) (1075×)H2088 1. this, this one (demonstrative) (1059×)G1063 1. (1047×)G3778 1. this thing, these things (1003×)H???? 2. (1002×)G2424 1. (924×)G3754 1. that (content clause) (881×)H2009 1. presentative particle: behold, look (881×)H0589 1. I (first person singular pronoun) (874×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† אֱלִישָׁה n.pr.loc. as son of Javan Gn 10:4; 1 Ch 1:7; אִיֵּי א׳ Ez 27:7 (Aeolis Josephus Jer Kn; H. DerenbourgMélanges Graux, 235 f (Eng. trans. Hbr. Oct. 1887, 7); Hellas 𝔗 Jon etc., LenOrig. ii. 2. 34 f; Italy, with Sicily, cf. מְדִינַת אִיטַלְיָא 𝔗 Ezek, Di Gn 10:4; Carthage = Elissa, StaDe Populo Javan, 8 f; E. MeyerGesch. i. § 282; decision difficult; last view very attractive).