Who was Eliashib in the bible?

Eliashib (a name meaning “God will restore,” per the lexicon’s derivation) is the name of multiple Israelites in Scripture, appearing in genealogies, priestly divisions, lists in Ezra’s reform, and in Nehemiah’s account of temple-related leadership and Jerusalem’s wall repairs.

Eliashib in Scripture

The earliest occurrence in the provided verses is a genealogical mention among the descendants listed in Chronicles:

“The sons of Elioenai: Hodaviah, Eliashib, Pelaiah, Akkub, Johanan, Delaiah, and Anani, seven.” (1 Chronicles 3:24)

Another mention in Chronicles places an Eliashib within an ordered sequence associated with priestly service:

“the eleventh to Eliashib, the twelfth to Jakim,” (1 Chronicles 24:12)

In Ezra 10, “Eliashib” appears several times within a chapter describing Ezra’s public confession and a community response to “trespass” involving “foreign women.” The narrative opens with Ezra’s prayer and the people’s grief:

“Now while Ezra prayed and made confession, weeping and casting himself down before God’s house, there was gathered together to him out of Israel a very great assembly of men and women and children; for the people wept very bitterly.” (Ezra 10:1)

Shecaniah proposes a covenant action “according to the law,” and Ezra requires leaders and the people to swear to act:

“We have trespassed against our God, and have married foreign women of the peoples of the land. Yet now there is hope for Israel concerning this thing.” (Ezra 10:2)

“Then Ezra arose, and made the chiefs of the priests, the Levites, and all Israel, to swear that they would do according to this word. So they swore.” (Ezra 10:5)

Within that setting, an Eliashib is identified as the father of Jehohanan, whose room Ezra uses as a place of fasting and mourning:

“Then Ezra rose up from before God’s house, and went into the room of Jehohanan the son of Eliashib. When he came there, he ate no bread, nor drank water; for he mourned because of their trespass of the captivity.” (Ezra 10:6)

The chapter continues with a proclamation requiring those of “the captivity” to assemble, and Ezra charges the community to confess and separate from the foreign women:

“Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, ‘You have trespassed, and have married foreign women, to increase the guilt of Israel.’” (Ezra 10:10)

“‘Now therefore make confession to Yahweh, the God of your fathers, and do his pleasure; and separate yourselves from the peoples of the land, and from the foreign women.’” (Ezra 10:11)

The assembly agrees but asks for a process due to the size of the task and the weather, and an appointed examination follows until the matter is finished:

“They finished with all the men who had married foreign women by the first day of the first month.” (Ezra 10:17)

Within the resulting lists, Eliashib is named among various groups. One Eliashib is explicitly identified by role as a singer:

“Of the singers: Eliashib. Of the gatekeepers: Shallum, and Telem, and Uri.” (Ezra 10:24)

Another Eliashib appears among “the sons of Zattu,” named alongside others:

“Of the sons of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, and Jeremoth, and Zabad, and Aziza.” (Ezra 10:27)

Another occurrence appears within a list later in the chapter:

“Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,” (Ezra 10:36)

Ezra 10 concludes by summarizing the scope of the offense:

“All these had taken foreign wives; and some of them had wives by whom they had children.” (Ezra 10:44)

In Nehemiah, Eliashib is associated with a “house” connected with the wall-repair narrative, and he is explicitly called “the high priest.” Two consecutive verses specify the location of repairs by reference to the “door of the house of Eliashib” and the extent “to the end of the house of Eliashib”:

“After him, Baruch the son of Zabbai earnestly repaired another portion, from the turning of the wall to the door of the house of Eliashib the high priest.” (Nehemiah 3:20)

“After him, Meremoth the son of Uriah the son of Hakkoz repaired another portion, from the door of the house of Eliashib even to the end of the house of Eliashib.” (Nehemiah 3:21)

Nehemiah 12 presents Eliashib within a lineage statement:

“Jeshua became the father of Joiakim, and Joiakim became the father of Eliashib, and Eliashib became the father of Joiada,” (Nehemiah 12:10)

That chapter also frames record-keeping “in the days of Eliashib” alongside other leaders, and mentions “Johanan the son of Eliashib” as a boundary for how long certain records extended:

“As for the Levites, in the days of Eliashib, Joiada, and Johanan, and Jaddua, there were recorded the heads of fathers’ households; also the priests, in the reign of Darius the Persian.” (Nehemiah 12:22)

“The sons of Levi, heads of fathers’ households, were written in the book of the chronicles, even until the days of Johanan the son of Eliashib.” (Nehemiah 12:23)

Finally, Nehemiah 13 identifies an Eliashib as a priest with a particular appointment connected to “the rooms of the house of our God,” and notes a political or social connection described as being “allied to Tobiah”:

“Now before this, Eliashib the priest, who was appointed over the rooms of the house of our God, being allied to Tobiah,” (Nehemiah 13:4)

Multiple bearers

The lexicon identity gloss states that Eliashib is “the name of six Israelites,” and the provided verses reflect distinct bearers by context and description.

Eliashib in a genealogy. One Eliashib is listed as a son among “The sons of Elioenai,” with no further description in the provided text: “Hodaviah, Eliashib, Pelaiah, Akkub, Johanan, Delaiah, and Anani” (1 Chronicles 3:24).

Eliashib in an ordered priestly listing. Another Eliashib is named within a numerical order: “the eleventh to Eliashib” (1 Chronicles 24:12). The verse does not add family information in the provided excerpt.

Eliashib as Jehohanan’s father. In Ezra’s reform narrative, Eliashib is named as the father of Jehohanan, whose room Ezra enters while mourning: “Jehohanan the son of Eliashib” (Ezra 10:6).

Eliashib the singer. Ezra’s list explicitly identifies an Eliashib “Of the singers” (Ezra 10:24), distinguishing him by role.

Eliashib in Ezra’s lists. The name appears among “the sons of Zattu” (Ezra 10:27) and again in a later list (Ezra 10:36). These occurrences provide no explicit role beyond inclusion in the chapter’s roster of names.

Eliashib the high priest / priestly leader in Nehemiah. Nehemiah names “Eliashib the high priest” in connection with a house by the wall (Nehemiah 3:20–21). Nehemiah 12 places an Eliashib in a father-son sequence—“Joiakim became the father of Eliashib… Eliashib became the father of Joiada” (Nehemiah 12:10)—and later references “the days of Eliashib” as a time of recorded heads of households (Nehemiah 12:22). Nehemiah 13:4 also describes “Eliashib the priest, who was appointed over the rooms of the house of our God, being allied to Tobiah,” presenting him as a priest with temple administrative responsibility.

Name and Meaning

The Hebrew script is אֶלְיָשִׁיב, transliterated ’Elyashiyb and pronounced “el-yaw-sheeb.” According to the lexicon’s derivation, the name comes from elements meaning God and turning back/returning, yielding the sense “God will restore”; its components are explained as ’el (אֵל), “strength” and as an adjective “mighty,” and shuwb (שׁוּב), “to turn back.”

Observation

Across the provided passages, the name Eliashib appears in both lists and narrative settings—from “Of the singers: Eliashib” (Ezra 10:24) to “Eliashib the high priest” (Nehemiah 3:20) and “Eliashib the priest, who was appointed over the rooms of the house of our God” (Nehemiah 13:4)—showing that the same name is borne by Israelites in varied roles and contexts.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the name Eliashib mean?

Eliashib means “God will restore.”

How many times does Eliashib appear in the Bible?

Eliashib occurs 14 times.

Who was Eliashib in the Bible?

Eliashib is the name of six Israelites. One Eliashib is identified as the high priest (Nehemiah 3:20).

What does Nehemiah say about Eliashib’s house during the wall repairs?

During the repairs, work is described as extending “to the door of the house of Eliashib the high priest” and “from the door of the house of Eliashib even to the end of the house of Eliashib” (Nehemiah 3:20–21).

Explore Further

If you found this page about Eliashib interesting and would like to discover more about other biblical characters, explore our comprehensive Encyclopedia of Biblical Characters. For those looking to delve deeper into the Greek origins of these names and terms, our Greek Lexicon is an invaluable resource.

Sources: Name and occurrence data from Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance and STEPBible reference data (CC BY). Scripture quotations from the World English Bible (public domain).