Who was Eliud in the bible?

Eliud is a man named in the genealogy recorded in Matthew 1, appearing as part of the line that culminates in “Jesus, who is called Christ” (Matthew 1:16). His name is presented in Greek as Ἐλιούδ (Elioud), a form described as being of Hebrew origin.

Eliud in Scripture

Eliud appears only within Matthew’s opening genealogy. The narrative setting is a sequence of generations that Matthew frames around major periods, beginning with ancestral names and moving forward to “the Christ” (Matthew 1:17). Within this list, Eliud is positioned after references to “the exile to Babylon” (Matthew 1:12) and within the chain that leads to Joseph and then to the birth narrative that follows (Matthew 1:16–18).

The genealogy section immediately before Eliud situates him among a succession of fathers and sons. Matthew states:

“After the exile to Babylon, Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel. Shealtiel became the father of Zerubbabel.” (Matthew 1:12, WEB)

“Zerubbabel became the father of Abiud. Abiud became the father of Eliakim. Eliakim became the father of Azor.” (Matthew 1:13, WEB)

Then the text proceeds step by step to Eliud:

“Azor became the father of Zadok. Zadok became the father of Achim. Achim became the father of Eliud.” (Matthew 1:14, WEB)

This verse is the first of Eliud’s two occurrences and identifies him as the son of Achim in the genealogy’s phrasing (“Achim became the father of Eliud”). The next verse continues the sequence from Eliud onward:

“Eliud became the father of Eleazar. Eleazar became the father of Matthan. Matthan became the father of Jacob.” (Matthew 1:15, WEB)

This second occurrence identifies Eliud as the father of Eleazar. In Matthew’s list, Eliud thus stands between Achim and Eleazar, connected on both sides by the repeated formula “became the father of,” which marks each link in the genealogical chain.

Matthew then continues the line beyond Eliud’s immediate descendants and reaches Joseph, Mary, and Jesus, placing the genealogy in direct proximity to the infancy account that follows:

“Jacob became the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, from whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.” (Matthew 1:16, WEB)

Matthew summarizes the genealogy’s structure in a single statement of counted generations, reinforcing that the list is meant to be read as a coherent whole:

“So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; from David to the exile to Babylon fourteen generations; and from the carrying away to Babylon to the Christ, fourteen generations.” (Matthew 1:17, WEB)

Immediately after this generational summary, Matthew transitions from genealogy to the account of Jesus’ birth circumstances:

“Now the birth of Jesus Christ was like this: After his mother, Mary, was engaged to Joseph, before they came together, she was found pregnant by the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 1:18, WEB)

Within this “carrying away to Babylon to the Christ” segment (Matthew 1:17), Eliud functions as one named generation among others. The verses do not provide further actions, locations, or biographical details for him beyond his placement as Achim’s son and Eleazar’s father (Matthew 1:14–15).

Name and Meaning

The name appears in Greek as Ἐλιούδ, transliterated Elioud and pronounced el-ee-ood’. Its derivation is described as being of Hebrew origin, formed from components represented by H0410 and H01935.

Observation

Eliud’s role in the provided text is strictly genealogical: “Achim became the father of Eliud” and “Eliud became the father of Eleazar” (Matthew 1:14–15), placing him within Matthew’s traced line that leads to “Jesus, who is called Christ” (Matthew 1:16).

Frequently Asked Questions

Who was Eliud?

Eliud is a person named in a genealogy in the Gospel of Matthew. Matthew 1:14 says Achim became the father of Eliud, and Matthew 1:15 says Eliud became the father of Eleazar.

What does the name Eliud mean?

Eliud is a name of Hebrew origin.

How many times does Eliud appear in the Bible?

Eliud appears 2 times.

Who were Eliud’s father and son in Matthew’s genealogy?

Matthew 1:14 names Achim as the father of Eliud, and Matthew 1:15 names Eleazar as the son of Eliud.

Explore Further

If you found this page about Eliud 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).