Illustration created for this project.
Eleazar the Ahohite
One of David's three chief warriors, who held the field against the Philistines until his hand froze to his sword.
What we know — and how we know it
Scholarly — supported scholarly belief · 2
Family & lineage
ScholarlyThe two rosters of David's mighty men that name him, 2 Samuel 23:9-10 and 1 Chronicles 11:12-14, show notable textual divergence (including whether the stand against the Philistines is credited to Eleazar or transferred), a recognized crux in the transmission of these lists. No inscription or non-biblical source attests him.
Comparison of Masoretic 2 Samuel 23:9-10 with 1 Chronicles 11:12-14; textual-critical point.
Name & titles
ScholarlyHis name Eleazar means 'God has helped'; the epithet 'the Ahohite' (son of Dodo/Dodai) marks him as of the clan of Ahoah, a Benjaminite lineage.
Onomastic point on Eleazar plus the gentilic 'Ahohite' (cf. Ahoah, 1 Chronicles 8:4).