Elienai is a name found in the King James Bible, appearing 1 time in the text.
Who This Was
Elienai was a member of the tribe of Benjamin, mentioned in the genealogies recorded in 1 Chronicles. He appears in a list of descendants belonging to the Benjamite clan structure, a record that the Chronicler preserved for the returned exiles who needed to trace their tribal and family heritage after the Babylonian captivity. The genealogies of 1 Chronicles 8 trace the line of Benjamin, Israel’s youngest son, and Elienai is named among the heads or descendants within that line.
Elienai is listed in 1 Chronicles 8:20, where the text reads, “And Elienai, and Zilthai, and Eliel.” He is named alongside other Benjamites in a roster of men belonging to the families of Benjamin. The passage does not record any deed, speech, or event connected with him; he appears only as a name in a lineage.
Scripture says nothing further of Elienai beyond this single mention. He is not credited with any act of faith, courage, or leadership. His inclusion in the genealogy nevertheless marks him as a real person within the covenant people, counted among the tribe that would later produce King Saul and, in the New Testament, the apostle Paul. His name is preserved because he belonged to Israel, not because of anything he accomplished.
The Name
The Hebrew name Elienai (אֱלִיעֵנַי) is generally understood to mean something like “my eyes are toward God” or “God is my eyes,” built from the elements ʾel (“God”) and ʿayin (“eye”). Some scholars render it “unto whom are the eyes,” with the divine name implied. While the components of the name are recognizable, the precise nuance is not entirely certain, and the meaning is given here as the most commonly proposed rather than as a settled fact.
A Closing Thought
Elienai’s entire legacy in Scripture is a single line in a genealogy. He never speaks, never acts, and never appears again. Yet his name is written in the book of God’s people, and that is enough. Most of us will not be remembered for great deeds or lasting fame. Like Elienai, we may live quietly, faithfully, and largely unnoticed. But the God who numbers the stars also numbers His people, and no life lived within His covenant is forgotten. To be named among the faithful is a greater honor than to be praised by the world.
At a Glance
- Gender: Male
- Testament: Old
- Mentions in the KJV: 1
Where It Appears in Scripture
- 1 Chronicles 8:20 — And Elienai, and Zilthai, and Eliel,