Elihoenai is a name found in the King James Bible, appearing 1 time in the text.
Who This Was
Elihoenai was a leader among the Israelites who returned from the Babylonian exile with Ezra. He is identified in Ezra 8:4 as “the son of Zerahiah” and is listed among “the sons of Pahathmoab.” This places him within one of the prominent families of the returning exiles, the clan of Pahathmoab, whose name means “governor of Moab” and which appears elsewhere in the records of those who came back from Babylon.
The setting of his appearance is Ezra’s careful accounting of the people who journeyed with him from Babylon to Jerusalem. In Ezra 8, the priest and scribe Ezra mustered the returning exiles by family before setting out on the long and dangerous road to Judah. Elihoenai is named as the head of his father’s house, and the text records that two hundred males accompanied him. This means he was responsible for leading a substantial group of men—likely relatives, dependents, and fellow clansmen—on the journey of restoration to the land of their fathers.
Scripture says nothing more of Elihoenai beyond this single verse. He is not mentioned again in the narrative, and no deed, speech, or later history is attributed to him. What the text does tell us is simple and concrete: he answered the call to return, he was recognized as a leader, and he brought two hundred men with him. His obedience is recorded in a single line, yet that line places him among those who chose to leave exile behind and rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem.
The Name
The name Elihoenai is a Hebrew name, and its meaning is not clearly recoverable from the text itself. It appears to be a compound name, and several elements suggest a meaning along the lines of “my God is gracious” or “unto Jehovah are mine eyes,” with the divine name and a root related to favor or looking. However, because the name occurs only once in the King James Bible and its exact vocalization and derivation are uncertain, no single meaning can be stated with confidence. It is best to say plainly that the meaning is not well established.
A Closing Thought
Elihoenai appears in Scripture only once, yet that single mention is enough to show a man who answered when God’s people were called home. He did not need a long record of deeds to be counted faithful; he simply rose, gathered those entrusted to him, and went. Most of us will live lives that occupy only a line or two in the memory of others. That is no cause for discouragement. What matters is whether, when the call came, we went—and whether we brought others with us.
At a Glance
- Gender: Male
- Testament: Old
- Mentions in the KJV: 1
Where It Appears in Scripture
- Ezra 8:4 — Of the sons of Pahathmoab; Elihoenai the son of Zerahiah, and with him two hundred males.