Original Word: אֱלִישֶׁבַע
Part of Speech: Proper Name Feminine
Transliteration: Eliysheba`
Pronunciation: eh-lee-sheh-bah
Phonetic Spelling: (el-ee-sheh'-bah)
KJV: Elisheba
NASB: Elisheba
Word Origin: [from H410 (אֵל - God) and H7651 (שֶׁבַע שִׁבעָה - seven) (in the sense of H7650 (שָׁבַע - swore))]

1. God of (the) oath
2. Elisheba, the wife of Aaron

Elisheba

From 'el and sheba' (in the sense of shaba'); God of (the) oath; Elisheba, the wife of Aaron -- Elisheba.

see HEBREW 'el

see HEBREW sheba'

see HEBREW shaba'

Word Origin
from el and shaba
Definition
"God is an oath," the wife of Aaron
NASB Translation
Elisheba (1).

אֱלִישֶׁ֫בַע proper name, feminine (God is an oath, by which one swears, compare Isaiah 19:18; Amos 8:14; Zephaniah 1:5) wife of Aaron Exodus 6:23; = Ἐλεισαβεθ ᵐ5, compare Luke 1:7.

Name and Meaning

Elisheba combines “El,” the divine name, with a term for oath or covenant, underscoring the idea that God Himself guarantees His promises. Her very identity, therefore, evokes faith in the reliability of the Lord’s sworn word.

Biblical Occurrence

Elisheba is named once, in Exodus 6:23: “Aaron married Elisheba, daughter of Amminadab and sister of Nahshon, and she bore him Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.” The verse anchors her in Israel’s pre-wilderness history and links three influential tribes: Levi (through Aaron), Judah (through Amminadab and Nahshon), and eventually the priestly branch that will serve the whole nation.

Family and Lineage

• Husband: Aaron, the first high priest of Israel (Exodus 28:1).
• Father: Amminadab, a prince in the line of Judah (Ruth 4:19–20).
• Brother: Nahshon, chief of the tribe of Judah during the Exodus (Numbers 1:7; 2:3).
• Sons: Nadab and Abihu (who perished for offering unauthorized fire, Leviticus 10:1–2), Eleazar (successor high priest, Numbers 20:26–28), and Ithamar (whose line housed Eli, 1 Samuel 2:27–28).

Through marriage, Elisheba unites the royal messianic tribe with the priestly tribe, foreshadowing the later convergence of kingship and priesthood in Jesus Christ (Zechariah 6:13; Hebrews 7:1–3).

Role in the Priestly House

As the wife of Aaron, Elisheba becomes the matriarch of Israel’s priesthood. Every high priest descending from Aaron traces maternal lineage back to her, including Eleazar, Phinehas, and ultimately Zadok (1 Kings 2:35). Her faithfulness in nurturing four sons to serve in tabernacle ministry models the household devotion expected of priestly families (Leviticus 21:6–8).

Theological and Redemptive Significance

1. Covenant Unity: By joining Judah to Levi, Elisheba embodies a covenantal harmony anticipating the seamless righteousness and rule of the Messiah.
2. Holiness and Judgment: Two sons (Nadab and Abihu) experience immediate judgment, proving that priestly privilege can never substitute for obedience (Leviticus 10:3).
3. Perpetuity of Priesthood: Through Eleazar and Ithamar her posterity perseveres despite human failure, highlighting divine faithfulness to maintain a mediating priesthood until its fulfillment in Christ (Hebrews 7:23–27).

Related Names and New Testament Continuity

The Greek form, Elizabeth (Luke 1:5), belongs to the mother of John the Baptist, herself “of the daughters of Aaron.” Luke thus connects the birth of the forerunner and, by extension, the Messiah to the same priestly line that began with Elisheba. John’s preparatory ministry and Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice bring to completion the covenantal threads interwoven in Elisheba’s household.

Lessons and Applications

• God intertwines family histories to accomplish His redemptive plan; faithfulness within ordinary relationships can bear extraordinary, multigenerational fruit.
• Spiritual privilege carries weighty responsibility; Nadab and Abihu warn against presumption, whereas Eleazar and Ithamar illustrate enduring service.
• The unity of royal and priestly lines in Elisheba’s marriage points believers to Jesus Christ—the final High Priest-King—whose oath-secured covenant stands unbreakable.

אֱלִישֶׁ֧בַע אלישבע ’ĕ·lî·še·ḇa‘ ’ĕlîšeḇa‘ eliShevaInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts