Original Word: אֶלְיָשִׁיב
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Elyashiyb
Pronunciation: el-yaw-SHEEB
Phonetic Spelling: (el-yaw-sheeb')
KJV: Eliashib
NASB: Eliashib, Eliashib's
Word Origin: [from H410 (אֵל - God) and H7725 (שׁוּב - return)]

1. God will restore
2. Eljashib, the name of six Israelites

Eliashib

From 'el and shuwb; God will restore; Eljashib, the name of six Israelites -- Eliashib.

see HEBREW 'el

see HEBREW shuwb

Word Origin
from el and shub
Definition
"God restores," the name of several Isr.
NASB Translation
Eliashib (15), Eliashib's (1).

אֶלְיָשִׁיב proper name, masculine (God restores, compare Nes^{Eg 194 &} Sabean תֿובאל DHM^{ZMG 1883, 16})

a. a descendant of David 1 Chronicles 3:24.

b. priest of David's time 1 Chronicles 24:12.

c. high priest of Nehemiah's time Ezra 10:6; Nehemiah 3:1,20,21 (twice in verse); Nehemiah 12:10 (twice in verse); Nehemiah 12:12,23; Nehemiah 13:4,7,28.

d. a singer Ezra 10:24.

e. one of the line of Zattu Ezra 10:27. feminine one of the line of Bani Ezra 10:36.

Overview

Eliashib (“God restores”) designates several men who appear at critical junctures of Israel’s history, chiefly in the post-exilic period. All are either of priestly or royal descent, and each occurrence underscores the covenant-keeping character of God in restoring worship, lineage, and walls for His people.

Royal Line Descendant (1 Chronicles 3:24)

The first Eliashib listed is a sixth-generation descendant of Zerubbabel. His placement in the Chronicler’s genealogy attests to the ongoing preservation of David’s royal line even after the exile, affirming divine fidelity to the messianic promise.

Temple-Servant Families in Ezra’s Reform (Ezra 10)

Three separate households under Ezra’s scrutiny bear the name:
• Eliashib son of Jehohanan, a priest who had married a foreign wife (Ezra 10:6).
• Eliashib of the singers (Ezra 10:24).
• Eliashib of the descendants of Bani (Ezra 10:27) and another among the sons of Pahath-Moab (Ezra 10:36).

Their inclusion illustrates how widespread intermarriage had become—even among those dedicated to worship—necessitating repentance to safeguard covenant purity.

High Priest in Nehemiah

1. Builder and Leader (Nehemiah 3:1)

“Then Eliashib the high priest and his fellow priests arose and rebuilt the Sheep Gate”. As the first name in the wall-building record, he models sacerdotal leadership that combines spiritual and civic responsibility. His action inaugurated the reconstruction, setting a pattern of dedicating each section to God.

2. Wall-Adjacent Residences (Nehemiah 3:20-21)

Verses 20–21 mention Meremoth’s repairs “opposite the house of Eliashib,” indicating the high priest’s dwelling adjoined the wall. This proximity underscores both privilege and accountability—the guardian of the Temple literally lived alongside Jerusalem’s defenses.

3. Priestly Succession Lists (Nehemiah 12:10, 12:22-23)

The genealogical registers record Eliashib as father of Joiada and predecessor of Johanan and Jaddua. By anchoring his tenure in Persian reigns “up to the reign of Darius the Persian” (Nehemiah 12:22), Scripture ties the high-priestly line to recognizable world chronology, highlighting God’s sovereignty over nations.

4. Compromise and Confrontation (Nehemiah 13:4-9)

Eliashib, “assigned over the chambers of the house of our God,” allied with Tobiah the Ammonite, granting him a storeroom within the Temple precincts. Nehemiah’s return from Babylon exposed the breach: “I threw all of Tobiah’s household goods out of the chamber” (Nehemiah 13:8). The episode reveals the peril of misplaced alliances and the necessity of continual reform even among high-office bearers.

5. Family Entanglements (Nehemiah 13:28)

One of Eliashib’s grandsons married a daughter of Sanballat the Horonite and was expelled by Nehemiah. This reinforces the theme that spiritual integrity sometimes demands drastic measures to preserve holiness.

Ministry Themes and Theological Significance

• Restoration: From genealogy to wall construction, each Eliashib episode testifies that the Lord “builds up Jerusalem” and “heals the brokenhearted” (Psalm 147:2-3), fulfilling the very meaning of the name.
• Leadership Accountability: Priestly privilege magnifies responsibility. Even a high priest can compromise sacred space, demonstrating the need for constant vigilance and reform.
• Covenant Purity: The intermarriage lists and Nehemiah’s drastic actions emphasize separation from idolatry as essential for the community’s mission.
• Continuity of Worship: By recording priestly successions, Scripture assures readers that true worship survived exile and foreign domination, ultimately pointing forward to the unbroken priesthood of Christ.

Summary

The seventeen references to Eliashib weave a composite portrait: God faithfully restores His people, yet leaders must guard their hearts lest privilege become a platform for compromise. Through genealogy, reform, construction, and confrontation, the narrative of Eliashib reinforces divine faithfulness and calls every generation to covenant fidelity.

אֶלְיָשִֽׁיב׃ אֶלְיָשִׁ֑יב אֶלְיָשִׁ֔יב אֶלְיָשִׁ֜יב אֶלְיָשִׁיב֙ אֶלְיָשִׁיב֩ אלישיב אלישיב׃ וְאֶלְיָשִׁ֖יב וְאֶלְיָשִׁ֡יב ואלישיב לְאֶלְיָשִׁיב֙ לאלישיב ’el·yā·šîḇ ’elyāšîḇ elyaShiv lə’elyāšîḇ lə·’el·yā·šîḇ leelyaShiv veelyaShiv wə’elyāšîḇ wə·’el·yā·šîḇInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts