In the biblical record, the name Elasah (meaning “God has made”) belongs to men who served as vital links in the preservation of the covenant community. Whether carrying prophetic warnings across empires or maintaining the purity of the priesthood, those named Elasah appear at critical junctures of Israel’s history.
The Ambassador to Babylon
The most prominent Elasah was the son of Shaphan. He lived during the harrowing final years of the Kingdom of Judah. At a time when Jerusalem was under the shadow of the Babylonian Empire, Elasah served as a trusted diplomatic emissary for King Zedekiah.
However, Elasah’s most significant act was not a matter of statecraft, but of spiritual service. He was entrusted by the prophet Jeremiah to carry a letter from Jerusalem to the elders, priests, and people already living in exile in Babylon.
“By the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan, and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, (whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent unto Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon) saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, unto all the captivity…” (Jeremiah 29:3-4, KJV)
This letter contained the famous promise that God had “thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end” (Jeremiah 29:11). Elasah was the physical link that delivered this message of hope to a displaced and grieving people.
The Priest in the Days of Ezra
Another man named Elasah appears during the time of Ezra. He was a descendant of Pashur and a member of the priesthood. Following the return from the Babylonian exile, he was among those identified as having taken “strange wives” from the surrounding pagan nations.
In an act of repentance and commitment to the Law of God, Elasah was part of the group that covenanted to put away these wives to preserve the holiness of the priestly line.
“And of the sons of Pashur; Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethaneel, Jozabad, and Elasah.” (Ezra 10:22, KJV)
The Descendant of Saul
A third Elasah (often rendered Eleasah in some translations of the same Hebrew name) is found in the genealogical records of the tribe of Benjamin. He was a descendant of King Saul through Jonathan’s line.
“And Moza begat Binea: Rapha was his son, Eleasah his son, Azel his son:” (1 Chronicles 8:37, KJV)
His inclusion in the Chronicles serves to demonstrate God’s faithfulness in preserving the lineage of Saul’s house many generations after the kingdom had passed to David.
A Legacy of Faithfulness
The lives of those named Elasah—whether as a royal messenger carrying Jeremiah’s words or a priest rectifying his walk before God—remind us that God uses individuals to “make” (as his name implies) the way for His word and His will to be accomplished.