What Does 1 Chronicles 23:21 Mean?

The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli were Eleazar and Kish.

1 Chronicles 23:21 · SDV

Key words are shown with the Hebrew or Greek and what each word meant.

Selah Decoded Version The Selah Decoded Version renders what the Hebrew and Greek words meant to the people who first heard them.

This verse in the King James

King James wording

King James Version

The sons of Merari; Mahli, and Mushi. The sons of Mahli; Eleazar, and Kish.

THE KEY

The family line carries a name meaning “God has helped,” embedding help in the names that preserve it.

THE MEANING

You encounter this verse now as a record of belonging: a line remains visible through particular names and relationships. Within that line, Eleazar means “God has helped,” so help is woven into the identity the verse preserves.

WHAT THIS UNDOES

That only famous leaders belong in the record; this verse preserves a family branch by naming its members.

THE ROOT

אֶלְעָזָר

ʾElʿāzār

GROWS FROM

עזר

ʿ-z-r

Help, support, aid.

“Eleazar” in this verse is ʾElʿāzār. ⁨אֶלְעָזָר⁩ (ʾElʿāzār) joins ⁨אֵל⁩ (ʾEl, God) with ⁨עזר⁩ (ʿ-z-r, help), giving the name the sense “God has helped.” That meaning sits inside a plain genealogy, so help is part of the family identity being remembered.

ALSO GROWS

ʿāzar: To help, aid, or support.

עָזַר

The verb makes the help in Eleazar’s name active: someone comes to another’s aid.

ʿēzer: Help, aid, or support.

עֵזֶר

This noun names help itself, carrying the same root into a word for assistance.

THE PATTERN

Scripture makes continuity visible by naming the people through whom a family line passes.

This is the book of the births of Adam. In the day that God created the ground-being, in the likeness of God he made him.

Genesis 5:1 · SDVA family line is made visible as a named record of generations.

Now these are the births of Perez. Perez brought forth Hezron.

Ruth 4:18 · SDVThe verse begins tracing continuity through named relationships.

The book of the origin of Jesus, the anointed one, son of David, son of Abraham.

Matthew 1:1 · SDVA person’s place in the story is expressed through the names and relationships that lead to him.

THE THREAD

And the name of the other was Eliezer, my God is help; for the God of my father, he said, was my help, and snatched me from the sword of Pharaoh.

Exodus 18:4 · SDV

Eleazar (⁨אֶלְעָזָר⁩, ʾElʿāzār, “God has helped”) and Eliezer (⁨אֱלִיעֶזֶר⁩, ʾĔlīʿezer, “my God is help”) share ⁨עזר⁩ (ʿ-z-r, help). Exodus makes the name’s meaning explicit by naming God as help, letting the same root in this genealogy resonate as remembered aid.

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