Elkanah Summary
STEPBible TIPNR
Elkanah was the father of the prophet Samuel and husband of Hannah.
father of Samuel (1SA 1:1, 1SA 1:20)
Lineage: God › Adam › Seth › Enos › Cainan › Mahalaleel › Jared › Enoch › Methuselah › Lamech › Noah › Shem › Arphaxad › Cainan › Salah › Eber › Peleg › Reu › Serug › Nahor › Terah › Abraham › Isaac › Jacob › Levi › Kohath › Izhar › Korah › Ebiasaph › Assir › Tahath › Uriel › Azariah › Shaul › Elkanah › Amasai › Mahath › Elkanah › Zuph › Nahath › Elihu › Jeroham › Elkanah
Names
-
en
Elkanah
God the zealous; the zeal of God
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en
Elkanah
· Also called · H511 none · 1SA 1:1 G-d [El] has possessed
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he
אֶלְקָנָה
eləqanah · H511 · 1SA 1:1 G-d [El] has possessed
- el Ελκανα Elkana · none · 1SA 1:1
- bg Елкана
Mentioned in (10)
SDA Books
Awaiting permission to publishLinked through an explicitly cited Bible passage
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Conditional birth estimate · c. 1198 BC – 1173 BC
Conditional birth bounds under generation assumptions; not attested parental ages, biological limits or a lifespan.
Below are relatives with a selected birth year, the generations separating them, and the interval allowed by each anchor. Each relative’s page shows available dates and sources. The overall estimate uses the intersection of the allowed intervals.
| Relative / anchor year | Generations | Conditional interval |
|---|---|---|
| Kohath · 1705 BC Ancestor |
17 20–45 years per generation |
c. 1365 BC – 940 BC |
| Levi · 1748 BC Ancestor |
18 20–45 years per generation |
c. 1388 BC – 938 BC |
| Jacob · 1835 BC Ancestor |
19 20–45 years per generation |
c. 1455 BC – 980 BC |
| Isaac · 1895 BC Ancestor |
20 20–45 years per generation |
c. 1495 BC – 995 BC |
| Rebekah · 1876 BC Ancestor |
20 20–45 years per generation |
c. 1476 BC – 976 BC |
| Abraham · 1995 BC Ancestor |
21 20–45 years per generation |
c. 1575 BC – 1050 BC |
| Sarah · 1985 BC Ancestor |
21 20–45 years per generation |
c. 1565 BC – 1040 BC |
| Terah · 2125 BC Ancestor |
22 25–130 years per generation |
c. 1575 BC – AD 736 |
| Nahor · 2156 BC Ancestor |
23 25–130 years per generation |
c. 1581 BC – AD 835 |
| Haran · 2056 BC Ancestor |
23 25–130 years per generation |
c. 1481 BC – AD 935 |
| Serug · 2186 BC Ancestor |
24 25–130 years per generation |
c. 1586 BC – AD 935 |
| Reu · 2218 BC Ancestor |
25 25–130 years per generation |
c. 1593 BC – AD 1033 |
| Peleg · 2248 BC Ancestor |
26 25–130 years per generation |
c. 1598 BC – AD 1133 |
| Eber · 2282 BC Ancestor |
27 25–130 years per generation |
c. 1607 BC – AD 1229 |
| Salah · 2312 BC Ancestor |
28 25–130 years per generation |
c. 1612 BC – AD 1329 |
| Arphaxad · 2347 BC Ancestor |
30 25–130 years per generation |
c. 1597 BC – AD 1554 |
| Shem · 2447 BC Ancestor |
31 25–130 years per generation |
c. 1672 BC – AD 1584 |
| Noah · 2948 BC Ancestor |
32 25–130 years per generation |
c. 2148 BC – AD 1213 |
| Lamech · 3130 BC Ancestor |
33 25–130 years per generation |
c. 2305 BC – AD 1161 |
| Methuselah · 3317 BC Ancestor |
34 25–130 years per generation |
c. 2467 BC – AD 1104 |
| Enoch · 3382 BC Ancestor |
35 25–130 years per generation |
c. 2507 BC – AD 1169 |
| Jared · 3544 BC Ancestor |
36 25–130 years per generation |
c. 2644 BC – AD 1137 |
| Mahalaleel · 3609 BC Ancestor |
37 25–130 years per generation |
c. 2684 BC – AD 1202 |
| Cainan · 3679 BC Ancestor |
38 25–130 years per generation |
c. 2729 BC – AD 1262 |
| Cain · 4004 BC Ancestor |
38 25–130 years per generation |
c. 3054 BC – AD 937 |
| Enos · 3769 BC Ancestor |
39 25–130 years per generation |
c. 2794 BC – AD 1302 |
| Adam · 4004 BC Ancestor |
39 25–130 years per generation |
c. 3029 BC – AD 1067 |
| Eve · 4005 BC Ancestor |
39 25–130 years per generation |
c. 3030 BC – AD 1066 |
| Seth · 3874 BC Ancestor |
40 25–130 years per generation |
c. 2874 BC – AD 1327 |
| Samuel · 1153 BC Descendant |
1 20–45 years per generation |
c. 1198 BC – 1173 BC |
Belonged to (1)
Elkanah Article
STEPBible TIPNR
Elkanah, an Ephraimite from Ramathaim-zophim, was the father of the prophet Samuel and the husband of Hannah and Peninnah (1Sa.1.1,4). He was a devout man who regularly went to worship and sacrifice to the Lord at Shiloh (1Sa 1:3). Elkanah had two wives, Hannah and Peninnah. While Peninnah had children, Hannah was barren (1Sa 1:2). Despite Hannah's inability to bear children, Elkanah loved her deeply and tried to comfort her (1Sa 1:8). Hannah prayed fervently for a child and vowed to dedicate him to the Lord's service (1Sa 1:11). After the birth of Samuel, Elkanah supported Hannah in fulfilling her vow and brought the child to serve in the tabernacle under Eli the priest (1Sa 1:21-28). Elkanah continued to worship at Shiloh and received a blessing from Eli for his devotion (1Sa 2:20). He is also mentioned in the genealogies of the Levites as an ancestor of Samuel and his sons (1Ch.6.27,34). Elkanah's story highlights his faithfulness, love for his family, and support for Hannah's dedication of Samuel to the Lord's service.
Elkanah 2 Dictionary
Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897)
Another Levite of the line of Heman the singer, although he does not seem to have performed any of the usual Levitical offices. He was father of Samuel the prophet (1 Chr. 6:27, 34). He was “an Ephrathite” (1 Sam. 1:1, 4, 8), but lived at Ramah, a man of wealth and high position. He had two wives, Hannah, who was the mother of Samuel, and Peninnah.
Sources: BibleData (CC BY 4.0, Elkanah_2) · STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0, Elkanah@1Sa.1.1-1Ch) · Theographic Bible Metadata (CC BY-SA 4.0, elkanah_1168)