Meaning & History
'Elifalet is a Hebrew form of Eliphalet, which itself is a variant of Eliphelet, a biblical name meaning 'my God is deliverance' in Hebrew, from the roots ʾel ('God') and palaṭ ('to deliver, to rescue'). Thus, 'Elifalet ultimately conveys the sense of divine rescue or salvation.
In the Hebrew Bible, 'Elifalet is not among the most frequently occurring names, but it appears in the genealogies of King David. Specifically, a son of David bears this name in some textual traditions, corresponding to the more commonly known Eliphelet or Eliphalet in other versions. According to the biblical account in 1 Chronicles 3:6 and 2 Samuel 5:15, David's children included sons with various names, among which Eliphelet appears. The variant 'Elifalet likely represents a scribal or dialectal variation within the Hebrew textual tradition.
The name's root element, ʾel (God), is a common theophoric component in ancient Semitic names, particularly in Hebrew and Canaanite contexts. The element palaṭ (to deliver) reinforces the theme of divine intervention and protection. Names expressing trust in God's deliverance were popular in the era of the Hebrew monarchy, reflecting a culture where personal names often served as testimonies of faith or declarations of hope.
'Elifalet belongs to a cluster of similar names that includes 'Elifelet (a close variant) and the Greek-influenced Eliphalet used in some English Bible translations. While 'Elifalet is not widely used as a given name in modern times, it retains scholarly interest for students of biblical onomastics and textual criticism. Its usage is primarily historical, tied to the Hebrew Bible and medieval manuscript traditions.
- Meaning: My God is deliverance
- Origin: Hebrew
- Type: First name
- Usage region: Hebrew Bible