Elishama

Elishama, meaning God hath heard, is a name shared by several biblical figures. The most prominent was the son of Ammihud and prince of the tribe of Ephraim, who served as the tribe's leader during the wilderness journey and assisted Moses in the first census of Israel. He presented the offering for his tribe at the dedication of the altar.

Other bearers of the name include a son of King David born in Jerusalem, a royal scribe whose chamber held the written scroll of Jeremiah's prophecies, a son of the royal line of Judah descended from David through Elishama, and a priest sent by Jehoshaphat to teach the law in the cities of Judah. The frequency of the name reflects the widespread practice of names compounded with the divine element El, expressing a family's faith that God had responded to their prayer.