Elnathan

ELNATHAN (ĕl-nā'thăn, Heb. ’elnāthān, God has given)

Father of Nehushta, the mother of Jehoiachin (2Kgs.24.8).The son of Acbor, sent to Egypt by King Jehoiakim to bring back the prophet Uriah (Jer.26.22). He was one of those who urged King Jehoiakim not to burn the roll that Jeremiah had written (Jer.36.12, Jer.36.25). He may be the same person as no. 1.The name of three men listed among leaders and men of learning, Levites, sent on an embassy by Ezra (Ezra.8.16).

ELNATHAN ĕl nā’ thən (אֶלְנָתָ֖ן, God has given). A masculine personal name; a more common form has the deity element last, Nātān’ēl (Nathanael). 1. Elnathan of Jerusalem, the grandfather of King Jehoiachin (2 Kings 24:8), and possibly the same Elnathan, the son of Achbor, a nobleman who did the king’s bidding (Jer 26:22). Elnathan sat among the nobles while Jeremiah’s message was read to King Jehoiakim (36:12). He sought to dissuade the king from burning Jeremiah’s scroll, but to no avail.

2. Several other Elnathans are mentioned among the Levites who were described as “leading men” and “men of insight” in the days of Ezra (Ezra 8:15, 16). The passage tells of a search for Levites who were scarce in those days.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915)

(’elnathan, "God has given"):

(1) The grandfather of Jehoiachin (2Ki 24:8).

(2) A courtier of Jehoiakim; he was one of those sent to Egypt to bring back the prophet Uriah (Jer 26:22), and one of those who heard the reading of Jeremiah’s roll and entreated Jehoiakim not to burn the roll (Jer 36:12,25)--possibly the same person as (1) above.

(3, 4, 5) The name of two "chief men"--unless textual corruption has introduced the name at its second occurrence--and of one "teacher" sent for by Ezra from the camp at the river Ahava (Ezr 8:16).