Eliezer (son of Dodavah)
A person in the Bible. Also called Eliezer son of Dodavah, Eliezer son of Dodavahu, Eliezer of Mareshah.
| Classification | Biblical figure |
|---|---|
| Era | Reign of King Jehoshaphat of Judah (c. 9th century BC) |
| Origin | Mareshah |
| Father | Dodavah |
| Related Figures | Jehoshaphat; Ahaziah (king of Israel) |
| Biblical References | 2 Chronicles 20:37 |
Eliezer was a prophet in the reign of King Jehoshaphat of Judah and the son of Dodavah of Mareshah. He rebuked Jehoshaphat for joining with King Ahaziah of the northern kingdom of Israel to build ships, and he prophesied that the ships would be wrecked (2 Chronicles 20:37).
About this articleAI draft from a Korean source. Notes on Korean Protestant practice. No sources listed. Not yet reviewed by a person.
- Origin
Drafted by AI from the Korean church.wiki article, then translated and adapted for English readers on 5 November 2026.
- Perspective
Includes notes on Korean Protestant practice; other traditions are noted where they differ.
- Sources
None listed yet. The article draws on the biblical text and general reference works. Add a source
- Review
Not yet reviewed by a person. Last edited by a person: never. Translation updated 5 November 2026. Edit history
Biblical Record
Eliezer appears only once in Scripture, in 2 Chronicles 20:37. The Bible records only two details about him: he came from Mareshah, a town in the western lowlands of Judah, and his father was named Dodavah. Nothing else about his life is recorded.
According to 2 Chronicles 20:35-36, King Jehoshaphat of Judah joined with King Ahaziah of the northern kingdom of Israel, who did wickedly, to build ships at Ezion-geber to go to Tarshish. Eliezer then prophesied against him:
- "Because thou hast joined thyself with Ahaziah, the LORD hath broken thy works" (2 Chronicles 20:37, KJV)
The text records that, in fulfillment of the prophecy, the ships were broken and were not able to go to Tarshish. This verse concludes the account of Jehoshaphat's reign.
Significance in Scripture
Second Chronicles repeatedly describes a prophet appearing to rebuke a king of Judah for allying with foreign nations or with the northern kingdom of Israel. One example is the rebuke delivered by Jehu the son of Hanani after Jehoshaphat helped Ahab (2 Chronicles 19:2). Eliezer's prophecy belongs to the same pattern. These episodes reflect the Chronicler's view that an undertaking that relies on human strength rather than on God will ultimately fail.
The name Eliezer is understood to mean "God is help," and Exodus 18:4 explains the same name in this sense. The New Testament does not mention this figure.
Interpretation and Debate
The parallel account in 1 Kings 22:48-49 differs somewhat. There, Jehoshaphat built ships to go to Ophir for gold, but they were broken at Ezion-geber; afterward, when Ahaziah proposed that his servants sail with Jehoshaphat's, Jehoshaphat refused. Eliezer is not named. Interpreters differ on how to account for these differences.
- One view harmonizes the two accounts, holding that Jehoshaphat first built the ships jointly with Ahaziah and then, after the ships were wrecked, refused a renewed proposal.
- Another view holds that the two books record the same event with different emphases and from different sources.
Regarding the difference between ships going "to Tarshish" and ships going "to Ophir," some interpreters understand "ships of Tarshish" not as a reference to an actual destination but as a term for a class of large ocean-going vessels. No widely known tradition outside the biblical text adds to the account of Eliezer's life.
Perspective: Korean Protestant practiceHow this figure is used in Korean churches, kept from the original Korean article.
In Korean Protestant churches, Eliezer is rarely the sole subject of a sermon. When he is mentioned, it is usually in sermons on the life of Jehoshaphat or in expositions of 2 Chronicles, where he serves as an example warning against misguided alliances.
Among Korean believers, the name Eliezer usually calls to mind Eliezer of Damascus, mentioned as Abraham's heir (Genesis 15:2). Several other biblical figures bear the same name, including Moses' son Eliezer (Exodus 18:4), and this prophet should be distinguished from them.
See also 7
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