In this series of articles on judges of the Bible. We will look at Elon in the Bible who is considered the 11th judge of Israel.
As I continue on my journey of writing about the Judges I have come to Judges 12. In this chapter we see numerous stories of various judges. And today we will be focusing on Elon. Not to be mistaken with Elon Musk! Actually in some translations Elon, is Ahialon.
The hard thing about certain judges within the Bible is that their stories are so short. We don’t have a lot to glean from. And this is the case with Elon. This is why he is considered a minor judge. We find his story in two simple little verses. But we will do our best to learn more about him from those two verses. Let’s get started!
We all know that the Bible is packed full of life-changing stories, but what do you do when a In this post, we’re going to take a look at one of the most controversial figures in the Bible – Judge Elon. Despite his flaws, Elon provides some important lessons for Christians on how to live a good life. So let’s dive in!
Elon in The Bible: The Zebulunite
After him, Elon the Zebulunite led Israel ten years. Then Elon died and was buried in Aijalon in the land of Zebulun. – Judges 12:11-12
Scripture states that Elon became Judge after Ibzan. Making him the 11th judge in Israel’s timeline. There is no mention of war, bondage, or idolatry. No vicious cycle this time around! This could be because Israel was having God-fearing judges back to back.
What we can gather is that he was a Zebulunite, meaning he came from the tribe of Zebulun. Zebulun was one of the 12 sons of Jacob. According to Genesis 49:13 NIV it states that “Zebulun will live by the seashore and become a haven for ships; his border will extend toward Sidon.
He led Israel for 10 years. This is quite a short time when in comparison with other judges. But again we don’t know how Elon became judge. For all we know Elon could have been an older man and was only able to give 10 years of his leadership. Or he could have been young and succumbed to some kind of sickness. A lot of mystery with this judge.
What we do know is that Israel was at peace and that Elon picked up the torch of Ibzan. He was able to give Israel a good 10 years and was laid to rest in the territory of where his tribe is from.
The Meaning of Elon
Elon can have a few different meanings. The main meaning we see is “oak tree.” The other two are “terebinth tree” (aka pistachio tree), or “mighty“. The reason two different trees is because the name Elon in Hebrew have some similarities. “Confusion number one is between the Hebrew word alon, which means oak, and elah, which means terebinth.” (source)
The Strong’s Concordance breaks it down below to mean an “oak grove“
אֵילוֹן ʼÊylôwn, ay-lone’; or (shortened) אֵלוֹן ʼÊlôwn ; or אֵילֹן ʼÊylôn ; from H352; oak-grove; Elon, the name of a place in Palestine, and also of one Hittite, two Israelites:—Elon.
The name Elon was used multiple times throughout the Old Testament.
- The Hittite, father-in-law of Esau (Genesis 26:34)
- The second son of Zebulun (Genesis 46:14)
- The Zebulonite Judge of Israel (Judges 12:11-12)
- A Town in Dan (Joshua 19:43)
FAQ on Judge Elon
Below are a few key questions about Elon in the Bible. If you happen to have a question about him, feel free to leave me a comment at the bottom with your question. I will do my best to answer it.
What tribe is Elon from?
Elon came from the tribe of Zebulun.
What is the meaning of Elon in the Bible?
Elon means “oak tree” which can also translate to mean mighty or strong.
How long did Elon judge?
Elon judged Israel for 10 years.
Where can I find the story of Elon?
You can read about Elon in Judges 12:11-12
Free Elon Bible Study PDF
As I have been writing this series on the Judges. I have also been creating Character study sheets for each person. And you can grab Elon’s below! All you have to do is sign up for my newsletter and you will get access to this (and a whole bunch more).
The Many Judges in the Bible
Do you want to learn about other judges in the Bible?? Well, I got you covered. I have created a series on all the different judges. Some of them have incredible life stories that we can learn from. You can go through all of them by clicking the links.
- An Overview of the Judges of the Bible
- Judge Othniel in the Bible: Lessons and Facts
- Judge Ehud in the Bible: Lessons and Facts
- Judge Ibzan in the Bible: Lessons and Facts
- Samson In The Bible: Powerful Lessons From His Life
- Judge Shamgar in the Bible: Lessons and Facts
- Judge Elon in the Bible: Lessons and Facts
- Judge Jair in the Bible: Lessons and Facts
- Judge Tola in the Bible: Lessons and Facts
- Judge Abdon in the Bible: Lessons and Facts
I hope you have enjoyed this small study on Elon in the Bible! I encourage you to check all the judges of the Bible! There is so much we can learn when we dig deeper into God’s Word!
Melissa is a passionate minister, speaker and an ongoing learner of the Bible. She has been involved in church and vocational ministry for over 18 years. And is the founder of Think About Such Things. She has the heart to equip the saints by helping them get into the Word of God and fall more in love with Jesus. She also enjoys family, cooking, and reading.
She has spoken in churches in California, Oregon, Texas, and Mexico and has been featured in Guidepost Magazine and All Recipes Magazine. Read More…