David's brother living at the time of United Monarchy
Eliab was the eldest brother of King David and the son of Jesse.
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Eliab, mentioned in 1Sa.16.6; 17.13,28; 1Ch.2.13; and 2Ch.11.18, was the eldest son of Jesse and the brother of King David. When the prophet Samuel came to anoint one of Jesse's sons as the future king, Eliab was the first to pass before him. However, God instructed Samuel not to judge by appearance, as He had not chosen Eliab (1Sa.16.6-7). Eliab, along with his brothers, served in Saul's army during the battle against the Philistines. When David visited the camp, Eliab rebuked him, accusing him of neglecting their father's sheep out of pride and curiosity (1Sa.17.28). Despite this tension, Eliab witnessed David's victory over Goliath and his rise to prominence in Israel. Eliab's daughter, Abihail, later married King Rehoboam, the son of Solomon (2Ch.11.18), indicating a continued connection between the families.
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5 verses in 3 books · English text: BSB (change it from the menu at the top) · Strong’s H0446
When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and said, “Surely here before the LORD is His anointed.”
The three older sons of Jesse had followed Saul into battle: The firstborn was Eliab, the second was Abinadab, and the third was Shammah.
Now when Davidʼs oldest brother Eliab heard him speaking to the men, his anger burned against David. “Why have you come down here?” he asked. “And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and wickedness of heart—you have come down to see the battle!”
Jesse was the father of Eliab his firstborn; Abinadab was born second, Shimea third,
And Rehoboam married Mahalath, who was the daughter of Davidʼs son Jerimoth and of Abihail, the daughter of Jesseʼs son Eliab.
Names, family links and references: STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). Short descriptions were drafted with AI assistance by STEPBible. Family links follow STEPBible’s scholarly decisions where genealogies are ambiguous.