Elisheba

Elisheba, also spelled Elisheva, is a figure in the Hebrew Bible. She is described as the wife of Aaron, the brother of Moses, and thus the sister-in-law of Moses and Miriam. Elisheba is the daughter of Amminadab and the sister of Nahshon, a prince of the tribe of Judah. She is named in Exodus 6:23, which notes that Aaron took Elisheba as his wife and that she bore him four sons: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

Name and meaning interpretations identify Elisheba as a Hebrew name commonly understood to mean "God is my oath" or "my God is an oath." The form Elisheba appears in the Masoretic text, with later Greek and vernacular translations often rendering it as Elisabeth or Elizabeth.

Role and significance in the biblical narrative are largely genealogical. Elisheba is presented as the matriarch of the priestly line through her marriage to Aaron, linking the Aaronide priesthood to the tribe of Judah. The biblical text provides limited detail about her own actions or deeds, focusing instead on her place in the family line and lineage.

In modern times, Elisheba survives as a given name in Jewish and Christian communities, with variants such as Elisheva. The name is etymologically related to the New Testament name Elizabeth, though historical biblical usage centers on Elisheba as Aaron’s wife rather than on New Testament figures.