Ethan

the Ezrahite, one of the wisest men of his time; nevertheless, Solomon was wiser than he, 1Ki 4:31. The eighty-ninth psalm bears the name of Ethan the Ezrahite. This Ethan, and Ethan son of Kishi, of the tribe of Levi, and of the family of Merari, are the same person, 1Ch 6:44. He was called likewise Idithun, and appears under this name in the titles to several psalms. He was a principal master of the temple music, 1Ch 15:17, &c.

Ethan, 1

E´than (firm), one of four persons (’Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol’) who were so renowned for their sagacity that it is mentioned to the honor of Solomon that his wisdom excelled theirs. In 1Ki 4:31, Ethan is distinguished as ’the Ezrahite,’ from the others, who are called ’sons of Mahol’—unless, indeed, this word Mahol be taken not as a proper name, but appellatively, for ’sons of music, dancing,’ etc. in which case it would apply to Ethan as well as to the others. This interpretation is strengthened by our finding the other names associated with that of Ethan in 1Ch 2:6, as ’sons of Zerah,’ i.e.of Ezra, the same as Ezrahites. The evidence of identity afforded by this collocation of names is too strong to be resisted; and we must therefore conclude that Ethan and the others, the tradition of whose wisdom had descended to the time of Solomon, are the same who, in 1Ch 2:6, appear as sons of Zerah, who was himself the son of the patriarch Judah. With this agrees the Jewish chronology, which counts them as prophets during the sojourn in Egypt.

Ethan, 2

Ethan, a Levite, the son of Kishi, and one of the masters of the Temple music (1Ch 6:44; 1Ch 15:17), to whom Psalms 89 is ascribed, and whom some interpreters suppose to be the Ethan of 1Ki 4:31, to whose wisdom that of Solomon is compared.

1. One of four men renowned for wisdom, though excelled by Solomon, 1Ki 4:31 1Ch 2:6 . He appears to have been a son of Zerah or Ezra, and grandson of the patriarch Judah.\par 2. A Levite, son of Kishi, and one of the three masters of the temple music, 1Ch 6:44 15:17-19. He would seem to be the same as Jeduthun, 1Ch 25:1 2Ch 35:15 .\par 3. A person to whom Psa 89:1-52 is inscribed.\par

E’than. (enduring).

1. Ethan, the Ezrahite, one of the four sons of Mahol, whose wisdom was excelled by Solomon. 1Ki 4:31; 1Ch 2:6. His name is in the title of Psalm 89, Psa 89:1.

2. Son of Kishi or Kushaiah; a Merarite Levite, head of that family, in the time of King David, 1Ch 6:44, and spoken of as a "singer." With Heman and Asaph, the heads of the other two families of Levites, Ethan was appointed to sound with cymbals. 1Ch 15:17; 1Ch 15:19.

3. A Gershonite Levite, one of the ancestors of Asaph, the singer. 1Ch 6:42. (B.C. 1420).

1. The Ezrahite, one of Mahol’s (but Zerah’s, of Judah, in 1Ch 2:6 Darda; these Levites being associated with the house of Zerah of Judah by residence or citizenship, compare Jdg 18:7; 1Sa 1:1) four sons, whose wisdom Solomon’s surpassed (1Ki 4:31); title of Psa 89:2. (See DARDA.)

2. Son of Kishi or Kushaiah; head of the Merarite Levites in David’s time; a "singer" (1Ch 6:33-44); with Heman and Asaph, the heads of the other two Levite families, Ethan was to sound with cymbals (1Ch 15:17; 1Ch 15:19). The three names are given in 1Ch 16:37-41; 1Ch 25:6; 2Ch 5:12, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun. "Heman the Ezrahite" (i.e. of the house of Zerah) also appears in the title of Psalm 88, of which Psalm 89, is the complement. Thus it is probable that Jeduthun is another form of Ethan, and that "Ethan the Ezrahite" is the same as "Ethan the singer," though we can only guess as to why he is differently designated in different places. (See MAHOL.)

(Hebrews Eythan’, אֵיתָן, perpetuity, as often), the name of three men.

1. (Sept. Αἰθάν, v.r. Γαιθάν and Αἰθαιμ.) One of four persons ("Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mabol") who were so renowned for their sagacity that it is mentioned to the honor of Solomon that his wisdom excelled theirs (1Ki 4:31 [Heb 5:11]), Ethan being distinguished as "the Ezrahite" from the others, who are called "sons of Mahol;" unless, indeed, this word Alahol (q.v.) be taken, not as a proper name, but appellatively for "sons of music, dancing," etc., in which case it would apply to Ethan as well as to the others. This interpretation is strengthened by our finding the other names associated with that of Ethan in 1Ch 2:6, as "sons of Zerab," i.e., of Ezra, the same as Ezrahites, or descendants of the son of Judah. SEE EZRAHITTE. With this agrees the Jewish chronology, which counts them as prophets during the sojourn in Egypt (Seder Olam Rabba, page 52), although the Jews have also a tradition confounding Ethan with Abraham, Heman with Moses, and Chalcol with Joseph (Jerome, Comment. on Kings, in loc.). In 1Ch 2:8, Ethan’s "sons" are mentioned, but only one name is given, that of Azariah. B.C. post 1856. In the title to the 89th Psalm an "Ethan the Ezrahite" is named as the author; but there seems to be some confusion here in the latter epithet. See No. 3 below.

2. (Sept. Αἰθάμ v.r. Οὐρί.) Son of Zimmah and father of Adaiah, in the ancestry of the Levite Asaph (1Ch 6:42 [27]). B.C. cir. 1585. In 1Ch 6:21 he seems to be called JOAH, the father of Iddo. 3. (Sept. Αἰθάν v.r. Αἰθάμ.) A Levite, son of Kushi or Kushaiah, of the family of Merari; appointed one of the leaders of the Temple music by David (as singer, 1Ch 6:44 [29], or player on cymbals, 15:17, 19). B.C. 1014. In the latter passages he is associated with Heman and Asaph, the heads of two other families of Levites; and inasmuch as in other passages of these books (1Ch 25:1; 1Ch 25:6) the names are given as Asaph, Heman, and JEDUTHUN, it has been conjectured that this last ’and Ethan were identical. There is at least great probability that Ethan the singer was the same person as Ethan the Ezrathite (comp. No. 1 above), whose name stands at the head of Psa 89:1-52, for it is a very unlikely coincidence that there should be two persons named Heman and Ethan so closely connected in two different tribes and walks of life. The difficulty is even greater in the case of Heman (q.v.), who, in the title to Psa 88:1-18, is likewise expressly called an Ezrahite, and yet identified in its authorship with the sons of Korah. Hengstenberg supposes (Comment. on Psalms, Clark’s ed. 3:89) that both Heman and Ethan, although descendants of Judah, were adopted into the ranks of the Levites; but this will not meet the above genealogy of this Ethan, who is moreover classed with the Merarites, and not with the Korahites. SEE HEMAN, and SEE EZRAHITE.

[E’than]

1. A wise man, ’the Ezrahite,’ whose wisdom was exceeded by that of Solomon. 1Ki 4:31; Psa 89 title. Apparently the same as the son of Zerah, a descendant of Judah. 1Ch 2:6; 1Ch 2:8.

2. Levite, son of Kishi or Kushaiah. 1Ch 6:44; 1Ch 15:17; 1Ch 19:3. Levite, son of Zimmah. 1Ch 6:42.

By: Emil G. Hirsch, Eduard König

1. A man famous for his wisdom (I Kings iv. 31); it is said that Solomon was wiser than he, although it is not clear from this passage whether he was Solomon's contemporary or whether he lived before that king. The matter is settled, however, in I Chron. ii. 6, 8, where he is mentioned as the representative of the third generation after Judah. There are no grounds for identifying this Ethan with the "Etana" of the Babylonian mythology (comp. M. Jastrow, "Religion of Babylonia and Assyria," p. 519), since Etana was not famous for his wisdom. On Ethan as the author of Ps. lxxxix. (verse 1) see Ezrahite.

2. Descendant of Levi's eldest son, Gershom; he was the ancestor of the celebrated Asaph, and the grandfather of a man named Zerah (I Chron. vi. 42).

3. One of the descendants of Levi's third son, Merari (I Chron. vi. 29), and a son of Rishi or Kushaiah (I Chron. ib.; xv. 17). This third Ethan was one of the famous triad of musicians, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan (elsewhere called "Jeduthun"), appointed by David (ib. xv. 16-19). This Ethan-Jeduthun probably composed the music to Psalm xxxix., in the superscription to which he bears the title "menaẓẓeaḥ" (prefect, or conductor). Descendants of Jeduthun are mentioned (II Chron. xxix. 14) as living at the time of Hezekiah, and also after the Exile (Neh. xi. 17). Ethan-Jeduthun has a still higher office, however, in I Chron. xxv. 1, where he is one of the prophets of the second class, found in the sol-caled schools of the prophets (I Sam. x. 5). In his songs he reproduced the utterances of the real prophets, and, having been commissioned by the king, he was called the "king's seer" (II Chron. xxxv. 15). The same title is given to Heman (I Chron. xxv. 5) and also to Asaph (II Chron. xxix. 30).

ETHAN.—1. ‘The Ezrahite’ of 1Ki 4:31 and Psa 89:1-52 (title). In the first of these passages he is mentioned along with other contemporaries (?) of Solomon, who were all surpassed in wisdom by the Jewish monarch. In 1Ch 2:6 he is said to have been a Judæan of the family of Zerah, which is prob. another form of Ezrah (hence the patronymic Ezrahite). Instead of ‘the Ezrahite’ it has been proposed to render ’ezrâhî of 1Ki 4:31 ‘the native,’ i.e. the Israelite, in opposition to some of the other wise men named, who were foreigners. 2. An ancestor of Asaph (1Ch 6:42), in 1Ch 6:21 he is called Joah. 3. The eponymous ancestor of a guild of Temple-singers (1Ch 6:44; 1Ch 15:17; 1Ch 15:19 etc.).

ē´than (איתן, ’ēthān, “firm,” “enduring”; Γαιθάν, Gaithán):

(1) A wise man with whom Solomon is compared (1Ki 4:31). Called there “Ethan the Ezrahite,” to whom the title of Ps 89 ascribes the authorship of that poem.

(2) A “son of Kishi,” or “Kishaiah,” of the Merari branch of the Levites, and, along with Heman and Asaph, placed by David over the service of song (1Ch 6:44; 1Ch 15:17, 1Ch 15:19). See JEDUTHUN.

(3) An ancestor of Asaph of the Gershomite branch of the Levites (1Ch 6:42).