Bible Meaning: Flame
Strong's Concordance #H218
Eliphal, the son of Ur, was one of King David's select group of mighty warriors (1Chronicles 11:35).
The city of Ur was also called Ur of the Chaldees (Genesis 11:28, 31). It was originally located much closer to the Persian Gulf than it is today.
According to the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, the Euphrates and Tigris rivers originally entered into the Persian Gulf by separate channels. The Gulf, at that time of Abraham, extended up as far as Ur which made the city a seaport. Since the time of Abraham, however, sediment from these rivers has filled up the head of the Gulf for nearly 100 miles (161 kilometers).
Ur was an ancient seat of lunar (moon) worship (1906 Jewish Encyclopedia) and was a dominant political center as early as 3,000 B.C.
The patriarch Abraham was born in the city and lived in it until his older brother Haran died. After his death, his father Terah took the remaining family members, including Abraham at age seventy, and migrated northwest out of the city.
Unique Name
Ur, at just two letters, is one of the shortest city names in the entire Bible. Others include Ai (Joshua 7:2), Ar (Numbers 21:15), No (Jeremiah 46:25) and On (Numbers 16:11).
Important Verses
Person
1Chronicles 11:26 - 27, 34 - 35
Also the valiant men of the armies were, Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, Shammoth the Harorite, Helez the Pelonite, the sons of Hashem the Gizonite, Jonathan the son of Shage the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sacar the Hararite, Eliphal the son of Ur . . .
Location
Genesis 11:27 - 28, 31
Now these are the generations of Terah: Terah begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran begat Lot. And Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees.
And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son's son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram's wife: and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan: and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there.
Genesis 15:1, 6 - 7
After these things the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.
And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness. And he said unto him, I am the Lord that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it.
Nehemiah 9:1, 5, 7
Now in the twenty and fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, and with sackclothes, and earth upon them . . . Then the Levites, Jeshua, and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said, Stand up and bless the Lord your God for ever and ever . . .
Thou art the Lord the God, who didst choose Abram, and broughtest him forth out of Ur of the Chaldees, and gavest him the name of Abraham.