Ἐζεκίας

Ezekías

G1478 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

Proper name; Ezekias. Refers specifically to a royal individual, the king of Judah in the late 8th century BCE. Used as a personal name, the reference is unambiguously to a known historical figure. In Greek contexts, 'Ezekias' replicates the Hebrew 'Hezekiah' (חִזְקִיָּה) and designates the noted Judean king, primarily in genealogical or narrative contexts. The semantic range is restricted to this proper noun usage and does not take on broader meanings.

Semantic Range

the proper name of a Judean royal figure (King Hezekiah); genealogical reference to Hezekiah; personal name without broader, abstract senses

Root / Etymology

Transliteration into Greek of the Hebrew personal name חִזְקִיָּה (Chizqiyyah), meaning 'Yah(weh) strengthens' or 'Yah(weh) is my strength.' The formation is from חָזַק (chazaq, 'to be strong, strengthen') + יָה (Yah, theophoric element referencing the Israelite deity). The Greek Ἐζεκίας is a phonetically adapted form for use in Hellenistic contexts, especially in the Septuagint and New Testament genealogies.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Ἐζεκίας appears in Greek sources such as the Septuagint as the royal name of Hezekiah, king of Judah, and in the New Testament (e.g., Matthew 1:9, 1:10) in the genealogy of Jesus, reflecting its status as a recognized Israelite regnal name. The Greek form is not a translation but a transliteration, designed to preserve the Hebrew character of the name. In the Septuagint and related literature, distinctions between Israelite, Judahite, and Judean identities are maintained contextually; 'Ezekias' as used in Greek always refers to the historical king of Judah, and not to later, more generalized Judean or Jewish identity. English translations have traditionally rendered Ἐζεκίας as 'Hezekiah,' following the Hebrew, but the Greek form closely matches the sound of the Hebrew original. The name does not bear a common noun meaning or metaphorical sense in Greek; it is always a proper noun.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

of Hebrew origin (חִזְקִיָּה); Ezekias (i.e. Hezekeiah), an Israelite:--Ezekias.

Root Family

Ἐζεκίας (Ezekias) — proper name, royal personal name

Root Ἐζεκια- proper name, personal name

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G1478-01 Ἑζεκίαν ezekian N ACC M SG Hezekiah Hezekiah Ezekias 1
G1478-02 Ἑζεκίας ezekias N NOM M SG Hezekiah Hezekiah Ezekias 1

Occurrences in Scripture

2 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G1478-01 Matthew 1:9 Ἑζεκίαν ezekian N ACC M SG Hezekiah Hezekiah Ezekias
G1478-02 Matthew 1:10 Ἑζεκίας ezekias N NOM M SG Hezekiah Hezekiah Ezekias