בְּרֹאדַךְ בַּלְאֲדָן
𐤁𐤓𐤀𐤃𐤊 𐤁𐤋𐤀𐤃𐤍
Berodakhe Baleadan
H1255 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Berodak-Baladan: a proper noun referring to a historical Babylonian monarch, son of Baladan, known from biblical and Neo-Assyrian sources. In the Hebrew Bible, the figure denotes the ruler of Babylon during the reign of Hezekiah of Judah. The name itself carries no lexical meaning aside from representing this personal name.
Semantic Range
proper name (Babylonian king); no broader lexical value apart from being a personal name
Root / Etymology
בראדך בלאדן (Berodak-Baladan) appears to be a variation of the more common מרודך בלאדן (Merodak-Baladan), itself the Hebrew representation of the Akkadian Marduk-apla-iddina ('Marduk has given a son'). The first component, בראדך, corresponds to the Babylonian deity Marduk (Amar-Utu), rendered variously as Merodak/Merodach in Hebrew. The second component, בלאדן (Baladan), is a transliteration of the Akkadian Bal-iddina ('he [a god] has given'). Thus, the full name mirrors the Akkadian form, although the initial consonant is shifted (מ to ב) possibly due to a scribal or dialectal variation or textual corruption.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The form בראדך בלאדן is unique to 2 Kings 20:12, whereas Isaiah 39:1 presents the spelling מרדך בלאדן. Both passages describe the diplomatic encounter between Hezekiah of Judah and this Babylonian king, who is historically attested in Neo-Assyrian inscriptions as Marduk-apla-iddina II (ruled ca. 722–710 and again briefly ca. 703–702 BCE). The use of 'Berodak' rather than 'Merodak' in Kings likely reflects a scribal or dialectal variant. English translations have sometimes rendered the name as 'Berodach-baladan' or 'Merodach-baladan,' and later traditions have occasionally referred to him simply as a 'Babylonian king.' The name is not used elsewhere in Hebrew literature and refers specifically to this individual, not a broader title. By the post-exilic period, the name carried only historical significance, referencing this earlier figure of Babylonian royal history.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a variation of מְרֹאדַךְ בַּלְאָדָן; Berodak-Baladan, a Babylonian king; Berodach-baladan.Birliy.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
בלד (b-l-d) — to give birth, generate, cause to grow
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1255-01 |
בַּ֠לְאֲדָן | baleadan | HNp |
Baladan | Baladan | 1 |
H1255-02 |
בְּרֹאדַ֣ךְ | berodakhe | HNp |
Merodach | Berodak | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1255-02 |
2 Kings 20:12 | בְּרֹאדַ֣ךְ | berodakhe | HNp |
Merodach | Berodak |
H1255-01 |
2 Kings 20:12 | בַּ֠לְאֲדָן | baleadan | HNp |
Baladan | Baladan |