בְּרָאיָה
𐤁𐤓𐤀𐤉𐤄
Berayah
H1256 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Personal name meaning 'Yahweh has created' or 'Yahweh creates.' Used specifically as an Israelite male personal or ancestral name. The name reflects an assertion or commemoration of Yahweh's creative action, likely signifying gratitude or attributive praise. The term does not function as a common noun or verb in Biblical Hebrew; it is exclusively attested as a proper name.
Semantic Range
personal name meaning 'Yahweh has created'; used of an Israelite male; expresses the creative act of Yahweh in naming context
Root / Etymology
Compound of the verbal root ברא (to create) and the theophoric element יה (representing Yahweh/YHWH). The name literally parses as 'has created Yah(weh),' i.e. 'Yahweh has created.' No connection with שמואל (Shᵉmûʼēl, Samuel) in this form, despite the Strong's entry's implication. The root ברא occurs only in contexts describing divine creation.
Historical & Contextual Notes
בְּרָאיָה occurs only as a personal name in biblical genealogies (1 Chronicles 3:22). The use of the theophoric element יה (Yah) to form personal names is common in post-exilic Israelite tradition, though it begins in earlier periods as well. The structure of such names often expresses a statement of faith or testimony concerning Yahweh's action or character. This particular name is distinct from similar theophoric names that use 'Yahweh has given,' 'Yahweh has remembered,' etc. The English rendering 'Beraiah' has been influenced by translation tradition, but the Hebrew form is better preserved in transliteration. There is no evidence that this name refers to a tribe, geographic region, or priestly function; it is only a personal or ancestral name. The use of 'Jew' or 'Jewish' in historical translation traditions (e.g., 'Berajah a Jew') does not accurately reflect the ethnic or religious identity distinctions current during the monarchic or exilic periods.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from בָּרָא and שְׁמוּאֵל; Jah has created; Berajah, an Israelite; Beraiah.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
ברא (b-r-ʾ) — create, fashion, produce
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1251 | בַּר | he created |
| H1254 | בָּרָא | he created |
| H1277 | בָּרִיא | robust, well-fed |
| H1278 | בְּרִיאָה | a created thing |
| H7451 | רַע | he created |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1256-01 |
וּ/בְרָאיָ֛ה | uverayah | HC/Np |
Beraiah | and Yahweh has created | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1256-01 |
1 Chronicles 8:21 | וּ/בְרָאיָ֛ה | uverayah | HC/Np |
Beraiah | and Yahweh has created |