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אֵהוּד

𐤀𐤄𐤅𐤃

Ehud

H164 noun

SILEX Entry

Root אחה / אחד (uncertain) to unite, be joined, be one (uncertain; see etymology)

Definition

Ehud, a personal name designating specifically one or more Israelite men; in the biblical context, most notably a prominent figure among the so-called Judges, recognized for his role as a deliverer of the Israelites from Moabite domination. As a personal name, its primary referential function is to identify individuals rather than to denote generic concepts such as 'unity' or 'union.'

Semantic Range

a personal name (Ehud); no attested common noun meaning in Biblical Hebrew; used exclusively as a proper name for specific Israelite individuals

Root / Etymology

Root: אחה or the similar-sounding אוה (though some older lexica connected it to אוה 'to desire,' this is not widely supported); sometimes posited as related to the root אחד (‘ḥd, 'to unite, be one'). Etymology is uncertain and speculative; the precise root behind the name אֵהוּד is not definitively established.

Historical & Contextual Notes

The name Ehud is attested in Judges 3 as a major figure, described as a Benjaminite who becomes a national deliverer by assassinating Eglon, king of Moab, thereby initiating a period of peace for the Israelites. A second bearer is listed in genealogies (1 Chronicles 7:10; 8:6), less prominently. Neither the biblical narrative nor the surrounding ancient Near Eastern context directly links the form אֵהוּד to broader concepts of unity or union, despite this being a traditional etymological suggestion. The rendering of the name in English translation has been unstable; while 'Ehud' is commonly used, some older traditions rendered it as 'Aod' following the Greek Septuagint. There is no religious implication or later historical meaning encoded in the original name; referencing as 'Ehud' is both linguistically and historically appropriate across periods. The proposal that the name contains an element meaning 'united' reflects interpretive tendencies rather than explicit evidence from usage. Usage as a personal name is limited exclusively to Israelite individuals in the biblical record.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from the same as אֹהַד; united; Ehud, the name of two or three Israelites; Ehud.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

אחה / אחד (ʾ-ḥ-h / ʾ-ḥ-d) — to unite, be joined, be one (uncertain etymology)

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H164-01 אֵה֤וּד ehud HNp Ehud Ehud 5
H164-02 וְ/אֵה֣וּד veehud HC/Np and Ehud and Ehud 4

Occurrences in Scripture

9 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H164-01 Judges 3:15 אֵה֤וּד ehud HNp Ehud Ehud
H164-01 Judges 3:16 אֵה֜וּד ehud HNp Ehud Ehud
H164-02 Judges 3:20 וְ/אֵה֣וּד veehud HC/Np And Ehud and Ehud
H164-01 Judges 3:20 אֵה֔וּד ehud HNp Ehud Ehud
H164-01 Judges 3:21 אֵהוּד֙ ehud HNp Ehud Ehud
H164-01 Judges 3:23 אֵה֖וּד ehud HNp Ehud Ehud
H164-02 Judges 3:26 וְ/אֵה֥וּד veehud HC/Np And Ehud and Ehud
H164-02 Judges 4:1 וְ/אֵה֖וּד veehud HC/Np and Ehud and Ehud
H164-02 1 Chronicles 7:10 וְ/אֵה֤וּד veehud HC/Np and Ehud and Ehud
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