דֹּדָנִים
𐤃𐤃𐤍𐤉𐤌
Dodanim
H1721 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Dodanites, a people group listed among the descendants of Javan in biblical genealogies, most likely denoting inhabitants associated with a region or progenitor named Dodan/Dodan. The term refers specifically to the descendants or clan of Dodan (sometimes appearing as Rodan), as presented within the broader Table of Nations genealogies.
Semantic Range
Dodanite people group, descendants of Dodan, inhabitants of a territory associated with Dodan; alternate form (Rodanim) possibly referring to people of Rhodes or similar Aegean origin; clan name within ethnographic lists
Root / Etymology
Likely derived from the root דוד (dod), meaning 'beloved' or possibly meaning 'uncle' or 'kinsman,' though the exact connection is uncertain. The alternative spelling רֹדָנִים (Rodanim) may reflect a textual tradition correlating Dodan/Dan and Rodan/Rhodes, but the precise origin is unclear. Thus, etymology uncertain.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Dōdānîm appears in Genesis 10:4 as descendants of Javan, alongside other groups traditionally identified with maritime or coastal peoples of the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean (Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim). The parallel list in 1 Chronicles 1:7 uses the variant רֹדָנִים (Rodanim), likely reflecting a different textual tradition. Identifications have historically associated Dodanim with the island of Rhodes or other Aegean locations, but this is based on later interpretations and is uncertain. Early Israelite texts present Dodanim alongside other non-Israelite maritime peoples without ethnic or religious characterization. English translations sometimes render this as 'Dodanim' or 'Rodanim,' and in older translations, anachronistically as 'Javan's descendants' or 'Greeks,' which does not reflect the biblical ethnographic taxonomy.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
or (by orthographical error) רֹדָנִים (1 Chronicles 1:7); a plural of uncertain derivation; Dodanites, or descendants of a son of Javan; Dodanim.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
דוד (d-w-d) — love, beloved, kinsman, uncle
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1717 | דַּד | your two breasts |
| H1730 | דּוֹד | father's-brother of |
| H1731 | דּוּד | large cooking pots |
| H1732 | דָּוִד | in David |
| H1733 | דּוֹדָה | your paternal aunt |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1721-02 |
וְ/רוֹדָנִֽים | verodanim | HC/Np |
and Rodanim | and Rodanites | 1 |
H1721-01 |
וְ/דֹדָנִֽים | vedodanim | HC/Np |
and Dodanim | Dodanites | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1721-01 |
Genesis 10:4 | וְ/דֹדָנִֽים | vedodanim | HC/Np |
and Dodanim | Dodanites |
H1721-02 |
1 Chronicles 1:7 | וְ/רוֹדָנִֽים | verodanim | HC/Np |
and Rodanim | and Rodanites |