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דּוֹדַי

𐤃𐤅𐤃𐤉

Doday

H1737 noun

SILEX Entry

Root דוד to be beloved, show affection, be a kinsman

Definition

Dodai — a personal name referring to an individual among the military leaders of David's reign. The term functions solely as a proper noun, with no independent common noun or descriptive use in Biblical Hebrew. As a name, it identifies a specific person rather than conveying a lexical meaning beyond personal identification.

Semantic Range

proper name of an Israelite military leader; no wider common noun or adjectival meaning

Root / Etymology

Likely derived from the root דּוֹד (d-w-d), meaning 'beloved' or 'uncle.' The pattern and form are similar to other proper names based on roots denoting affection or kinship. The precise morphological formation is debated, but most connect it with expressions of affection derived from the core root.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Dodai appears in the context of Davidic military organization (1 Chronicles 27:4; possibly 2 Samuel 23:9, though some textual variations read Dodo). The name occurs only in these contexts and is not attested as a common noun. The base root, דּוֹד, elsewhere conveys 'beloved' or 'uncle,' particularly in poetic and familial contexts. As is common with Israelite personal names, Dodai incorporates a root connoting familial connection or endearment, but there is no evidence of a secondary sense. The translation tradition sometimes conflates Dodai with Dodo due to variant manuscript readings; however, Dodai is distinct in form. English translations usually transliterate Dodai as a name, maintaining the personal, not descriptive, sense. The term does not shift in meaning across periods but is limited to the named individual(s) in late monarchic sources.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

formed like דּוּדַי; amatory; Dodai, an Israelite; Dodai.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

דוד (d-w-d) — belovedness, affection, kinship

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1717 דַּד your two breasts
H1721 דֹּדָנִים Dodanites
H1730 דּוֹד father's-brother of
H1731 דּוּד large cooking pots
H1732 דָּוִד in David

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H1737-01 דּוֹדַ֤י doday HNp Dodai Dodai 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H1737-01 1 Chronicles 27:4 דּוֹדַ֤י doday HNp Dodai Dodai
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