זַכַּי
𐤆𐤊𐤉
Zakay
H2140 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Proper noun; personal name meaning 'pure' or 'innocent.' Refers to Zakkay/Zaccai, a specific Israelite individual or family ancestor. The lexical sense is a designation derived from the idea of purity, either physical or moral, and is distinctively used as a proper name in biblical genealogies.
Semantic Range
pure, innocent (literal and figurative sense); proper name for an Israelite ancestor or clan; personal name emphasizing purity or innocence
Root / Etymology
From the root זָכַךְ (zakakh), 'to be clear, to be pure, to be clean (morally or physically)'; זַכַּי is a noun form adapted as a proper name. The root connotes clarity or innocence, but as a name, the word functions as a proper noun.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, זַכַּי (Zakkay/Zaccai) appears as the name of an individual or family ancestor, notably in post-exilic genealogical lists (e.g., Ezra 2:9, Nehemiah 7:14), likely identifying a clan or household returning to Yehud/Judea. The name is based on a root suggesting purity—potentially indicating a hope or claim to moral, ritual, or genealogical purity in the community's self-understanding after exile. In later Greek/English translation traditions, the name appears as 'Zaccai' or in some genealogical lists as 'Zakkai.' There is no evidence that the bearer was a priest or cultic figure, nor does the Hebrew text suggest a meaning beyond a personal or family name derived from the root for 'pure.' The later English rendering 'Jew' does not appear in the original context and should not be conflated with the actual biblical nomenclature.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from זָכַךְ; pure; Zakkai, an Israelite; Zaccai.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
זכך (z-k-k) — to be clean, to be pure, to be clear, to be innocent
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H2141 | זָכַךְ | and I purified |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2140-01 |
זַכָּ֔י | zakay | HNp |
Zaccai | Zakkay the Pure | 3 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2140-01 |
Ezra 2:9 | זַכָּ֔י | zakay | HNp |
Zaccai | Zakkay the Pure |
H2140-01 |
Nehemiah 3:20 | זַכַּ֖י | zakay | HNp |
Zaccai | Zakkay the Pure |
H2140-01 |
Nehemiah 7:14 | זַכָּ֔י | zakay | HNp |
Zakkai | Zakkay the Pure |