← H2607 H2609 →

חֲנַנְיָה

𐤇𐤍𐤍𐤉𐤄

Chananeyah

H2608 noun

SILEX Entry

Root חנן to be gracious, to show favor, to have mercy

Definition

A personal name meaning 'Yah has been gracious' or 'Yah has shown favor.' Used primarily as the proper name of multiple Israelite individuals throughout the Hebrew Bible. The name expresses divine favor or mercy, associating the individual with God's graciousness.

Semantic Range

personal name; one who has received favor from Yah/Yahweh; indication of divine mercy or favor expressed in a proper name

Root / Etymology

Formed from the verb חָנַן (to show favor, be gracious) and the theophoric element יָהּ (shortened form of Yahweh), meaning 'Yah has been gracious' or 'Yah has shown favor.' The longer form חֲנַנְיָהוּ (Chănanyāhû) is an extended version with an additional theophoric suffix.

Historical & Contextual Notes

חֲנַנְיָה is attested as the personal name of multiple Israelite men across diverse periods, including during the monarchy and post-exilic periods. It appears in both short (חֲנַנְיָה) and long (חֲנַנְיָהוּ) forms; the latter is more common in later texts. Names with theophoric elements like יָהּ ('Yah') were widespread in the Hebrew Bible, expressing devotion or family hopes for divine favor. The name parallels others such as יְהוֹנָתָן (Jonathan, 'Yahweh has given'), and differs from names invoking other divine attributes. The English translation 'Hananiah' renders the sound but loses the direct reference to divine favor. In later translation tradition, Hananiah is sometimes counted among 'the three friends' in Daniel (the Babylonian name 'Shadrach') but should not be confused with the specific biblical character. Modern English usage as 'Hananiah' sometimes obscures the explicit theophoric meaning present in the Hebrew.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or חֲנַנְיָהוּ; from חָנַן and יָהּ; Jah has favored; Chananjah, the name of thirteen Israelites; Hananiah.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.

+ Add Bantu Hebrew Word

Root Family

חנן (ḥ-n-n) — to be gracious, to show favor, to grant mercy

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1135 בֶּן־חָנָן he showed favor
H2433 חִין and beauty-of
H2580 חֵן favor
H2581 חֵן and to Favor
H2583 חָנָה Favored One (feminine)

Word Forms

5 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H2608-01 חֲנַנְיָה֩ chananeyah HNp Hananiah Yah-has-shown-favor 22
H2608-05 וְ/לַֽ/חֲנַנְיָה֙ velachananeyah HC/R/Np and to Hananiah and to Yah-has-been-gracious 2
H2608-04 וַ/חֲנַנְיָ֔ה vachananeyah HC/Np and Hananiah and Yah-has-been-gracious 2
H2608-02 חֲנַנְיָ֖הוּ chananeyahu HNp of Hananiah Yah Has Been Gracious 2
H2608-03 לַ/חֲנַנְיָ֔הוּ lachananeyahu HR/Np to-Hananiah to Yah-has-shown-favor 1

Occurrences in Scripture

29 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H2608-01 Jeremiah 28:1 חֲנַנְיָה֩ chananeyah HNp Hananiah Yah-has-shown-favor
H2608-01 Jeremiah 28:5 חֲנַנְיָ֖ה chananeyah HNp Hananiah Yah-has-shown-favor
H2608-01 Jeremiah 28:10 חֲנַנְיָ֤ה chananeyah HNp Hananiah Yah-has-shown-favor
H2608-01 Jeremiah 28:11 חֲנַנְיָה֩ chananeyah HNp Hananiah Yah-has-shown-favor
H2608-01 Jeremiah 28:12 חֲנַנְיָ֤ה chananeyah HNp Hananiah Yah-has-shown-favor
H2608-01 Jeremiah 28:13 חֲנַנְיָ֜ה chananeyah HNp Hananiah Yah-has-shown-favor
H2608-01 Jeremiah 28:15 חֲנַנְיָ֥ה chananeyah HNp Hananiah Yah-has-shown-favor
H2608-01 Jeremiah 28:15 חֲנַנְיָ֑ה chananeyah-2 HNp Hananiah Yah-has-shown-favor
H2608-01 Jeremiah 28:17 חֲנַנְיָ֥ה chananeyah HNp Hananiah Yah-has-shown-favor
H2608-02 Jeremiah 36:12 חֲנַנְיָ֖הוּ chananeyahu HNp of Hananiah Yah Has Been Gracious
← H2607 Hebrew Lexicon H2609 →