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חַרְהֲיָה

𐤇𐤓𐤄𐤉𐤄

Charehayah

H2736 noun

SILEX Entry

Root חרה to be hot, to burn, to be kindled (especially of anger)

Definition

A personal name: Charhăyāh, borne by an Israelite individual mentioned in the post-exilic period. The name likely means 'Yahweh is burning (with anger)' or 'Yahweh has kindled,' referencing divine anger or zeal, though the precise nuance depends on the interpretation of the root and its combination with the theophoric element.

Semantic Range

(as a personal name) Yahweh is kindled (with anger), Yahweh has burned, Yahweh is zealous; (not attested as a common noun or verbal form in this specific construct)

Root / Etymology

From the root חרה (ḥ-r-h), meaning 'to be hot, to burn, to be kindled (especially of anger),' combined with the theophoric suffix יָהּ (Yāh, short form of Yahweh). The name is thus constructed as 'ḥarḥăyāh'—'Yah(weh) is (the one who) burns/is kindled.' The etymology given in some older sources as 'fearing Yahweh' is likely mistaken, arising from confusion with similar Hebrew roots for 'to fear.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

The name חַרְהֲיָה appears only in Nehemiah 3:8, where Harhaiah (Charhăyāh) is identified as the father of Uzziel, a member of a family of artisans working on the Jerusalem wall in the late 5th or early 4th century BCE. The presence of the theophoric element יָהּ ('Yah') confirms it is a theophoric name, reflecting the devotion to Yahweh characteristic of personal names in post-exilic Judahite and Jerusalemite contexts. The interpretation of the root is debated: older translations (including some based on Strong's gloss) suggest 'fearing Yahweh,' but the root is consistent throughout Biblical Hebrew with the meaning 'to burn, to be kindled,' often in reference to anger or emotional heat. There are no references to this figure outside this context, and the name does not establish any direct connection to later English terms or identities such as 'Jew.' The rendering 'Harhaiah' in some English translations reflects a KJV tradition, but the Hebrew more accurately supports 'Charhăyāh' or 'Harhăyāh.'

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

; from חָרָה and יָהּ; fearing Jah; Charhajah, an Israelite; Harhaiah.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

חרה (ḥ-r-h) — to be hot, to burn, to be kindled, to be inflamed (especially of anger)

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H2734 חָרָה in burning
H2740 חָרוֹן in burning-heat of
H2750 חֳרִי burning anger of
H2787 חָרַר he burned hot
H8473 תַּחֲרָא linen war-corselet

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H2736-01 חַרְהֲיָה֙ charehayah HNp Harhaiah Yah Is Kindled 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H2736-01 Nehemiah 3:8 חַרְהֲיָה֙ charehayah HNp Harhaiah Yah Is Kindled
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