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אֲחַזְיָה

𐤀𐤇𐤆𐤉𐤄

Achazeyah

H274 noun

SILEX Entry

Root אחז to seize, to grasp, to take hold of

Definition

Proper name, masculine: Ahazyahu (shortened Ahazyah). Refers to two different Israelite monarchs in the Hebrew Bible—Ahazyahu son of Ahab, king of Israel (Northern kingdom), and Ahazyahu son of Jehoram, king of Judah (Southern kingdom). The name means 'Yahweh has grasped' or 'Yahweh has seized,' indicating divine involvement or empowerment associated with the root meaning 'to seize.' The term functions exclusively as a proper name and does not carry a broader semantic field outside these personal contexts.

Semantic Range

proper name of Israelite king, proper name of Judahite king; etymologically, 'Yahweh has grasped/seized'

Root / Etymology

Compound of אָחַז (ʼāḥaz, 'to seize, grasp, take hold of') and יָהּ (Yah, a shortened theophoric form of the name of the God of Israel). Thus, the name means 'Yah(weh) has seized' or 'Yah(weh) has grasped.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

Both kings named Ahazyahu appear in the monarchic period: one ruling the kingdom of Israel (Northern), the other the kingdom of Judah (Southern). The usage reflects the theophoric naming convention common in the First Temple period, incorporating a divine element (Yah) with a typical verbal root. English translations often use the Hellenized form 'Ahaziah,' but this obscures both the theophoric element and the Hebrew verbal nuance. The term 'Jewish king' in older English translations is anachronistic for these contexts; more precisely, they were Israelite (Northern kingdom) and Judahite (Southern kingdom) monarchs. Spelling alternates between אֲחַזְיָה (short) and אֲחַזְיָהוּ (long); both refer to the same individuals. No evidence exists for the name being used beyond these royal individuals in the Tanakh. The name's meaning underlines a claim to divine support or appointment, a typical feature in Israelite royal names.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or (prolonged) אֲחַזְיָהוּ ; from אָחַז and יָהּ; Jah has seized; Achazjah, the name of a Jewish and an Israelite king; Ahaziah.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

אחז (ʾ-ḥ-z) — to seize, to grasp, to take hold of

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H2372 חָזָה he has grasped
H270 אָחַז he seized
H271 אָחָז he has grasped
H272 אֲחֻזָּה hereditary holding
H273 אַחְזַי Yah Holds-Fast

Word Forms

5 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H274-02 אֲחַזְיָ֥הוּ achazeyahu HNp Ahaziah Yah has seized 26
H274-01 אֲחַזְיָ֜ה achazeyah HNp Ahaziah Yah Has Seized 5
H274-05 וַ/אֲחַזְיָ֨הוּ vaachazeyahu HC/Np and Ahaziah and Yahweh-has-seized 3
H274-04 וַֽ/אֲחַזְיָה֙ vaachazeyah HC/Np And Ahaziah And Yah Has Seized 2
H274-03 לַ/אֲחַזְיָ֖הוּ laachazeyahu HR/Np to Ahaziah to Yah-has-grasped 1

Occurrences in Scripture

37 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H274-02 1 Kings 22:40 אֲחַזְיָ֥הוּ achazeyahu HNp Ahaziah Yah has seized
H274-02 1 Kings 22:50 אֲחַזְיָ֤הוּ achazeyahu HNp Ahaziah Yah has seized
H274-02 1 Kings 22:52 אֲחַזְיָ֣הוּ achazeyahu HNp Ahaziah Yah has seized
H274-01 2 Kings 1:2 אֲחַזְיָ֜ה achazeyah HNp Ahaziah Yah Has Seized
H274-02 2 Kings 1:18 אֲחַזְיָ֖הוּ achazeyahu HNp of Ahaziah Yah has seized
H274-02 2 Kings 8:24 אֲחַזְיָ֥הוּ achazeyahu HNp Ahaziah Yah has seized
H274-02 2 Kings 8:25 אֲחַזְיָ֥הוּ achazeyahu HNp Ahaziah Yah has seized
H274-02 2 Kings 8:26 אֲחַזְיָ֣הוּ achazeyahu HNp Ahaziah Yah has seized
H274-05 2 Kings 8:29 וַ/אֲחַזְיָ֨הוּ vaachazeyahu HC/Np And Ahaziah and Yahweh-has-seized
H274-04 2 Kings 9:16 וַֽ/אֲחַזְיָה֙ vaachazeyah HC/Np And Ahaziah And Yah Has Seized
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