יְדִיעֲאֵל
𐤉𐤃𐤉𐤏𐤀𐤋
Yediael
H3043 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A personal name meaning 'God knows' or 'known by God.' The term is a theophoric compound formed from the verb 'to know' (יָדַע), connoting knowledge, recognition, or understanding, and the divine name (אֵל, El, 'God'). Used as the name of three different individuals within the Hebrew Bible, reflecting the cultural practice of expressing a relationship or quality with regard to the deity through personal names; depending on context, the name may emphasize either God's knowledge of the person or the person's knowledge of God.
Semantic Range
personal name; divine knowledge; known by God; God knows; bearer is known/recognized by God or acknowledges God's knowledge
Root / Etymology
From the root יָדַע (to know) and אֵל (God). The root יָדַע means 'to know, to understand, to recognize.' The word יְדִיעֲאֵל is a theophoric personal name, literally meaning 'God knows' or 'known by God.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
The name יְדִיעֲאֵל appears for three figures: (1) A Benjaminite warrior among David’s mighty men (1 Chron 11:45); (2) a chieftain of the tribe of Manasseh (1 Chron 7:6,10,11); (3) a son of Shimri, a Simeonite leader (1 Chron 4:36). The use of the name during the monarchic period demonstrates the prevalence of theophoric names invoking 'El' as the divine element, although the specific theological associations may vary. Unlike later traditions translating the name as 'Jediael' and connecting it to the English 'Jew' or Jewish identity, these figures should be situated within the early Israelite tribal structure. No evidence indicates a change in meaning or function across these contexts; the name consistently signals either the divine attribute of knowledge or being the object of God's knowledge. English versions transliterate the name rather than translate its meaning, thus often obscuring the underlying semantic content.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from יָדַע and אֵל; knowing God; Jediael, the name of three Israelites; Jediael.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
ידע (y-d-ʿ) — to know, understand, perceive, recognize
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1668 | דָּא | Know! |
| H1843 | דֵּעַ | Know! |
| H1844 | דֵּעָה | perceptive knowledge |
| H1845 | דְּעוּאֵל | God Knows |
| H1847 | דַּעַת | by his knowledge |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3043-02 |
יְדִיעֲאֵ֖ל | yediael | HNp |
Jediael | God Knows | 4 |
H3043-01 |
וִ/ידִֽיעֲאֵ֖ל | vidiael | HC/Np |
and Jediael | And God-knows | 2 |
Occurrences in Scripture
6 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3043-01 |
1 Chronicles 7:6 | וִ/ידִֽיעֲאֵ֖ל | vidiael | HC/Np |
and Jediael | And God-knows |
H3043-02 |
1 Chronicles 7:10 | יְדִיעֲאֵ֖ל | yediael | HNp |
Jediael | God Knows |
H3043-02 |
1 Chronicles 7:11 | יְדִֽיעֲאֵל֙ | yediael | HNp |
Jediael | God Knows |
H3043-02 |
1 Chronicles 11:45 | יְדִֽיעֲאֵל֙ | yediael | HNp |
Jediael | God Knows |
H3043-01 |
1 Chronicles 12:21 | וִ/ידִֽיעֲאֵל֙ | vidiael | HC/Np |
and Jediael | And God-knows |
H3043-02 |
1 Chronicles 26:2 | יְדִֽיעֲאֵ֣ל | yediael | HNp |
Jediael | God Knows |