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יְהוֹיָדָע

𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤉𐤃𐤏

Yehoyada

H3077 noun

SILEX Entry

Root ידע to know, to perceive, to recognize, to be acquainted with

Definition

Yehoyadaʻ is a personal name meaning 'Yahweh has known' or 'Yahweh knows.' As a proper noun, it references several individuals in the Hebrew Bible, most notably a prominent priest during the reign of Joash in the kingdom of Judah. The name expresses the theological affirmation that Yahweh is the one who truly knows or recognizes, and name-bearers would be understood as 'known by Yahweh.' The semantic range is primarily limited to a personal name and does not function as a common noun or verb in biblical usage.

Semantic Range

personal name—Yahweh has known, Yahweh knows; proper noun for several individuals in the Hebrew Bible, especially a high priest in the kingdom of Judah

Root / Etymology

יְהוֹיָדָע is a compound formed from יְהוֹ (a theophoric element derived from YHWH, the personal name of the God of Israel) and יָדַע ('to know'). The root י-ד-ע means 'to know, perceive, recognize.' This name is an example of a so-called theophoric name, where the divine name is joined with a verb to indicate an action or quality attributed to or from YHWH. The name thus means 'Yahweh has known' or 'Yahweh knows.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, the most notable figure named Yehoyadaʻ is the high priest who played a significant political and religious role in the southern kingdom of Judah, particularly during the young reign of Joash (2 Kings 11–12; 2 Chronicles 22–24). The use of the theophoric element 'Yeho-' (abbreviated from YHWH) is typical for Judahite names from the monarchic period, reflecting the official usage of the divine name. There is also a similar name יוֹיָדָע (Yôyāḏā‘) that appears with different vocalization, possibly reflecting dialectal, chronological, or scribal variation; both names share the same essential meaning but differ in prefixing the divine name. The rendering 'Jehoiada' found in most English versions is based on later traditions and does not reflect ancient pronunciation precisely. While some translations use 'priest' or 'chief priest,' the Hebrew text simply presents Yehoyadaʻ as a personal name, with priestly roles specified by narrative context.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from יְהֹוָה and יָדַע; Jehovah-known; Jehojada, the name of three Israelites; Jehoiada. Compare יוֹיָדָע.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

ידע (y-d-ʿ) — to know, to perceive, to recognize, to be acquainted with

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

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H3077-03 יְה֣וֹיָדָ֔ע yehoyada HNp Jehoiada Yahweh has known 46
H3077-02 וִ/יהוֹיָדָ֖ע vihoyada HC/Np and Jehoiada and Yahweh-has-known 3
H3077-01 לִ/יהוֹיָדָ֤ע lihoyada HR/Np to Jehoiada to Yahweh-has-known 2

Occurrences in Scripture

51 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H3077-03 2 Samuel 8:18 יְה֣וֹיָדָ֔ע yehoyada HNp of Jehoiada Yahweh has known
H3077-03 2 Samuel 20:23 יְה֣וֹיָדָ֔ע yehoyada HNp of Jehoiada Yahweh has known
H3077-03 2 Samuel 23:20 יְהוֹיָדָ֧ע yehoyada HNp of Jehoiada Yahweh has known
H3077-03 2 Samuel 23:22 יְהוֹיָדָ֑ע yehoyada HNp Jehoiada Yahweh has known
H3077-03 1 Kings 1:8 יְהוֹיָדָ֜ע yehoyada HNp of Jehoiada Yahweh has known
H3077-03 1 Kings 1:26 יְהוֹיָדָ֛ע yehoyada HNp Jehoiada Yahweh has known
H3077-03 1 Kings 1:32 יְהוֹיָדָ֑ע yehoyada HNp of Jehoiada Yahweh has known
H3077-03 1 Kings 1:36 יְהֽוֹיָדָ֛ע yehoyada HNp Jehoiada Yahweh has known
H3077-03 1 Kings 1:38 יְהוֹיָדָ֗ע yehoyada HNp of Jehoiada Yahweh has known
H3077-03 1 Kings 1:44 יְה֣וֹיָדָ֔ע yehoyada HNp of Jehoiada Yahweh has known
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