יוֹחָנָן
𐤉𐤅𐤇𐤍𐤍
Yochanan
H3110 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A personal name meaning 'Yahweh has been gracious' or 'Yahweh has shown favor.' Predominantly used as the name of multiple Israelite men in the Hebrew Bible, signifying receipt or expectation of divine favor or grace. The semantic range is restricted to use as a personal name in biblical and subsequent historical contexts.
Semantic Range
personal name meaning 'Yahweh has been gracious'; name of multiple individuals in the Hebrew Bible; expresses reception of divine favor or grace
Root / Etymology
Formed from two elements: יוֹ (shortened form of the divine name YHWH, Yahweh) and חָנָן (to be gracious, to show favor). The name thus expresses a statement or wish regarding Yahweh's graciousness or favor.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, יוֹחָנָן (Yôḥānān) appears as the given name of several individuals across different historical periods, from the monarchic (e.g., a son of King Josiah) to the post-exilic (e.g., a leader in Nehemiah's time, the son of Eliashib the priest). The name reflects a theophoric pattern common among Israelite personal names, in which an abbreviated form of the Tetragrammaton (יהוה) is combined with a root word—here, חנן ('show favor, be gracious'). The name expresses a statement of faith or commemoration of divine benevolence. In later periods, including Second Temple and post-biblical times, the name remained common and was eventually rendered into Greek (Ἰωανάν, Ioanan), then into Latin as Ioannes, and later into various forms in European languages such as John. English translations sometimes use 'Johanan,' but in biblical contexts, this does not imply the later ethnic 'Jew' identity but refers concretely to Israelite or Judahite individuals. Distinct from יְהוֹחָנָן (Yehohanan), a slightly longer but equivalent form; both mean the same and are interchangeable in usage, though יוֹחָנָן is less formal or possibly later in usage. The name should not be conflated with New Testament figures unless contextually indicated, as the Greek Ἰωάννης (Ioannes) drew from both יוֹחָנָן and יְהוֹחָנָן.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a form of יְהוֹחָנָן; Jochanan, the name of nine Israelites; Johanan.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
יהן (y-h-n (from יו + חנן ḥ-n-n)) — Yahweh has been gracious, Yahweh has shown favor
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H3076 | יְהוֹחָנָן | and Yahweh-has-been-gracious |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3110-02 |
יוֹחָנָ֣ן | yochanan | HNp |
Johanan | Yahweh-has-been-gracious | 13 |
H3110-01 |
וְ/יוֹחָנָ֣ן | veyochanan | HC/Np |
and Johanan | and Yahweh-has-been-gracious | 9 |
Occurrences in Scripture
22 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3110-01 |
2 Kings 25:23 | וְ/יוֹחָנָ֣ן | veyochanan | HC/Np |
and Johanan | and Yahweh-has-been-gracious |
H3110-01 |
Jeremiah 40:8 | וְ/יוֹחָנָ֣ן | veyochanan | HC/Np |
and Johanan | and Yahweh-has-been-gracious |
H3110-01 |
Jeremiah 40:13 | וְ/יֽוֹחָנָן֙ | veyochanan | HC/Np |
and Johanan | and Yahweh-has-been-gracious |
H3110-01 |
Jeremiah 40:15 | וְ/יוֹחָנָ֣ן | veyochanan | HC/Np |
And Johanan | and Yahweh-has-been-gracious |
H3110-02 |
Jeremiah 40:16 | יוֹחָנָ֣ן | yochanan | HNp |
Johanan | Yahweh-has-been-gracious |
H3110-02 |
Jeremiah 41:11 | יוֹחָנָ֣ן | yochanan | HNp |
Johanan | Yahweh-has-been-gracious |
H3110-02 |
Jeremiah 41:13 | יֽוֹחָנָן֙ | yochanan | HNp |
Johanan | Yahweh-has-been-gracious |
H3110-02 |
Jeremiah 41:14 | יֽוֹחָנָ֖ן | yochanan | HNp |
Johanan | Yahweh-has-been-gracious |
H3110-02 |
Jeremiah 41:15 | יֽוֹחָנָ֑ן | yochanan | HNp |
Johanan | Yahweh-has-been-gracious |
H3110-02 |
Jeremiah 41:16 | יוֹחָנָ֨ן | yochanan | HNp |
Johanan | Yahweh-has-been-gracious |