יוֹצָדָק
𐤉𐤅𐤑𐤃𐤒
Yotsadaq
H3136 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A personal name meaning 'Yahweh is righteous' or 'Yahweh has acted justly.' Refers specifically to an Israelite priestly figure in the exilic and post-exilic period, son of Seraiah and father of Joshua (Yehoshua) the High Priest, mentioned in texts concerning the exile and return from Babylon. The name embodies the assertion of divine justice or legitimacy, especially significant within priestly lineage contexts.
Semantic Range
personal name; specifically, the priestly ancestor Yôwtsâdâq (son of Seraiah, father of Yehoshua); theophoric expression of Yahweh's righteousness or justifying action
Root / Etymology
A contracted form of יְהוֹצָדָק (Yehozadak), itself formed from the theophoric element יֹה (Yah[weh]) plus the verb צָדַק (tsadaq, 'to be just, righteous'). Thus, Yôwtsâdâq means 'Yahweh is righteous' or 'Yahweh has justified.' The contraction reflects standard phonological processes found in Hebrew theophoric names, omitting the initial heh sound of the full theophoric prefix.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Used exclusively as a personal name in the Hebrew Bible, יוֹצָדָק appears in post-exilic contexts (Ezra, Nehemiah, and 1 Chronicles) for a prominent priestly ancestor. The fuller form יְהוֹצָדָק is more common; יוֹצָדָק is a shortened or alternative spelling, likely reflecting dialectal, orthographic, or textual variation over time. This name is specifically associated with priestly lineages restoring religious life after the Babylonian exile. English translations frequently render the name as 'Jozadak,' obscuring its theophoric and semantic content; some translations use 'Josedech,' neither of which reflects the Hebrew meaning. Unlike its cognate צדק (tsedeq, justice/righteousness), which can refer to ethical attributes or abstract principles, יוֹצָדָק is always a proper noun. The Greek Septuagint typically transliterates the name (e.g., Iosadak).
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a form of יְהוֹצָדָק; Jotsadak, an Israelite; Jozadak.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
צדק (ṣ-d-q) — to be just, to be righteous, to be justified
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H139 | אֲדֹנִי־צֶדֶק | righteousness |
| H3087 | יְהוֹצָדָק | and Yahweh-has-made-righteous |
| H6659 | צָדוֹק | to Righteous-one |
| H6662 | צַדִּיק | the just one |
| H6663 | צָדַק | I will declare right |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3136-01 |
יֽוֹצָדָ֜ק | yotsadaq | HNp |
Jozadak | Yah Is Righteous | 5 |
Occurrences in Scripture
5 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3136-01 |
Ezra 3:2 | יֽוֹצָדָ֜ק | yotsadaq | HNp |
Jozadak | Yah Is Righteous |
H3136-01 |
Ezra 3:8 | יֽוֹצָדָ֜ק | yotsadaq | HNp |
Jozadak | Yah Is Righteous |
H3136-01 |
Ezra 5:2 | יֽוֹצָדָ֔ק | yotsadaq | ANp |
Jozadak | Yah Is Righteous |
H3136-01 |
Ezra 10:18 | יֽוֹצָדָק֙ | yotsadaq | HNp |
Jozadak | Yah Is Righteous |
H3136-01 |
Nehemiah 12:26 | יוֹצָדָ֑ק | yotsadaq | HNp |
Jozadak | Yah Is Righteous |