יְכׇלְיָה
𐤉𐤊𐤋𐤉𐤄
Yekhleyah
H3203 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Jekoliah (Yᵉkolyâh) is a personal name meaning 'Yahweh is able' or 'Yahweh will enable.' It is used in the Hebrew Bible as the name of a woman, specifically the mother of King Uzziah (Azariah) of Judah. The term, being a theophoric proper name, encapsulates the idea of Yahweh's enabling or empowering quality, as understood within the Israelite onomastic tradition.
Semantic Range
(as a proper name) Yahweh is able, Yahweh will enable, Yahweh empowers; used only as a feminine personal name
Root / Etymology
From the verbal root יכל (yakhol), meaning 'to be able, to prevail, to have power,' combined with the theophoric suffix יה (Yah), a shortened form of the divine name Yahweh. Thus, יְכׇלְיָה is a compound name constructed as 'Yahweh is able/prevails.' The name incorporates the root meaning of ability or capacity with reference to the deity.
Historical & Contextual Notes
יְכׇלְיָה is attested in 2 Kings 15:2 and 2 Chronicles 26:3 as the mother of King Uzziah, a monarch of the kingdom of Judah during the 8th century BCE. Variants in spelling (יְכִילְיָה in Chronicles) reflect common orthographic fluidity in Hebrew personal names. The name follows a well-attested pattern of theophoric names in the Hebrew Bible, which combine a verbal root with the divine name, expressing theological affirmations within the context of personal identity. English translations usually present this as 'Jecholiah,' but the original Hebrew form highlights the theological assertion of Yahweh's empowering action, not simply personal identity. In the ancient context, such names reflected familial hope or testimony regarding the deity’s role in the individual's life. The reference to this woman as an 'Israelitess' in some lexicographical traditions is an inferred ethnic designation based on context and not explicitly stated; no evidence ties the name to later religious identities (such as 'Jew'). The divine element in the name was commonly reserved for Israelite theophoric nomenclature of this period.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
and יְכׇלְיָהוּ; or (2 Chronicles 26:3) יְכִילְיָה; from יָכֹל and יָהּ; Jah will enable; Jekoljah or Jekiljah, an Israelitess; Jecholiah, Jecoliah.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
יכל (y-k-l) — to be able, to have power, to prevail
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1964 | הֵיכָל | in the grand sanctuary-hall |
| H1965 | הֵיכַל | in the grand palace-temple |
| H3081 | יְהוּכַל | YHWH is able |
| H3116 | יוּכַל | and Yukal |
| H3201 | יָכֹל | shall I be able |
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3203-01 |
יְכָלְיָ֖ה | yekhaleyah | HNp |
Jecoliah | Yahweh is able | 1 |
H3203-03 |
יכיליה | ykhylyh | HNp |
Jechiliah | Yahweh Is Able | 1 |
H3203-02 |
יְכָלְיָ֖הוּ | yekhaleyahu | HNp |
Jecoliah | Yahweh is able | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3203-02 |
2 Kings 15:2 | יְכָלְיָ֖הוּ | yekhaleyahu | HNp |
Jecoliah | Yahweh is able |
H3203-03 |
2 Chronicles 26:3 | יכיליה | ykhylyh | HNp |
Jechiliah | Yahweh Is Able |
H3203-01 |
2 Chronicles 26:3 | יְכָלְיָ֖ה | yekhaleyah | HNp |
Jecoliah | Yahweh is able |