אַיָּה
𐤀𐤉𐤄
Ayah
H345 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Personal name meaning 'falcon' or 'vulture', borne by two individuals in the Hebrew Bible. The form is identical to the common noun for a bird of prey, specifically a kite or vulture. Used as a proper name, it does not retain animal associations but functions as a conventional theophoric or descriptive personal designation.
Semantic Range
(as a noun) kite, vulture, hawk; (as a proper name) Aiah, personal name borne by an Israelite and a Horite
Root / Etymology
From the root אִיָּה (aiyāh), meaning a bird of prey, particularly a kite or vulture. The derivation is from the same root as the noun meaning 'hawk,' 'kite,' or 'vulture,' likely reflecting attributes admired or noted in the bearer's family or tribal context. There is no element present indicating a divine name or explicit theophory.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The name אַיָּה occurs twice as a personal name: (1) The father of Rizpah, concubine of King Saul (2 Samuel 3:7, 21:8, 10-11); (2) A descendant of Seir the Horite (Genesis 36:24; 1 Chronicles 1:40). Both occur in genealogical or narrative contexts that do not suggest metaphorical meaning or explicit symbolic usage. The form is identical to the noun for 'kite' or 'vulture', but as a personal name it likely follows a pattern of naming after animals, common in ancient Near Eastern cultures. The English rendering 'Aiah' or 'Ajah' in traditional translations is a transliteration, not a translation. Later tradition sometimes assimilated such names to broader Israelite and non-Israelite genealogical frameworks. The name does not imply religious or ethnic identity beyond what is attested in each passage.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
the same as אַיָּה; Ajah, the name of two Israelites; Aiah, Ajah.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.
Root Family
איה (Ayah) — to howl, to screech, to wail (onomatopoeic root)
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H344 | אַיָּה | screeching kite |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H345-01 |
אַיָּ֥ה | ayah | HNp |
Aiah | Falcon | Ayah | 5 |
H345-02 |
וְ/אַיָּ֣ה | veayah | HC/Np |
and Aiah | And Aiah | and Ayah | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
6 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H345-02 |
Genesis 36:24 | וְ/אַיָּ֣ה | veayah | HC/Np |
and Aiah | And Aiah | and Ayah |
H345-01 |
2 Samuel 3:7 | אַיָּ֑ה | ayah | HNp |
Aiah | Falcon | Ayah |
H345-01 |
2 Samuel 21:8 | אַיָּה֙ | ayah | HNp |
Aiah | Falcon | Ayah |
H345-01 |
2 Samuel 21:10 | אַיָּ֨ה | ayah | HNp |
Aiah | Falcon | Ayah |
H345-01 |
2 Samuel 21:11 | אַיָּ֖ה | ayah | HNp |
Aiah | Falcon | Ayah |
H345-01 |
1 Chronicles 1:40 | אַיָּ֥ה | ayah | HNp |
Aiah | Falcon | Ayah |