מְהֵיטַבְאֵל
𐤌𐤄𐤉𐤈𐤁𐤀𐤋
Meheytaveel
H4105 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Personal name meaning 'God does good' or 'God makes well.' The name is constructed from the verb for doing good or making well, with the theophoric element 'El' (God). It is used as the name of both a woman (a wife of Hadad, an Edomite chieftain, Genesis 36:39) and a man (the father of Shemaiah, Nehemiah 6:10).
Semantic Range
personal name, one for whom God does good, one made good by God, 'God does good,' name of Edomite woman, name of post-exilic Israelite man
Root / Etymology
Formed from the root יטב (to be good, do good) with an initial mem (מְ, possibly a participial or causative prefix), and the theophoric element אֵל ('God').
Historical & Contextual Notes
In biblical usage, מְהֵיטַבְאֵל appears as both an Edomite woman (Genesis 36:39; 1 Chronicles 1:50) and a man in post-exilic Yehud (Nehemiah 6:10). The presence of the theophoric 'El' indicates a reference to the deity. The initial mem- may be participial or causative, yielding the sense 'one for whom God does good' or 'God makes well.' Although English translations sometimes simply transliterate the name, the underlying meaning implies a positive divine action. The personal name structure parallels other names where God's beneficence is invoked, reflecting widespread ancient Near Eastern naming conventions. In contrast to popular or Christian usage of the name as 'Mehetabel' or 'Mehetabeel,' the meaning centers on 'God does good.' The later use in Nehemiah demonstrates the durability of such theophoric names from the monarchic to the post-exilic period, though in distinct cultural and political settings. The Edomite usage affirms the widespread invocation of the deity 'El' in personal names beyond Israelite/Judahite circles.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from יָטַב (augmented) and אֵל; bettered of God; Mehetabel, the name of an Edomitish man and woman; Mehetabeel, Mehetabel.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
יטב (y-ṭ-b) — be good, do good, make well
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H3190 | יָטַב | in his making him good |
| H3191 | יְטַב | he will be good |
| H3192 | יׇטְבָה | Pleasant-Place |
| H3193 | יׇטְבָתָה | in Pleasant-Place |
| H4315 | מֵיטָב | in the choicest portion of |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4105-01 |
מְהֵֽיטַבְאֵל֙ | meheytaveel | HNp |
Mehetabel | God-does-good | 3 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4105-01 |
Genesis 36:39 | מְהֵֽיטַבְאֵל֙ | meheytaveel | HNp |
Mehetabel | God-does-good |
H4105-01 |
Nehemiah 6:10 | מְהֵֽיטַבְאֵ֖ל | meheytaveel | HNp |
of Mehetabeel | God-does-good |
H4105-01 |
1 Chronicles 1:50 | מְהֵיטַבְאֵל֙ | meheytaveel | HNp |
Mehetabel | God-does-good |