מְרֹאדַךְ בַּלְאָדָן
𐤌𐤓𐤀𐤃𐤊 𐤁𐤋𐤀𐤃𐤍
Merodakhe Baleadan
H4757 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Proper name: Merodak-baladan, the name of a Babylonian ruler mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. Refers specifically to an historical individual known as Marduk-apla-iddina II, who ruled Babylon in the late 8th century BCE. The components of the name reflect an invocation or dedication to the Babylonian deity Marduk, with the second element signifying 'he gave a son' or 'Marduk has given a son.' The term functions as a personal name throughout all biblical occurrences.
Semantic Range
proper name of a Babylonian king; Marduk-apla-iddina II; foreign royal title in historical/prophetic narrative
Root / Etymology
The name is of Akkadian (Babylonian) origin, not native Hebrew. It derives from the Akkadian 'Marduk-apla-iddina' ('Marduk has given a son'). The first component מְרֹדַךְ (Merodak) is the Hebrew representation of the Babylonian deity name Marduk. The second component בַּלְאָדָן (Bal'adan) is a Hebrew approximation of the Akkadian phrase 'apla-iddina' — 'son has given' or 'has given a son.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, מְרֹאדַךְ בַּלְאָדָן refers exclusively to the historical figure known as Marduk-apla-iddina II (r. ca. 721–710 and 703–702 BCE), a Chaldean prince who became king of Babylon. He is noted mainly in 2 Kings 20:12 and Isaiah 39:1 as an external monarch engaging in diplomatic contact with the Judahite king Hezekiah during the latter's reign. This name is not originally Hebrew but is a phonetic rendering of the Akkadian name in the Hebrew script. The reference strictly denotes the individual and does not imply attributes of Marduk to him beyond the theophoric nature of the name, a common aspect of ancient Near Eastern personal names. Later English translations sometimes Anglicize the name as "Merodach-baladan" or "Merodak-Baladan." In academic literature, the historical king is often referred to as "Marduk-apla-iddina II." The Hebrew rendering reflects contemporary knowledge and phonetic limitations of the biblical scribes.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
of foreign derivation; Merodak-Baladan, a Babylonian king; Merodach-baladan. Compare מְרֹדָךְ.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
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uncertain (uncertain) — uncertain (foreign proper name, not Hebrew in origin)
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1085 | בִּלְדַּד | Bildad |
| H1095 | בֵּלְטְשַׁאצַּר | Belteshatsar |
| H1114 | בִּלְשָׁן | Bilshan |
| H1150 | בִּנְעָא | Bin'a |
| H116 | אֱדַיִן | and then |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4757-01 |
בַּ֠לְאֲדָן | baleadan | HNp |
Baladan | Baladan | 1 |
H4757-02 |
מְרֹדַ֣ךְ | merodakhe | HNp |
Merodach | Merodak | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4757-02 |
Isaiah 39:1 | מְרֹדַ֣ךְ | merodakhe | HNp |
Merodach | Merodak |
H4757-01 |
Isaiah 39:1 | בַּ֠לְאֲדָן | baleadan | HNp |
Baladan | Baladan |