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נְחֶמְיָה

𐤍𐤇𐤌𐤉𐤄

Nechemeyah

H5166 noun

SILEX Entry

Root נחם to comfort, show compassion, console

Definition

A personal name meaning 'Yahweh has comforted' or 'comforted by Yahweh.' Used as the name of several Israelite men in the Hebrew Bible, most prominently the Nehemiah who served as official and governor during the Persian period. The name signifies divine comfort or consolation and carries an implicit relationship between the bearer and the deity Yahweh.

Semantic Range

a male personal name, bearer of comfort from Yahweh, one comforted by Yahweh, Nehemiah (notably the Persian-era governor); also two lesser individuals in post-exilic genealogies

Root / Etymology

Formed from the verb נָחַם (nacham, 'to comfort, console, have compassion') joined with the theophoric suffix יָהּ (Yah, contracted form of יהוה, the divine name). The name expresses a statement about Yahweh's comforting action or presence.

Historical & Contextual Notes

The name נְחֶמְיָה appears as that of several individuals, but most notably refers to Nehemiah son of Hacaliah, a Judahite official and Persian governor instrumental in the restoration of Jerusalem in the post-exilic era (see Nehemiah 1:1 and following). The inclusion of the theophoric יָה suffix is typical of Second Temple period naming conventions, signifying a devotion to or relationship with Yahweh. Standard English translations render the name as 'Nehemiah,' which does not convey the underlying meaning of 'comforted by Yahweh.' In ancient Israelite usage, such names both identified individuals and served as theological or devotional statements. The use of נָחַם as the root links the name to a broader semantic field of comfort, repentance, and compassion, but in proper name form, the active meaning narrows to divine consolation. The use of the term 'Jew' to refer to Nehemiah is anachronistic in earlier biblical usage; he is best described in his context as a Judahite or a Jerusalemite official under Persian rule.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from נָחַם and יָהּ; consolation of Jah; Nechemjah, the name of three Israelites; Nehemiah.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

נחם (n-ḥ-m) — to comfort, console, show compassion

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4505 מְנַחֵם Comforter
H5100 נְהָמָה like roaring of
H5149 נְחוּם Comforted One
H5150 נִחוּם my consolations
H5151 נַחוּם Comforted-one

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H5166-01 נְ֠חֶמְיָה nechemeyah HNp Nehemiah Yahweh-has-comforted 8

Occurrences in Scripture

8 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H5166-01 Ezra 2:2 נְ֠חֶמְיָה nechemeyah HNp Nehemiah Yahweh-has-comforted
H5166-01 Nehemiah 1:1 נְחֶמְיָ֖ה nechemeyah HNp Nehemiah Yahweh-has-comforted
H5166-01 Nehemiah 3:16 נְחֶמְיָ֣ה nechemeyah HNp Nehemiah Yahweh-has-comforted
H5166-01 Nehemiah 7:7 נְחֶמְיָ֡ה nechemeyah HNp Nehemiah Yahweh-has-comforted
H5166-01 Nehemiah 8:9 נְחֶמְיָ֣ה nechemeyah HNp Nehemiah Yahweh-has-comforted
H5166-01 Nehemiah 10:2 נְחֶמְיָ֧ה nechemeyah HNp Nehemiah Yahweh-has-comforted
H5166-01 Nehemiah 12:26 נְחֶמְיָ֣ה nechemeyah HNp Nehemiah Yahweh-has-comforted
H5166-01 Nehemiah 12:47 נְחֶמְיָ֗ה nechemeyah HNp Nehemiah Yahweh-has-comforted
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