עַתְלַי
𐤏𐤕𐤋𐤉
Atelay
H6270 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Personal name: ʻAthlai. Appears as the name of an individual of Israelite descent. The meaning of the name is uncertain; it is possibly related to a root meaning 'to compress' or 'restrain,' but this is not lexically attested in Biblical Hebrew. Used exclusively as a proper noun for a specific Israelite individual in genealogical lists.
Semantic Range
personal name; refers exclusively to an Israelite individual in post-exilic genealogy
Root / Etymology
Root uncertain. Traditional speculation (as reflected in Strong's) connects the name to a hypothetical root meaning 'to compress' or 'to restrain,' but such a root is not attested elsewhere in the Hebrew Bible. The name exhibits the typical theophoric or descriptive construction of Israelite personal names but its precise derivation is unclear.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The name עַתְלַי (ʻAthlai) appears only in the post-exilic genealogical lists of 1 Chronicles 9:4, where he is identified as an Israelite restored to Jerusalem after the Babylonian Exile. There is no broader usage of the name or putative root in Biblical Hebrew. The meaning of the name is unclear and not recoverable with confidence from surviving sources. English translations typically transliterate the name rather than translate. The speculation in Strong's Concordance about the meaning 'to compress' reflects a conjectural, not a lexical, root.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from an unused root meaning to compress; constringent; Athlai, an Israelite; Athlai.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.
Root Family
uncertain (Baleadan) — uncertain
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1002 | בִּירָה | the citadel |
| H105 | אֲגַרְטָל | bowls of |
| H1081 | בַּלְאֲדָן | Baladan |
| H1085 | בִּלְדַּד | Bildad |
| H1095 | בֵּלְטְשַׁאצַּר | Belteshatsar |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6270-01 |
עַתְלָֽי | atelay | HNp |
Athlai | Athlai | Atelay | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6270-01 |
Ezra 10:28 | עַתְלָֽי | atelay | HNp |
Athlai | Athlai | Atelay |