רַדַּי
𐤓𐤃𐤉
Raday
H7288 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Raddai (רַדַּי) is a personal name of an Israelite individual, specifically listed as a son of Jesse of Bethlehem. The exact meaning of the name is uncertain, though it may convey a sense of assertiveness or strength derived from an association with a root meaning 'to rule' or 'have dominion.' In the biblical context, it designates an individual of the pre-monarchic period, rather than expressing a qualitative characteristic.
Semantic Range
proper name (personal name); possibly connoting dominion, ruling, or assertiveness (if based on root association)
Root / Etymology
From the root רדה (radah), 'to rule, exercise dominion, tread down.' However, the precise formation and meaning of the name are uncertain. It may represent a theophoric or descriptive personal name, but no direct evidence of particular significance or composition is available.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Raddai is mentioned only in genealogical lists (1 Chronicles 2:14) as one of Jesse's sons, thus a brother of David. The name appears unique to this genealogical setting and does not occur with any narrative context in the Hebrew Bible. There is no indication that the name had a common noun or descriptive use in ancient Israelite society; instead, it is used exclusively as a proper name. English translations often leave the name untranslated as 'Raddai,' following tradition. Later interpretations have sometimes connected the name's root to ideas of ruling or dominion due to similarity to רדה, but no explicit evidence supports the use of the name with such meaning in the biblical texts.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
intensive from רָדָה; domineering; Raddai, an Israelite; Raddai.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
רדה (r-d-h) — to rule, have dominion, tread down
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H7287 | רָדָה | the ruling ones |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7288-01 |
רַדַּ֖י | raday | HNp |
Raddai | Ruling-one | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7288-01 |
1 Chronicles 2:14 | רַדַּ֖י | raday | HNp |
Raddai | Ruling-one |