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גְּדַּלְיָה

𐤂𐤃𐤋𐤉𐤄

Gedaleyah

H1436 noun

SILEX Entry

Root גּדל to be great, grow, become important, magnify

Definition

Gedalĕyāh is a personal name meaning 'Yah has become great' or 'Yah is great.' Used as a theophoric proper name for several individuals in the Hebrew Bible, the term designates men from the monarchic and post-monarchic periods, often involved in administrative or leadership roles. The core semantic value expresses an act of magnifying or esteeming YHWH, with nuance depending on the context but always functioning as a proper name.

Semantic Range

proper name (male), 'Yah has become great,' 'Yah is great,' theophoric Israelite name

Root / Etymology

From the root גָּדַל (g-d-l, 'to be great, grow, be important') and the theophoric suffix יָהּ (Yah, a shortened form of the divine name YHWH). The name Gedalyah is constructed as a theophoric combination: 'Yah has grown/greatened' or 'Yah is great.' The root meaning of g-d-l relates to greatness or magnification, but in this compound, the action is attributed to Yah.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Gedalĕyāh appears as the name of several Israelite men in the Hebrew Bible. Most notably, Gedaliah son of Ahikam is appointed by Nebuchadnezzar as governor over the remnant of Judah after the Babylonian conquest (late monarchic/early exilic period, see 2 Kings 25, Jeremiah 39–41), where his position marked the transition from independent rule to Babylonian provincial administration. The name reflects the pattern of theophoric personal names, which became especially common from the late monarchy onward. In the English translation tradition, the name is usually transliterated 'Gedaliah,' but sometimes found as 'Gedaliahuh' when vocalized with the longer form (גְּדַלְיָהוּ). The meaning is not a descriptive term but encapsulates a statement of YHWH’s greatness, typical of Israelite naming practices to express faith or identity. Care must be taken not to read later religious connotations into the name or its bearers. Later usage of the name in post-biblical eras, or festivals like the Fast of Gedaliah, reflect interpretations developed in later Jewish memory but are not original to the biblical text.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or (prolonged) גְּדַלְיָהוּ; from גָּדַל and יָהּ; Jah has become great; Gedaljah, the name of five Israelites; Gedaliah.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

גדל (g-d-l) — to be great, grow, become important, magnify

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1419 גָּדוֹל in the great one
H1420 גְּדוּלָה greatness of
H1431 גָּדַל I will make great
H1432 גָּדֵל great-ones of
H1433 גֹּדֶל in your greatness

Word Forms

4 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H1436-02 גְּדַלְיָ֖הוּ gedaleyahu HNp Gedaliah Yah Is Great Gedaleyah 25
H1436-01 גְּדַלְיָ֣ה gedaleyah HNp Gedaliah Yah has become great Gedaleyah 5
H1436-04 וּ/גְדַלְיָ֨הוּ֙ ugedaleyahu HC/Np and Gedaliah and Yah-has-become-great and Gedaleyah 1
H1436-03 וּ/גְדַלְיָֽה ugedaleyah HC/Np and Gedaliah and Yah-Is-Great and Gedaleyah 1

Occurrences in Scripture

32 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H1436-02 2 Kings 25:22 גְּדַלְיָ֖הוּ gedaleyahu HNp Gedaliah Yah Is Great Gedaleyah
H1436-02 2 Kings 25:23 גְּדַלְיָ֔הוּ gedaleyahu HNp Gedaliah Yah Is Great Gedaleyah
H1436-02 2 Kings 25:23 גְּדַלְיָ֖הוּ gedaleyahu-2 HNp Gedaliah Yah Is Great Gedaleyah
H1436-02 2 Kings 25:24 גְּדַלְיָ֨הוּ֙ gedaleyahu HNp Gedaliah Yah Is Great Gedaleyah
H1436-02 2 Kings 25:25 גְּדַלְיָ֖הוּ gedaleyahu HNp Gedaliah Yah Is Great Gedaleyah
H1436-04 Jeremiah 38:1 וּ/גְדַלְיָ֨הוּ֙ ugedaleyahu HC/Np and Gedaliah and Yah-has-become-great and Gedaleyah
H1436-02 Jeremiah 39:14 גְּדַלְיָ֨הוּ֙ gedaleyahu HNp Gedaliah Yah Is Great Gedaleyah
H1436-01 Jeremiah 40:5 גְּדַלְיָ֣ה gedaleyah HNp Gedaliah Yah has become great Gedaleyah
H1436-01 Jeremiah 40:6 גְּדַלְיָ֥ה gedaleyah HNp Gedaliah Yah has become great Gedaleyah
H1436-02 Jeremiah 40:7 גְּדַלְיָ֥הוּ gedaleyahu HNp Gedaliah Yah Is Great Gedaleyah
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