אׇהֳלִיבָה
𐤀𐤄𐤋𐤉𐤁𐤄
Holivah
H172 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Personal name meaning 'my tent is in her'. Used symbolically in Ezekiel to represent the kingdom of Judah. The name conveys a figurative sense of belonging, presence, or association, and is not used as a common lexical noun outside this context. Oholibah serves exclusively as an allegorical figure, not as a historical individual.
Semantic Range
Oholibah (symbolic name for the kingdom of Judah/an allegorical figure), 'my tent is in her' (denoting intimate presence or association); not used in non-symbolic personal or toponymic contexts
Root / Etymology
From the Hebrew root אהל (ʼ-h-l), meaning 'tent'. The name is formed from אֹהֶל (tent) with the first person singular possessive suffix 'i' ('my') and the third person feminine suffix 'bah' ('in her'), yielding the sense 'my tent is in her'.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In Ezekiel 23, אׇהֳלִיבָה (Oholibah) is used alongside אׇהֳלָה (Oholah) in an allegorical narrative to represent the kingdoms of Judah (Oholibah) and Samaria/Israel (Oholah) respectively. The imagery focuses on the concept of divine presence or spiritual association ('my tent'), with Judah depicted as the one in whom the divine tent (tabernacle) dwells or should dwell. The use of the name underscores Judah's supposed privileged status or relationship with the deity compared with her 'sister,' Samaria/Israel. The name is coined for the prophetic allegory and does not appear as a personal or geographic name elsewhere in the Hebrew Bible. Later English translations often render the name as Aholibah or Oholibah, but the underlying symbolism can be obscured when treated merely as a proper noun; understanding the meaning enhances appreciation of Ezekiel's rhetorical device. This term is specifically allegorical and should not be translated with later religious or ethnic categories such as 'Jew' or 'Judean'; rather, it directly refers to the kingdom of Judah as an entity during the divided monarchy period.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
(similarly with אׇהֳלָה) for אׇהֳלִיבָהּ ; from אֹהֶל; my tent (is) in her; Oholibah, a symbolic name for Judah; Aholibah.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
אהל (ʾ-h-l) — to pitch a tent, set up a tent, dwell
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H166 | אָהַל | he will cause to shine |
| H167 | אָהַל | and he pitched a tent |
| H168 | אֹהֶל | your tent |
| H169 | אֹהֶל | Ohel |
| H170 | אׇהֳלָה | Her Tent |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H172-01 |
אָהֳלִיבָֽה | aholivah | HNp |
Oholibah | My Tent in Her | 5 |
H172-02 |
וְ/אָהֳלִיבָ֣ה | veaholivah | HC/Np |
and-Oholibah | and My-Tent-in-Her | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
6 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H172-02 |
Ezekiel 23:4 | וְ/אָהֳלִיבָ֣ה | veaholivah | HC/Np |
and-Oholibah | and My-Tent-in-Her |
H172-01 |
Ezekiel 23:4 | אָהֳלִיבָֽה | aholivah | HNp |
Oholibah | My Tent in Her |
H172-01 |
Ezekiel 23:11 | אָהֳלִיבָ֔ה | aholivah | HNp |
Oholibah | My Tent in Her |
H172-01 |
Ezekiel 23:22 | אָהֳלִיבָ֗ה | aholivah | HNp |
Oholibah | My Tent in Her |
H172-01 |
Ezekiel 23:36 | אָהֳלִיבָ֑ה | aholivah | HNp |
Oholibah | My Tent in Her |
H172-01 |
Ezekiel 23:44 | אָ֣הֳלִיבָ֔ה | aholivah | HNp |
Oholibah | My Tent in Her |