הוֹדַוְיָה
𐤄𐤅𐤃𐤅𐤉𐤄
Hodaveyah
H1938 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A personal name, 'Hodavyah,' meaning 'Yahweh is (my) majesty' or 'the majesty of Yahweh.' Used as a proper name for at least three individuals in the Hebrew Bible. The name expresses the attribute of majesty or glory attributed to Yahweh, often seen in theophoric Israelite names as a statement of praise or declaration of divine quality.
Semantic Range
proper personal name, majesty of Yahweh, Yahweh is majesty, theophoric name referencing divine motif of majesty
Root / Etymology
Compound name from the noun הוֹד (hod; 'majesty, splendor') and the divine name יָהּ (Yah, a short form of Yahweh). The actual lexical meaning of the composite is an ascription or dedication: 'Yahweh is majesty' or 'Majesty belongs to Yahweh.' Derived from the root ה-ו-ד ('to be grand, majestic') + theophoric suffix representing the Tetragrammaton (YHWH).
Historical & Contextual Notes
הוֹדַוְיָה (Hodavyah) is attested as a personal name among Israelites in post-exilic genealogies (e.g., 1 Chr 3:24; Ezra 2:40; 1 Chr 9:10). Such theophoric names were especially common in exilic and post-exilic periods, reflecting theological emphases on the sovereignty and attributes of Yahweh. The 'Yah' ending is a shortened form used in many Israelite names, but equivalents do not appear with reference to later religious terms such as 'Judaism' or 'Jew.' English translations often simply transliterate the name; some older versions use 'Hodaviah.' The name is distinct from similar theophoric formations (e.g., Hodiah, Hodayah) though the semantic root is related. The meaning is consistent with Israelite theophoric naming patterns of the period.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from הוֹד and יָהּ; majesty of Jah; Hodavjah, the name of three Israelites; Hodaviah.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
הוד (h-w-d) — majesty, splendor, glory, to be majestic
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1935 | הוֹד | splendor-of |
| H1936 | הוֹד | and Majesty |
| H1940 | הוֹדִיָּה | Yahweh is my splendor |
| H1941 | הוֹדִיָּה | Yahweh is my splendor |
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1938-01 |
הוֹדַוְיָ֖ה | hodaveyah | HNp |
Hodaviah | Yahweh is Majesty | 2 |
H1938-03 |
וְ/הוֹדַוְיָ֜ה | vehodaveyah | HC/Np |
and-Hodaviah | and Yah-is-Majesty | 1 |
H1938-02 |
הוֹדַוְיָ֡הוּ | hodaveyahu | HNp |
Hodaviah | Yah Is Majesty | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
4 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1938-01 |
Ezra 2:40 | הוֹדַוְיָ֖ה | hodaveyah | HNp |
Hodaviah | Yahweh is Majesty |
H1938-02 |
1 Chronicles 3:24 | הוֹדַוְיָ֡הוּ | hodaveyahu | HNp |
Hodaviah | Yah Is Majesty |
H1938-03 |
1 Chronicles 5:24 | וְ/הוֹדַוְיָ֜ה | vehodaveyah | HC/Np |
and-Hodaviah | and Yah-is-Majesty |
H1938-01 |
1 Chronicles 9:7 | הוֹדַוְיָ֖ה | hodaveyah | HNp |
Hodaviah | Yahweh is Majesty |