זְרַחְיָה
𐤆𐤓𐤇𐤉𐤄
Zeracheyah
H2228 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A personal name meaning 'Yah has shone forth' or 'Yahweh has arisen.' Used as the name of two different Israelite individuals in the Hebrew Bible. The name expresses praise or acknowledgment of Yahweh’s active, illuminating presence or intervention.
Semantic Range
personal name meaning 'Yahweh has shone forth' or 'Yah has arisen'; implies divine action or intervention; used for two Israelite men in genealogical records
Root / Etymology
From the root זרח (z-r-ḥ, 'to rise, shine forth'), joined with the theophoric suffix יָהּ (Yah), an abbreviated form of the divine name Yahweh. The formation indicates 'Yahweh has shone forth' or 'Yahweh is rising.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
זְרַחְיָה occurs as a personal name predominantly in post-exilic genealogies (Ezra 7:4; 1 Chron 6:36-37), representing the retrofitting of theophoric names incorporating Yahweh (Yah). Earlier Israelite naming patterns favored 'El' as the divine element, with 'Yah' becoming more common from the monarchic period onward. The use of this name does not denote geographic, ethnic, or religious identity beyond what is established in context. English translations typically render זְרַחְיָה as 'Zerahiah,' but this can obscure the meaning and the theophoric element for English readers. The name is distinct from both זֶרַח (Zerah) and other derivatives, and should not be conflated with Zerah or Zeruiah. The KJV and other traditional versions reflect the later English rendering rather than the name’s full meaning.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from זֶרַח and יָהּ; Jah has risen; Zerachjah, the name of two Israelites; Zerahiah.
Bantu Hebrew
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זרח (z-r-ḥ) — rise, shine, appear, come forth
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H2224 | זָרַח | as shining forth |
| H2225 | זֶרַח | your shining-forth |
| H2226 | זֶרַח | to Shining-One |
| H2227 | זַרְחִי | the Zerahite |
| H249 | אֶזְרָח | native-born one |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2228-02 |
זְרַֽחְיָ֥ה | zeracheyah | HNp |
Zerahiah | Yah Has Shone Forth | 4 |
H2228-01 |
וּֽ/זְרַֽחְיָ֖ה | uzeracheyah | HC/Np |
and Zerahiah | and Yah-has-shone-forth | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
5 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2228-02 |
Ezra 7:4 | זְרַֽחְיָ֥ה | zeracheyah | HNp |
Zerahiah | Yah Has Shone Forth |
H2228-02 |
Ezra 8:4 | זְרַֽחְיָ֑ה | zeracheyah | HNp |
Zerahiah | Yah Has Shone Forth |
H2228-02 |
1 Chronicles 5:32 | זְרַֽחְיָ֔ה | zeracheyah | HNp |
Zerahiah | Yah Has Shone Forth |
H2228-01 |
1 Chronicles 5:32 | וּֽ/זְרַֽחְיָ֖ה | uzeracheyah | HC/Np |
and Zerahiah | and Yah-has-shone-forth |
H2228-02 |
1 Chronicles 6:36 | זְרַֽחְיָ֥ה | zeracheyah | HNp |
Zerachiah | Yah Has Shone Forth |