חִזְקִיָּה

𐤇𐤆𐤒𐤉𐤄

Chizeqiyah

H2396 noun

SILEX Entry

Root חזק to be strong, strengthen, make firm

Definition

Chizqîyâh (חִזְקִיָּה) is a personal name meaning 'Yah(weh) strengthens' or 'strengthened by Yah.' The name appears in various forms in the Hebrew Bible and is borne most notably by a king of Judah in the late 8th century BCE, as well as by other Israelite individuals. The semantic range of the name includes its literal meaning—'Yah has strengthened'—and its function as a proper noun identifying specific persons.

Semantic Range

proper name (divinely strengthened), strength from Yah, reference to individuals so named, primarily king of Judah, also Levites or returnees from the exile; literal sense of receiving or being characterized by divine strength

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root חזק (ḥ-z-q), 'to be strong, strengthen,' combined with the theophoric component יה (Yah), a shortened form of the divine name YHWH. The name is a sentence name or theophoric name, literally 'Yah(weh) has strengthened.' Alternative forms include חִזְקִיָּהוּ (Chizqîyâhû), יְחִזְקִיָּה (Yeḥizqîyâ), and יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ (Yeḥizqîyâhû), reflecting dialectal or scribal variation. The root meaning ('to be strong') informs the name's connotation of divine support or empowerment.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, the name חִזְקִיָּה and its variants are most prominently associated with the king of Judah who reigned in Jerusalem and enacted significant religious reforms. Usage of the name spans from the monarchic to post-exilic periods. The name is typical of Israelite theophoric personal names that combine a verbal root with a reference to Yahweh, expressing a wish or claim about the deity's action. The KJV and many English translations render the name 'Hezekiah,' which does not reflect the original vocalization or the theophoric element's function in ancient Hebrew. The element Yah refers to the Israelite national deity and should not be retrojected with later religious or ethnic meanings. Chizqîyâh is also used for several other figures, including Levites and individuals returning from exile (cf. Nehemiah 7:21). The variants Yeḥizqîyâ (יְחִזְקִיָּה) and its fuller spelling reflect slight differences in pronunciation or scribal practice but share the same essential meaning.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or חִזְקִיָּהוּ; also יְחִזְקִיָּה; or יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ; from חָזַק and יָהּ; strengthened of Jah; Chizkijah, a king of Judah, also the name of two other Israelites; Hezekiah, Hizkiah, Hizkijah. Compare יְחִזְקִיָּה.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

חזק (ḥ-z-q) — to be strong, strengthen, make firm

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H2388 חָזַק I will strengthen
H2389 חָזָק with firmness
H2390 חָזֵק and strong
H2391 חֵזֶק my strength
H2392 חֹזֶק with strength

Word Forms

9 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H2396-02 חִזְקִיָּ֥הוּ chizeqiyahu HNp Hezekiah Yah has strengthened 73
H2396-09 יְחִזְקִיָּ֔הוּ yechizeqiyahu HNp Hezekiah Yah strengthens 38
H2396-01 חִזְקִיָּ֥ה chizeqiyah HNp Hezekiah Yah has strengthened 10
H2396-08 יְחִזְקִיָּ֖ה yechizeqiyah HNp Hezekiah Yah Strengthens 2
H2396-06 לִֽ/יחִזְקִיָּ֖הוּ lichizeqiyahu HR/Np to Hezekiah to Yah-has-strengthened 2
H2396-03 לְ/חִזְקִיָּ֑ה lechizeqiyah HR/Np of Hezekiah to Yah-strengthened 2
H2396-05 לִֽ/יחִזְקִיָּ֖ה lichizeqiyah HR/Np of Hezekiah to Yah-has-strengthened 1
H2396-04 לְ/חִזְקִיָּ֣הוּ lechizeqiyahu HR/Np of Hezekiah to Yah-has-strengthened 1
H2396-07 וְ/חִזְקִיָּ֛ה vechizeqiyah HC/Np and Hizkiah and Yah-has-strengthened 1

Occurrences in Scripture

130 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H2396-02 2 Kings 16:20 חִזְקִיָּ֥הוּ chizeqiyahu HNp Hezekiah Yah has strengthened
H2396-01 2 Kings 18:1 חִזְקִיָּ֥ה chizeqiyah HNp Hezekiah Yah has strengthened
H2396-02 2 Kings 18:9 חִזְקִיָּ֔הוּ chizeqiyahu HNp Hezekiah Yah has strengthened
H2396-03 2 Kings 18:10 לְ/חִזְקִיָּ֑ה lechizeqiyah HR/Np of Hezekiah to Yah-strengthened
H2396-01 2 Kings 18:13 חִזְקִיָּ֗ה chizeqiyah HNp Hezekiah Yah has strengthened
H2396-01 2 Kings 18:14 חִזְקִיָּ֣ה chizeqiyah HNp Hezekiah Yah has strengthened
H2396-01 2 Kings 18:14 חִזְקִיָּ֣ה chizeqiyah-2 HNp Hezekiah Yah has strengthened
H2396-01 2 Kings 18:15 חִזְקִיָּ֔ה chizeqiyah HNp Hezekiah Yah has strengthened
H2396-01 2 Kings 18:16 חִזְקִיָּ֜ה chizeqiyah HNp Hezekiah Yah has strengthened
H2396-01 2 Kings 18:16 חִזְקִיָּ֖ה chizeqiyah-2 HNp Hezekiah Yah has strengthened