חִזְקִיָּה
𐤇𐤆𐤒𐤉𐤄
Chizeqiyah
H2396 noun
SILEX Entry
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
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot 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 |