חֶלְדַּי
𐤇𐤋𐤃𐤉
Cheleday
H2469 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Personal name: Cheldai or Heldai. The name likely contains the element 'ḥeled,' possibly indicating a connection with the material, earthly, or transitory realm, though precise meaning in the context of the name is uncertain. Appears as the name of two different individuals associated with the post-exilic community in biblical texts.
Semantic Range
personal name, likely originally meaning linked to mortality or temporality; used as a proper noun for individuals; no attested common noun usage in biblical Hebrew beyond the base noun חֵלֶד
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root ח־ל־ד (ḥ-l-d), the same root as חֵלֶד (ḥeled, 'world,' 'age,' 'lifetime,' or 'finite existence'), though the precise significance in the theophoric or personal name usage is uncertain. The name may reflect a reference to earthly life or mortal nature, but as a proper noun, its original nuance is not absolutely recoverable.
Historical & Contextual Notes
חֶלְדַּי is attested in Zechariah 6:10 as one of the post-exilic community members involved in the symbolic crowning of Joshua son of Jehozadak. The same or a similar name also appears in 1 Chronicles 27:15 as a military leader under King David. The presence of this name in both post-exilic and monarchic contexts suggests it persisted as a personal name through various periods of Israelite history. It is unrelated to later English notions of 'worldliness,' and is not specifically associated with any particular religious or ethnic identity beyond its Israelite context. In some English translations, the name appears as 'Heldai.' The meaning of many ancient Semitic personal names is often opaque, especially when built on roots with a broad semantic field.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from חֵלֶד; worldliness; Cheldai, the name of two Israelites; Heldai.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
חלד (ḥ-l-d) — endure, last, be temporal, pass away
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H2465 | חֶלֶד | fleeting life-span |
| H2466 | חֵלֶד | Heled |
| H2467 | חֹלֶד | the slinking-weasel |
| H2468 | חֻלְדָּה | Huldah |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2469-01 |
חֶלְדַּ֥י | cheleday | HNp |
Heldai | Cheldai | 1 |
H2469-02 |
מֵ/חֶלְדַּ֕י | mecheleday | HR/Np |
from Heldai | from Cheldai | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2469-02 |
Zechariah 6:10 | מֵ/חֶלְדַּ֕י | mecheleday | HR/Np |
from Heldai | from Cheldai |
H2469-01 |
1 Chronicles 27:15 | חֶלְדַּ֥י | cheleday | HNp |
Heldai | Cheldai |