חֵנָדָד

𐤇𐤍𐤃𐤃

Chenadad

H2582 noun

SILEX Entry

Root חן, הדד חן: favor, grace; הדד: Hadad (storm deity)

Definition

Personal name denoting an individual, likely meaning 'Hadad is gracious' or 'Hadad has shown favor.' The name references the Northwest Semitic deity Hadad, and combines it with an element meaning favor or grace. It is used in the post-exilic period as the name of an Israelite associated with the return from Babylonian exile.

Semantic Range

personal name, 'Hadad is gracious'/'favor of Hadad', post-exilic Israelite individual, theophoric compound

Root / Etymology

Formed from the noun חֵן (ḥen, 'favor, grace') and the theophoric element הֲדַד (Hadad), a Northwest Semitic storm deity name. The overall meaning is 'Hadad is gracious' or 'grace of Hadad.' This compound formation, where a theophoric element is used in Israelite personal names, is seen elsewhere but is more common in earlier periods and among neighboring cultures. There may be ambiguity as to whether the name is an import or adaptation, or whether it reflects ongoing multicultural influences after exile.

Historical & Contextual Notes

חֵנָדָד appears in Ezra and Nehemiah as the name of an Israelite associated with post-exilic religious reforms and the rebuilding of Jerusalem. The use of a theophoric name invoking Hadad is notable, as Hadad was a prominent deity among Israel's northern and neighboring cultures (e.g., Arameans, Canaanites) but is rare in the Hebrew Bible's personal names, especially in post-exilic texts. This may reflect residual naming traditions from earlier Israelite or regional practice or multicultural influences during and after the exile. Later English translations occasionally obscure such names by rendering them generically or anachronistically (e.g., 'Henadad'), but the name itself references a non-Israelite deity reflecting broader cultural contact. In usage, the name is not descriptive of character but identifies a historical individual or family lineage.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

probably from חֵן and הֲדַד; favor of Hadad; Chenadad, an Israelite; Henadad.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.

+ Add Bantu Hebrew Word

Root Family

חן, הדד (ḥ-n; h-d-d) — favor, grace; Hadad (storm deity)

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H2582-01 חֵֽנָדָ֔ד chenadad HNp Henadad Hadad-is-gracious 4

Occurrences in Scripture

4 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H2582-01 Ezra 3:9 חֵֽנָדָ֔ד chenadad HNp Henadad Hadad-is-gracious
H2582-01 Nehemiah 3:18 חֵנָדָ֑ד chenadad HNp Henadad Hadad-is-gracious
H2582-01 Nehemiah 3:24 חֵנָדָ֖ד chenadad HNp Henadad Hadad-is-gracious
H2582-01 Nehemiah 10:10 חֵנָדָ֖ד chenadad HNp Hananadad Hadad-is-gracious