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אֲחִיָּה

𐤀𐤇𐤉𐤄

Achiyah

H281 noun

SILEX Entry

Root אָח brother, kin, kinsman

Definition

A personal name meaning 'Yah is (my) brother' or 'Yah is kin.' Used for several individuals in the Hebrew Bible. Though the name is theophoric—incorporating reference to the deity Yah (Yahweh)—it does not denote worship per se, but expresses a familial relationship with the deity. The name is borne by various individuals, including prophets, priests, and officials, primarily in pre-exilic Israelite contexts.

Semantic Range

proper name of individuals, 'Yah is (my) brother,' 'Yah is kin,' name of prophets, priests, officials; theophoric personal designation

Root / Etymology

Formed from אֲחִ ('brother, kin') and יָהּ (a shortened form of the divine name, Yah). The suffix יָהּ is a common theophoric element. The root of the first element is אָח, 'brother/kin.' The formation yields a meaning akin to 'Yah is brother' or 'Yah is kin.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

The name אֲחִיָּה (Achiyah/Ahijah) appears for at least nine figures in the Hebrew Bible, including Ahijah the Shilonite, noted as a prophet in the time of Jeroboam I (1 Kings 11–14). It is typical of Israelite names to express relationship to their deity (Yahweh) in familial terms, such as 'father' (אב), 'brother' (אח), or 'servant' (עבד). English translations sometimes render the name as 'Ahiah' or 'Ahijah' but do not reflect its relational-theophoric sense. The longer form אֲחִיָּהוּ ('Achiyahu') appears in some manuscripts and reflects a West Semitic hypocoristic formation. The term never refers to the group identity of Israelites or later Judeans; it is strictly a personal name.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or (prolonged) אֲחִיָּהוּ ; from אָח and יָהּ; brother (i.e. worshipper) of Jah; Achijah, the name of nine Israelites; Ahiah, Ahijah.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

אח (ʾ-ḥ) — brother, kin, kinsman

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H251 אָח brother
H252 אַח your brothers
H253 אָח brother
H254 אָח the firepot
H255 אֹחַ howling wild creatures

Word Forms

5 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H281-01 אֲחִיָּה֩ achiyah HNp Ahijah Yah Is Brother 14
H281-02 אֲחִיָּ֗הוּ achiyahu HNp Ahijah Yah-is-kin 4
H281-04 וַ/אֲחִיָּ֣ה vaachiyah HC/Np and Ahijah and Yah-is-kin 4
H281-05 וַ/אֲחִיָּ֨הוּ֙ vaachiyahu HC/Np Ahijah And Yah-is-kin 1
H281-03 לַֽ/אֲחִיָּ֔ה laachiyah HR/Np to Ahijah to Yah-is-kin 1

Occurrences in Scripture

24 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H281-04 1 Samuel 14:3 וַ/אֲחִיָּ֣ה vaachiyah HC/Np and Ahijah and Yah-is-kin
H281-03 1 Samuel 14:18 לַֽ/אֲחִיָּ֔ה laachiyah HR/Np to Ahijah to Yah-is-kin
H281-04 1 Kings 4:3 וַ/אֲחִיָּ֛ה vaachiyah HC/Np and Ahijah and Yah-is-kin
H281-01 1 Kings 11:29 אֲחִיָּה֩ achiyah HNp Ahijah Yah Is Brother
H281-01 1 Kings 11:30 אֲחִיָּ֔ה achiyah HNp Ahijah Yah Is Brother
H281-01 1 Kings 12:15 אֲחִיָּ֣ה achiyah HNp Ahijah Yah Is Brother
H281-01 1 Kings 14:2 אֲחִיָּ֣ה achiyah HNp Ahijah Yah Is Brother
H281-01 1 Kings 14:4 אֲחִיָּ֑ה achiyah HNp Ahijah Yah Is Brother
H281-05 1 Kings 14:4 וַ/אֲחִיָּ֨הוּ֙ vaachiyahu HC/Np Ahijah And Yah-is-kin
H281-02 1 Kings 14:5 אֲחִיָּ֗הוּ achiyahu HNp Ahijah Yah-is-kin
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