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יִגְדַּלְיָהוּ

𐤉𐤂𐤃𐤋𐤉𐤄𐤅

Yigedaleyahu

H3012 noun

SILEX Entry

Root ג־ד־ל to be great, to grow, to become strong, to magnify

Definition

A personal name meaning 'Yahweh has grown great' or 'Yahweh (is) exalted.' The name is best understood as a theophoric construction indicating that the deity Yahweh is the agent of greatness or exaltation. In biblical usage, it refers specifically to an Israelite individual named Yigdal-yahu.

Semantic Range

Yahweh has grown great, Yahweh is exalted, (as a personal name) acknowledging Yahweh's greatness or magnification

Root / Etymology

Derives from the root גדל (g-d-l), 'to be great, become strong, grow up, magnify.' The name is constructed as a verbal form with the suffixed theophoric element יָהוּ (Yahu), a form of the divine name Yahweh/YHWH, thus 'Yahweh has made great' or 'Yahweh is magnified.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

יִגְדַּלְיָהוּ (Yigdal-yahu) appears in Jeremiah 35:4 as the father of a certain Pashhur, identified as an official in late monarchic Judah. The use of the theophoric suffix -yahu aligns with naming practices of the late Judahite monarchy, reflecting increased use of Yahweh's name in personal names. While later English translations may render the name as 'Igdaliah' or 'Jigdaljah,' neither captures the honorific, theophoric character intrinsic to the Hebrew. The name reflects the broader ancient Near Eastern custom of invoking deities in personal names, expressing parental desire for divine favor or acknowledging perceived divine action in the child's birth. 'Yahu' as a suffix is especially characteristic of Judahite names from the Iron Age II period. The name's use is confined to post-Davidic, monarchic-period Judahite onomastics; it is distinct from similar names formed with other divine or root elements. Modern translations often treat this as a transparent proper name, but it would have carried explicit connotations of Yahweh's greatness to ancient hearers.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from גָּדַל and יָהּ; magnified of Jah; Jigdaljah, an Israelite; Igdaliah.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

גדל (g-d-l) — to be great, to grow, to become strong, to magnify

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1419 גָּדוֹל in the great one
H1420 גְּדוּלָה greatness of
H1431 גָּדַל I will make great
H1432 גָּדֵל great-ones of
H1433 גֹּדֶל in your greatness

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H3012-01 יִגְדַּלְיָ֖הוּ yigedaleyahu HNp Igdaliah Yahweh has grown great 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H3012-01 Jeremiah 35:4 יִגְדַּלְיָ֖הוּ yigedaleyahu HNp Igdaliah Yahweh has grown great
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