מְשֶׁלֶמְיָה
𐤌𐤔𐤋𐤌𐤉𐤄
Meshelemeyah
H4920 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A personal name meaning 'Yahweh has repaid' or 'Yahweh has made whole.' The name belongs to several individuals in the Hebrew Bible, most notably a Levitical gatekeeper during the reign of David. Its primary lexical meaning centers on God (Yah/Yahweh) as the agent who restores, repays, or brings to completion, with a focus on wholeness or restitution. The semantic range is limited to being a proper noun, specifically a personal name, but the elements suggest themes of restitution and divine action.
Semantic Range
personal name; Yahweh has restored, Yahweh has repaid, Yahweh has made whole
Root / Etymology
The name is a theophoric compound derived from the root שָׁלַם (sh-l-m, 'to be complete, to repay, to make whole') plus יָהּ (Yah, an abbreviated form of YHWH, the Israelite deity). The name may appear in longer and shorter forms: מְשֶׁלֶמְיָה (Meshelemiah) and מְשֶׁלֶמְיָהוּ (Meshelemiyahu). The root שָׁלַם expresses restoration, completion, or repayment, but the lexical sense as a personal name is one for whom Yahweh has acted in this manner.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, Meshelemiah is primarily recognized as a Levitical gatekeeper in the time of King David (see 1 Chronicles 9:21, 26:1–9), associated with the duties of guarding the Temple precincts. The name appears as both מְשֶׁלֶמְיָה and מְשֶׁלֶמְיָהוּ, reflecting common variation in theophoric endings during the monarchic period. The meaning of the name parallels other biblical names where a verb root is joined to the theophoric Yâh, indicating what YHWH has done on behalf of the individual (e.g., Shelemiah = 'Yah has repaid'). English Bible translations typically transliterate the name as 'Meshelemiah,' obscuring the meaning of its components for most readers. The name is distinct from the similar 'Shelemiah,' which omits the participial prefix. The use of the theophoric element indicates its Israelite context securely within the monarchic period. The name does not occur after the exilic period, and does not become part of later Judean or Jewish nomenclature.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
or מְשֶׁלֶמְיָהוּ; from שָׁלַם and יָהּ; ally of Jah; Meshelemjah, an Israelite; Meshelemiah.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
שׁלם (sh-l-m) — wholeness, completeness, restoration, repayment
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H4918 | מְשֻׁלָּם | Recompensed one |
| H7759 | שׁוּלַמִּית | the Peaceful Woman |
| H7965 | שָׁלוֹם | in the wholeness |
| H7966 | שִׁלּוּם | in the restitution-payment |
| H7967 | שַׁלּוּם | to Recompensed-one |
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4920-03 |
וְ/לִ/מְשֶֽׁלֶמְיָ֖הוּ | velimeshelemeyahu | HC/R/Np |
and to Meshelemiah | and to Yahweh-has-made-whole | 2 |
H4920-02 |
מְשֶֽׁלֶמְיָ֥הוּ | meshelemeyahu | HNp |
Meshelemiah | Yahweh-has-made-whole | 1 |
H4920-01 |
מְשֶֽׁלֶמְיָ֔ה | meshelemeyah | HNp |
Meshelemiah | Yah has made whole | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
4 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4920-01 |
1 Chronicles 9:21 | מְשֶֽׁלֶמְיָ֔ה | meshelemeyah | HNp |
Meshelemiah | Yah has made whole |
H4920-02 |
1 Chronicles 26:1 | מְשֶֽׁלֶמְיָ֥הוּ | meshelemeyahu | HNp |
Meshelemiah | Yahweh-has-made-whole |
H4920-03 |
1 Chronicles 26:2 | וְ/לִ/מְשֶֽׁלֶמְיָ֖הוּ | velimeshelemeyahu | HC/R/Np |
and to Meshelemiah | and to Yahweh-has-made-whole |
H4920-03 |
1 Chronicles 26:9 | וְ/לִ/מְשֶֽׁלֶמְיָ֗הוּ | velimeshelemeyahu | HC/R/Np |
And to Meshelemiah | and to Yahweh-has-made-whole |