אֲמִתַּי
𐤀𐤌𐤕𐤉
Amitay
H573 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Personal name: Amittai. The name means 'my truth' or potentially 'truthful one.' It designates a specific Israelite individual, the father of the prophet Jonah. The semantic range is limited to its function as a proper name, but its formation with the first-person pronominal suffix may imply a sense of 'YHWH is my truth' or 'truth is mine.'
Semantic Range
proper name (Amittai), expression of truthfulness, formation indicating 'my truth' or 'truth is mine'
Root / Etymology
From the Hebrew root אָמֵן (אמן), meaning 'to be firm, reliable, true,' combined with the abstract noun אֶמֶת ('truth') and a possessive pronominal suffix -י ('my'). Thus, אֲמִתַּי is composed as 'my truth' or 'truthfulness belongs to me.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
Amittai appears in the Hebrew Bible only as the father of the prophet Jonah (Jonah 1:1; 2 Kings 14:25). The etymology reflects a pattern common in Israelite onomastics, where nouns or qualities are combined with pronominal suffixes or theophoric elements. There is no evidence for the use of this name beyond the designation of this individual; it does not carry additional connotations beyond its literal meaning and personal identification. English translations retain the proper name 'Amittai.' The name's significance lies in its construction, reflecting values such as truth or faithfulness highly prized in Israelite naming conventions, but does not imply an office, title, or general role in society. It should not be understood as a description of ethnic or religious affiliation beyond its use as a patronymic for Jonah.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from אֶמֶת; veracious; Amittai, an Israelite; Amittai.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
אמן (ʾ-m-n) — firmness, reliability, faithfulness, truth
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1968 | הֵימָן | Heman |
| H4191 | מוּת | your reliability |
| H529 | אֵמוּן | steadfast trustworthiness |
| H530 | אֱמוּנָה | in steadfastness |
| H539 | אָמַן | I will regard as firm |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H573-01 |
אֲמִתַּי֙ | amitay | HNp |
Amittai | My Truth | 2 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H573-01 |
2 Kings 14:25 | אֲמִתַּי֙ | amitay | HNp |
of Amittai | My Truth |
H573-01 |
Jonah 1:1 | אֲמִתַּ֖י | amitay | HNp |
Amittai | My Truth |