עַזָּתִי
𐤏𐤆𐤕𐤉
Azati
H5841 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Demonym denoting a person or inhabitant from עַזָּה (Azzah, Gaza), i.e., a native or resident of Gaza; employed as an ethnic or geographic term for individuals associated with the Philistine city of Gaza. The term is used to identify origin, residence, or affiliation with Gaza, rather than religious or ethnic identity per se.
Semantic Range
inhabitant of Gaza, native of Gaza, person from Gaza (Azzah), gentilic describing origin from the city of Gaza
Root / Etymology
Formed from the toponym עַזָּה (Azzah, 'Gaza') with the gentilic suffix -ִי, which is used in Hebrew to denote association or origin (on the pattern: place name + -ִי = demonym or gentilic adjective). Core meaning of the root עזז relates to strength or might; however, in this instance, עַזָּה functions as a proper noun referring to the city, and the root sense does not shape the gentilic's definition.
Historical & Contextual Notes
עַזָּתִי appears only a few times in the Hebrew Bible (e.g., Judges 16:1, 3; 1 Chronicles 7:28) and designates individuals from Gaza, a major Philistine city on the Mediterranean coast. In the narrative context, it is used to describe Philistines or local inhabitants, especially in opposition to Israelites. The form is constructed in the same way as other biblical gentilic adjectives (e.g., יְרוּשָׁלְמִי 'from Jerusalem', יִשְׂרְאֵלִי 'Israelite'), but refers specifically and exclusively to the city of Gaza. English renderings such as 'Gazite' or 'Gazathite' appear in various translations, though 'inhabitant of Gaza' is more precise. In pre-exilic and monarchic contexts, this term never refers to Israelites or Judahites but to local, typically Philistine, populations. The term does not carry later religious or ethnic overtones that shift in post-biblical or post-exilic usage. In LXX and subsequent translations the word may be rendered as 'Gazaeus' or as 'of Gaza,' and some English translations (especially older ones) use 'Gazathite,' which is not a standard English ethnonym. The meaning remains stable across its rare occurrences, always denoting association with the city of Gaza.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
patrial from עַזָּה; an Azzathite or inhabitant of Azzah; Gazathite, Gazite.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
עזה (ʿ-z-h) — to be strong, to prevail
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5841-01 |
הָ/עַזָּתִ֤י | haazati | HTd/Ngmsa |
the Gazite | the Gazan man | 1 |
H5841-02 |
לַֽ/עַזָּתִ֣ים | laazatim | HRd/Np |
to the Gazites | to the Gazans | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5841-01 |
Joshua 13:3 | הָ/עַזָּתִ֤י | haazati | HTd/Ngmsa |
the Gazite | the Gazan man |
H5841-02 |
Judges 16:2 | לַֽ/עַזָּתִ֣ים | laazatim | HRd/Np |
to the Gazites | to the Gazans |