עַמִּיאֵל
𐤏𐤌𐤉𐤀𐤋
Amiel
H5988 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A personal name meaning 'my kinsman is El' or 'kinsman of El (God).' The name is composed of two elements: 'ammi' (my kinsman/people) and 'el' (a designation for God or a high deity). In biblical usage, Ammiel refers to several individuals, notably including a spy representing the tribe of Dan (Numbers 13:12), the father of Bath-shua (Bathsheba), mother of Solomon (1 Chronicles 3:5), the father of Machir of Lo-Debar (2 Samuel 9:4), and a representative from Simeon (1 Chronicles 26:5).
Semantic Range
personal name; a person whose kin or people are ('of', 'belonging to') El (God); my kinsman is El; used as the name of various Israelite men across narrative and genealogical contexts
Root / Etymology
From the Hebrew root ע-מ-ם (עם) meaning 'people, kin, nation' and אֵל (El) meaning 'God' or 'deity.' The construction עַמִּי (my kinsman/my people) + אֵל (El) forms a theophoric name, suggesting membership or relationship between a person or people and the deity El. This pattern is common among biblical Hebrew personal names indicating a relationship to 'God' or a specific god by the use of -el as a suffix.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The name עַמִּיאֵל appears several times in the Hebrew Bible, each referring to an Israelite in distinct genealogical contexts. As a theophoric name, it reflects a typical practice of embedding the divine name within personal names to indicate kinship, protection, or belonging to God (El). The translation 'people of God' or 'kin of El' does not denote a collective entity, but a personal or familial tie signified via the name. In English translation traditions, 'Ammiel' is typically transliterated with little contextual explanation, which can obscure the originally rich theophoric meaning. The specific identities related to Ammiel are: (1) a Danite spy sent by Moses; (2) Bath-shua's/Bathsheba's father, highlighting royal lineage links; (3) father of Machir, connected to the Saulide narrative; (4) a gatekeeper referencing post-exilic community roles. This pattern points to the persistence of theophoric forms before and during the monarchy, and into later periods. The rendering 'God's people' or 'people of God' in some English traditions does not accurately reflect the personal, rather than collective, emphasis of the Hebrew formation.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from עַם and אֵל; people of God; Ammiel, the name of three or four Israelites; Ammiel.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
עם (ʿ-m) — people, kinsman, nation
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H517 | אֵם | with her |
| H525 | אָמוֹן | Ammon (Kin-People) |
| H526 | אָמוֹן | Ammon |
| H528 | אָמוֹן | Ammon (Kin-People) |
| H5972 | עַם | the gathered people |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5988-01 |
עַמִּיאֵ֖ל | amiel | HNp |
Ammiel | My-kin-is-El | Amiel | 6 |
Occurrences in Scripture
6 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5988-01 |
Numbers 13:12 | עַמִּיאֵ֖ל | amiel | HNp |
Ammiel | My-kin-is-El | Amiel |
H5988-01 |
2 Samuel 9:4 | עַמִּיאֵ֖ל | amiel | HNp |
Ammiel | My-kin-is-El | Amiel |
H5988-01 |
2 Samuel 9:5 | עַמִּיאֵ֖ל | amiel | HNp |
of Ammiel | My-kin-is-El | Amiel |
H5988-01 |
2 Samuel 17:27 | עַמִּיאֵל֙ | amiel | HNp |
Ammiel | My-kin-is-El | Amiel |
H5988-01 |
1 Chronicles 3:5 | עַמִּיאֵֽל | amiel | HNp |
of-Ammiel | My-kin-is-El | Amiel |
H5988-01 |
1 Chronicles 26:5 | עַמִּיאֵ֤ל | amiel | HNp |
Ammiel | My-kin-is-El | Amiel |