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פְּדָיָה

𐤐𐤃𐤉𐤄

Pedayah

H6305 noun

SILEX Entry

Root פדה to redeem, to ransom, to rescue

Definition

A personal name meaning 'Yah has ransomed' or 'Yah acts as redeemer'; occurs as the name of several individuals in the Hebrew Bible. The semantic range encompasses the act or state of being redeemed or rescued by Yahweh, with the name expressing gratitude or acknowledgment of divine deliverance or redemption.

Semantic Range

personal name expressing 'Yah has ransomed,' used of several Israelite individuals; denotes gratitude or affirmation of redemption by Yahweh; name given in historical, genealogical, and administrative contexts; does not refer to generic redemption but is always personal name

Root / Etymology

Composed from the verb פָּדָה (pādāh, to redeem) and the theophoric element יָהּ (Yah, a shortened form of the divine name YHWH). Thus, פְּדָיָה (Pᵉdâyâh) literally means 'Yah(weh) has redeemed' or 'Yah(weh) is redeemer.' The structure follows a common pattern in theophoric Hebrew names, indicating a theological assertion or prayer relating to Yahweh's redemptive action.

Historical & Contextual Notes

פְּדָיָה appears as the name of at least six individuals in the Hebrew Bible, including a father of Zerubbabel (1 Chronicles 3:19), a Levite in the time of King Josiah (2 Kings 23:24; paralleled in 2 Chronicles), and other returnees or officials in association with the Jerusalem return from exile (Nehemiah 3:25, 8:4, 11:7, 13:13). The use of theophoric names such as פְּדָיָה reflects a broader cultural pattern in First Temple and early Second Temple Israelite society, where invoking the personal name of the deity within a name conveyed trust or theological hope. The core meaning centers on the idea of redemption, which in Hebrew usage can refer to rescue from danger, liberation from slavery or exile, or fulfillment of a vow. Unlike modern translations that render the name as 'Pedaiah', the name's meaning is preserved in the original Hebrew. The presence of פְּדָיָה in texts spanning pre-exilic and post-exilic periods indicates its enduring popularity, and its use alongside or as an alternative to other divine-name-bearing personal names (such as פְּדָיָהוּ Pedaiahu) demonstrates flexibility in theophoric element placement. English translations sometimes translate or explain the meaning of the name but more often simply transliterate it; the full semantic nuance of redemption by Yahweh is thereby typically lost to the non-Hebrew reader.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or פְּדָיָהוּ; from פָּדָה and יָהּ; Jah has ransomed; Pedajah, the name of six Israelites; Pedaiah.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

פדה (p-d-h) — redeem, ransom, rescue

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3301 יִפְדְּיָה and Yah redeems
H6299 פָּדָה I will redeem
H6300 פְּדַהְאֵל El-has-ransomed
H6302 פָּדוּי the ransomed ones
H6303 פָּדוֹן Ransomed-one

Word Forms

4 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H6305-02 פְּדָיָ֖ה pedayah HNp Pedaiah Yah has ransomed 4
H6305-04 וּ/פְדָיָה֙ ufedayah HC/Np and Pedaiah and Yah-has-ransomed 2
H6305-03 פְּדָיָֽהוּ pedayahu HNp of Pedaiah Yah has ransomed 1
H6305-01 פְדָיָ֔ה fedayah HNp Pedaiah Yah Has Ransomed 1

Occurrences in Scripture

8 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H6305-02 2 Kings 23:36 פְּדָיָ֖ה pedayah HNp of Pedaiah Yah has ransomed
H6305-02 Nehemiah 3:25 פְּדָיָ֥ה pedayah HNp Pedaiah Yah has ransomed
H6305-02 Nehemiah 8:4 פְּ֠דָיָה pedayah HNp Pedaiah Yah has ransomed
H6305-02 Nehemiah 11:7 פְּדָיָה֩ pedayah HNp Pedaiah Yah has ransomed
H6305-04 Nehemiah 13:13 וּ/פְדָיָה֙ ufedayah HC/Np and Pedaiah and Yah-has-ransomed
H6305-04 1 Chronicles 3:18 וּ/פְדָיָ֖ה ufedayah HC/Np and Pedaiah and Yah-has-ransomed
H6305-01 1 Chronicles 3:19 פְדָיָ֔ה fedayah HNp Pedaiah Yah Has Ransomed
H6305-03 1 Chronicles 27:20 פְּדָיָֽהוּ pedayahu HNp of Pedaiah Yah has ransomed
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