הוֹדַיְוָהוּ
Hodajvah, an Israelite
Definition
Hôwdayvâhûw (הוֹדַיְוָהוּ) is a proper noun referring to an Israelite man named Hodajvah, a descendant of the royal line of Judah. He is listed as a son of Elioenai in the genealogy of King David's descendants found in 1 Chronicles 3:24. The name is a variant form of Hôdavyâh (H1938), which means 'praise of Yahweh' or 'Yahweh is my splendor.' As a personal name, it functions solely to identify this specific individual within a historical lineage, with no other semantic meanings or applications in the biblical text.
Biblical Usage
This word is used exactly once in the Old Testament, in 1 Chronicles 3:24. Its usage is purely genealogical, appearing in a list that traces the post-exilic descendants of the Davidic line from Zerubbabel onward. The context is a historical record meant to preserve the identity and lineage of a member of the tribe of Judah.
Etymology
The name הוֹדַיְוָהוּ (Hôwdayvâhûw) is a variant spelling of the more common Hebrew name הוֹדַוְיָה (Hôdavyâh, H1938). It is a compound name, derived from the root הוֹד (hôd), meaning 'splendor,' 'majesty,' or 'praise,' and the divine name יָהּ (Yah), a shortened form of Yahweh. Thus, the name carries the meaning 'praise of Yahweh' or 'Yahweh is my splendor.' The variation in spelling (הוֹדַיְוָהוּ vs. הוֹדַוְיָה) is a common feature in biblical personal names.
Semantic Range
While the name itself is theologically rich in meaning ('praise of Yahweh'), the individual Hodajvah appears only as a name in a genealogy. His inclusion in the Davidic line in 1 Chronicles 3 is significant, as it shows the continuation of God's covenant promise to David (2 Samuel 7) even after the exile. The name serves as a small reminder that the lineage of the Messiah was preserved through individuals whose very names confessed the glory of God.
In ancient Israelite culture, personal names were often meaningful statements of faith or circumstances. A name like Hodajvah, which incorporates the divine name, reflects a family's devotion to Yahweh. Its appearance in a post-exilic genealogy (1 Chronicles 3:24) indicates the ongoing practice of using theophoric (God-containing) names among the returned exiles, affirming their continued identity as the people of God.
Hodaviah (Hôdavyâh, H1938) — The more standard spelling of the same name, meaning 'praise of Yahweh.'
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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