שִׁיזָא
Shiza, an Israelite
Definition
Shiza is the name of an Israelite mentioned only once in the Old Testament as the father of Adina, one of King David's mighty warriors (1 Chronicles 11:42). As a proper noun, it functions solely as a personal identifier. The name's meaning is uncertain, and no other biblical narratives or genealogical details are provided about Shiza himself. His significance lies entirely in his paternal relationship to Adina, who is listed among David's elite military men.
Biblical Usage
The word is used exclusively in 1 Chronicles 11:42, within a list of David's mighty men. It appears in a genealogical context, identifying 'Adina the son of Shiza the Reubenite.' This singular usage is purely for personal identification within a historical record of military leadership.
Etymology
The etymology of 'Shiza' is unknown. It is a proper name of uncertain derivation, with no clear root in biblical Hebrew. Scholars have not identified reliable cognates or a proposed meaning, leaving it as an opaque personal name from the Israelite period.
Semantic Range
As a personal name, 'Shiza' reflects the common Israelite practice of using names whose specific meanings might be known within the original family or tribal context but are now lost to us. His identification as a Reubenite places his family within the tribe of Reuben, which settled east of the Jordan River. The mention underscores the value placed on recording lineage and military service in chronicling David's reign.
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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