יְהֻדִיָּה
Jehudijah, a Jewess
Definition
יְהֻדִיָּה (Yᵉhudîyâh) is a proper feminine name meaning 'Jewess' or 'woman of Judah.' It is the feminine form of the more common term 'Yᵉhûdî' (Jew). The name appears only once in the Old Testament, in 1 Chronicles 4:18, identifying Jehudijah as one of the wives of Mered, a descendant of Judah. In this genealogical context, the name likely serves to emphasize her ethnic identity as a member of the tribe of Judah, distinguishing her from Mered's other wife, who is identified as a daughter of Pharaoh. There are no other biblical senses or meanings for this specific term.
Biblical Usage
This word is used a single time in the entire Old Testament, in 1 Chronicles 4:18. Its usage is strictly genealogical, appearing within the lengthy chronicles of Judah's descendants. The context is the listing of Mered's family, where his two wives—one Egyptian (Bithiah) and one Judean (Jehudijah)—are named, highlighting the mixed heritage of his lineage. No patterns of usage exist beyond this one instance.
Etymology
The name יְהֻדִיָּה (Yᵉhudîyâh) is derived directly from the masculine noun יְהוּדִי (Yᵉhûdî, H3064), meaning 'Jew' or 'man of Judah.' The suffix '-âh' is a standard feminine ending in Hebrew. The root ultimately traces back to יְהוּדָה (Yᵉhûdâh, Judah), the name of the patriarch and tribe. Thus, the meaning develops from the tribal/territorial name 'Judah' to the ethnic designation 'Judean/Jew,' and finally to this specific feminine form, 'Jewess.'
Semantic Range
While the word itself is a simple proper name, its single appearance carries subtle theological weight. In 1 Chronicles 4:18, Jehudijah the Jewess is contrasted with Bithiah the Egyptian, illustrating God's work within the complex, interethnic family lines that constitute the people of Israel. This reflects the broader biblical theme that God's covenant community, though rooted in a specific lineage (Judah), was not always ethnically exclusive, even in the Old Testament. Understanding this Hebrew term underscores that identity as part of 'Judah' was a significant marker, preserved even in personal names within genealogies.
In the original cultural setting, a name like 'Jewess' explicitly identified a woman's tribal and national affiliation. During the period reflected in Chronicles, after the Babylonian exile, maintaining a clear Judean identity became increasingly important. The recording of this name in a genealogy signifies the value placed on pure lineage within the tribe of Judah, especially when contrasted with a marriage to an Egyptian. It highlights the social and religious importance of ethnic identity in post-exilic Israel.
יְהוּדִי (Yᵉhûdî, H3064) — The masculine form, meaning 'Jew' or 'man of Judah.' יְהוּדָה (Yᵉhûdâh, H3063) — The foundational name of the patriarch and tribe, meaning 'praised.'
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.
Full methodology & sources →