יְקַמְיָה
Jekamjah, the name of two Israelites
Definition
יְקַמְיָה (Yᵉqamyâh) is a Hebrew proper name meaning 'Yahweh will rise' or 'Yahweh will establish.' It belongs to two individuals in the Old Testament. The first is Jekamiah, a descendant of Judah through Jerahmeel, listed in the genealogy of 1 Chronicles 2:41. The second is Jekamiah, a son of King Jeconiah (Jehoiachin), mentioned in the royal lineage of 1 Chronicles 3:18. In both instances, the name functions solely as a personal identifier within genealogical records, with no narrative attached to the individuals.
Biblical Usage
This name appears exclusively in the genealogical lists of 1 Chronicles, specifically in 1 Chronicles 2:41 and 1 Chronicles 3:18. Its usage is purely onomastic, serving to record lineage within the tribes of Judah and the Davidic royal family. There are no narrative contexts or patterns of usage beyond these two attestations in post-exilic historical records.
Etymology
The name is a compound of two Hebrew elements: the verb קוּם (qûm, H6965), meaning 'to arise, stand up, or establish,' and the divine name יָהּ (Yâh, H3050), a shortened form of Yahweh. It is a theophoric name, common in Israelite culture, expressing a theological statement or hope—in this case, 'Yahweh will rise/establish.' It is etymologically related to names like יְהוֹיָקִים (Yᵉhôyâqîm, H3079), meaning 'Yahweh will raise up.'
Semantic Range
As a theophoric name meaning 'Yahweh will rise,' it reflects the Israelite practice of embedding faith declarations into personal identity. It points to hope in Yahweh's active, establishing power, whether in the context of family lineage (1 Chronicles 2:41) or the perpetuity of the Davidic line (1 Chronicles 3:18). While the bearers are not prominent figures, the name itself is a miniature creed, affirming trust in God's sovereign action and faithfulness to His promises.
In ancient Israelite culture, names were often meaningful statements about God's character or the parents' hopes. יְקַמְיָה is a classic example of a theophoric name, connecting an individual's identity directly to Yahweh. Its use in post-exilic genealogies (1 Chronicles) may reflect a cultural re-emphasis on covenant identity and God's faithfulness to the lineages of Judah and David after the Babylonian exile.
יְהוֹיָקִים (Yᵉhôyâqîm, H3079) — A similar theophoric name ('Yahweh will raise up'), borne by a king of Judah; shares the same root verb (קוּם) but uses the fuller divine prefix (יְהוֹ).
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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