יוֹיָדָע

Jojada, the name of two Israelites

Definition

Yôwyâdâʻ (Jojada) is a proper name borne by two distinct individuals in the post-exilic books of Nehemiah. The first is a priest who helped repair the Old Gate in Jerusalem (Nehemiah 3:6). The second, and more prominent, is a high priest from the lineage of Jeshua, serving during the time of Nehemiah. This Jojada was the father of Eliashib the high priest (Nehemiah 12:10) and the grandfather of a son who married into the family of Sanballat the Horonite, an act which Nehemiah condemned (Nehemiah 13:28). The name itself means 'Yahweh knows' or 'Yahweh has known.'

Biblical Usage

This name appears exclusively in the book of Nehemiah, specifically in contexts related to the priesthood and the restoration of Jerusalem. It is used to identify individuals within priestly genealogies (Nehemiah 12:10-11, 22) and in a narrative about the physical rebuilding of the city wall (Nehemiah 3:6). Its final, most significant usage is in Nehemiah's account of expelling a priest who had defiled the priesthood through a forbidden marriage (Nehemiah 13:28), highlighting a conflict over religious purity.

Etymology

Yôwyâdâʻ is a later, shortened form of the more common name יְהוֹיָדָע (Yᵊhôwyâdâʻ, H3077), which combines the divine name Yahweh (יהוה) with the verb יָדַע (yādaʿ, H3045), meaning 'to know.' Thus, the name means 'Yahweh knows.' This contraction reflects a linguistic trend in the post-exilic period where the theophoric element 'Yah' (יָהּ) was sometimes used instead of the full 'Yahweh.'

Semantic Range

While a personal name, its meaning, 'Yahweh knows,' is theologically significant. It reflects a core Israelite belief in God's intimate knowledge of and care for His people. In the narrative of Nehemiah 13:28, this name stands in ironic contrast to the actions of Jojada's grandson, whose marriage outside the covenant showed a disregard for God's known law. The story underscores that true identity as God's people ('known by God') requires covenant faithfulness.

In ancient Israel, names were often descriptive or declarative, expressing a parent's faith or circumstances of birth. A name meaning 'Yahweh knows' affirmed God's omniscience and personal involvement. The contraction from Yehoyada to Yowyada aligns with naming practices in the Second Temple period. The scandal in Nehemiah 13:28 involved a high priest's family marrying into a politically powerful but hostile foreign family (the Sanballatids), which was seen as a grave threat to the religious and ethnic identity of the restored community.

יְהוֹיָדָע (Yᵊhôwyâdâʻ, H3077) — The longer, more common form of the same name, borne by the famous high priest during the reigns of Joash and Athaliah (2 Kings 11-12).

Word Details

Scripture References