Bible Word Study
אָגֵא
ʼÂgêʼ · Age, an Israelite
אָגֵא
Age, an Israelite
Definition
Agee (אָגֵא) is a proper noun referring to an Israelite warrior mentioned in the Bible. He is identified as the father of Shammah, one of King David's mighty men known as the 'Thirty' (2 Samuel 23:11). The name itself appears to be of uncertain meaning, possibly derived from a root meaning 'to be strong' or 'to increase,' though this is not definitive. The single biblical occurrence solely serves to establish his lineage in the context of David's military elite.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only once in the Old Testament, in 2 Samuel 23:11. It functions exclusively as a personal name, identifying the father of the hero Shammah. The context is a list of David's most valiant warriors, placing Agee within the cultural and military history of ancient Israel.
Etymology
The etymology of אָגֵא (Agee) is uncertain. Scholars often link it by similarity to the name Agag (אֲגַג, H90), a title for Amalekite kings (e.g., Numbers 24:7, 1 Samuel 15:8). This potential connection might suggest a foreign or non-Israelite origin for the name, or it could simply be a coincidental phonetic resemblance. No clear Hebrew root is definitively established.
Semantic Range
As a personal name, 'Agee' reflects the naming practices of ancient Israel. Being the father of a celebrated warrior in David's army signifies a family of notable military valor and loyalty to the king. This context places the individual within the social structure of the early Israelite monarchy, where martial prowess was highly esteemed. Agag (אֲגַג, H90) — A title for Amalekite kings, not a direct synonym but a phonetically similar proper name with a different referent and often negative connotations in biblical narrative.
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (BDB, 1906, public domain). Concordance and morphology data are from the OSHB (Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible).
Full methodology & sources →References
- Abbott-Smith, G. (1921) A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Brown, F., Driver, S.R. and Briggs, C.A. (1906) A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford: Clarendon Press. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Tyndale Brief lexicon of Extended Strongs for Greek (TBESG). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Formatted full LSJ (TFLSJ). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Thayer, J.H. (1889) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. [Public Domain]
- Gesenius, W. (1846) Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament. [Public Domain]
- Dodson, J. (2010) Greek Lexicon. Biblical Humanities. [CC0]