Bible Word Study
עֲזִיאֵל
ʻĂzîyʼêl · Aziel, an Israelite
עֲזִיאֵל
Aziel, an Israelite
Definition
Aziel is a proper name meaning 'God is my strength' or 'strengthened of God.' It is the name of a Levite musician appointed by King David to play the lyre during the ceremonial transport of the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 15:20). In some manuscripts and translations, this individual is identified as Jaaziel (H3268), which is a variant form of the same name with a similar meaning. The name appears only in this specific historical and liturgical context.
Biblical Usage
This name is used only once in the Old Testament, in 1 Chronicles 15:20. It is used in the context of listing the Levitical musicians responsible for the music during a pivotal moment of national worship—the moving of the Ark. The usage is purely as a personal identifier within a historical record.
Etymology
The name Aziel (עֲזִיאֵל) is a compound name derived from the Hebrew root עוּז (ʻûz, H5756), meaning 'strength' or 'to take refuge,' and אֵל (ʼēl, H410), the common word for 'God.' It is a theophoric name, a common practice in Israelite culture, where a divine name (El) is incorporated to express a relationship or attribute of God pertaining to the individual or their family.
Semantic Range
While the name itself is not central to a major doctrine, it reflects a profound personal and communal theology. Names like Aziel served as daily reminders of God's character and the believer's dependence on Him. In its biblical context, the bearer is engaged in worship, highlighting that true service and strength in ministry are derived from God. Understanding such names enriches reading by revealing the spiritual mindset of the people and the personal faith declarations embedded in their culture. In ancient Israel, names were often descriptive and carried significant meaning, sometimes reflecting the parents' faith or circumstances. A name meaning 'God is my strength' was a statement of identity and reliance. The individual bearing this name served as a temple musician, a role of high honor and spiritual responsibility, connecting the meaning of his name directly to his vocation in leading corporate worship. Jaaziel (Yaʻăzîyʼêl, H3268) — A variant spelling/name of the same individual, sharing the identical etymological components and meaning 'God strengthens.'
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]