Bible Word Study
עַזְרִיקָם
ʻAzrîyqâm · Azrikam, the name of four Israelites
עַזְרִיקָם
Azrikam, the name of four Israelites
Definition
Azrikam is a Hebrew proper name meaning 'help of an enemy' or 'my help has arisen.' It is borne by four distinct individuals in the Old Testament. The first is a descendant of David, the son of Neariah (1 Chronicles 3:23). The second is a son of Azel, a Benjamite (1 Chronicles 8:38, 9:44). The third is a Levite, the father of Hashabiah (1 Chronicles 9:14; Nehemiah 11:15). The fourth is a palace official of King Ahaz of Judah, killed by the Ephraimite warrior Zichri (2 Chronicles 28:7). The name's meaning remains consistent across all references, though the individuals hold different tribal and social roles.
Biblical Usage
The name Azrikam is used exclusively for individuals in genealogical and historical contexts within the books of Chronicles and Nehemiah. It appears in the detailed tribal lists of 1 Chronicles 3 (Judah), 1 Chronicles 8-9 (Benjamin), and Nehemiah 11 (Levites), establishing lineage. Its most narrative usage is in 2 Chronicles 28:7, where Azrikam is identified as the 'palace administrator' of King Ahaz, highlighting a position of authority before his death in battle. The pattern is strictly as a personal identifier for male Israelites.
Etymology
The name is a compound of two Hebrew elements: 'ezer (H5828), meaning 'help,' and the active participle of 'qum' (H6965), meaning 'to arise' or 'to stand.' A literal rendering is 'help has arisen.' The traditional parsing 'help of an enemy' interprets the second element ('qam') as deriving from a homonymous root meaning 'to be hostile,' though the more common understanding is the positive connotation of 'help arising.'
Semantic Range
As a personal name, Azrikam reflects the common Israelite practice of using theophoric or meaningful phrases to name children, often invoking God's attributes or actions. While 'Azrikam' does not contain the divine name (YHWH), it expresses a hopeful sentiment of divine or communal assistance. The name's bearer in 2 Chronicles 28:7 held the significant administrative role of 'palace administrator' ('asher al-habayit'), a position of major responsibility in the royal court. Ezer (H5828) — The root word for 'help,' a common element in Hebrew names. Azariah (H5838) — A more common name meaning 'Yahweh has helped,' incorporating the divine name.
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]