Bible Word Study
דּוֹדַי
Dôwday · Dodai, an Israelite
דּוֹדַי
Dodai, an Israelite
Definition
Dodai is a proper noun referring to an Israelite military commander who served under King David. The name appears only in 1 Chronicles 27:4, where Dodai the Ahohite is listed as the leader of the division for the second month. He is described as a valiant warrior, and his division consisted of 24,000 men. The name itself is likely a shortened form or a variant of the name Dodo (H1734), which appears elsewhere in the Bible (e.g., Judges 10:1; 2 Samuel 23:9).
Biblical Usage
This word is used only once in the entire Old Testament, in 1 Chronicles 27:4. It appears in the context of a military administrative list detailing the twelve commanders who each led a division of 24,000 men, serving one month per year for the king. This usage highlights the organized military structure of David's kingdom and the role of trusted leaders from various Israelite clans.
Etymology
The name Dodai (דּוֹדַי) is derived from the same root as the common noun 'dod' (דּוֹד, H1730), which means 'beloved,' 'uncle,' or 'a loved one.' It is formed like the name Dudai (דּוּדַי, H1736), which also relates to love or affection. The name likely carries a sense of 'beloved' or 'my beloved,' indicating an endearing or cherished status.
Semantic Range
While the name Dodai itself is not theologically loaded, its single appearance contributes to the Chronicler's theme of David's divinely established and orderly kingdom. The meticulous recording of military officers (1 Chronicles 27) underscores God's blessing on David's reign, providing stability and structure for Israel. It reminds readers that God works through faithful individuals in administrative and supportive roles to accomplish His purposes for His people. In ancient Israelite culture, names often carried significant meaning, reflecting character, parental hopes, or circumstances. A name like Dodai ('my beloved') would express affection. His role as a monthly military commander reflects the practical organization of a standing army in a monarchic system, where leadership was distributed among proven warriors from different tribes to maintain loyalty and efficiency. Dodo (Dodo, H1734) — A similar proper name, likely a variant or fuller form, borne by the father of certain judges and mighty men. Dod (dod, H1730) — The common noun meaning 'beloved' or 'uncle,' which is the root concept for the 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]