Bible Word Study
מוֹעַדְיָה
Môwʻadyâh · Moadjah, an Israelite
מוֹעַדְיָה
Moadjah, an Israelite
Definition
Moadjah is a proper name meaning 'assembly of Yahweh' or 'appointed time of Yahweh'. It refers to a specific individual, a priest or Levite, who served in the post-exilic community. The name appears only in Nehemiah 12:17, where Moadjah is listed among the priestly heads of families during the time of the high priest Joiakim. This name signifies a person whose identity is connected to the sacred gatherings or appointed feasts of the Lord.
Biblical Usage
This word is used exclusively as a proper name in the Old Testament, occurring only once in Nehemiah 12:17. It is found within a list of priests and Levites who returned from exile and helped reestablish worship in Jerusalem. The usage is purely genealogical and administrative, documenting the leadership structure of the restored community.
Etymology
The name Moadjah (מוֹעַדְיָה) is a compound of two Hebrew elements: 'môwʻād' (H4151), meaning 'appointed time, meeting, or assembly,' and 'Yāh' (H3050), a shortened form of the divine name Yahweh (the LORD). Thus, the name literally translates to 'assembly of Yah' or 'Yahweh's appointed time.' It is a theophoric name, incorporating God's name, similar to other names like Isaiah (Yesha'yahu, 'salvation of Yahweh'). A variant spelling, Maadiah (H4573), appears in Nehemiah 12:5, likely referring to the same individual.
Semantic Range
While the name itself is not a central theological term, its meaning reflects a significant post-exilic theme: the restoration of proper worship and community identity around Yahweh. Bearing a name that means 'assembly of Yahweh' during the rebuilding of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 12) highlights the renewed focus on covenant community and sacred observance. It personalizes the corporate calling of Israel to be God's gathered people at His appointed times. In ancient Israelite culture, names often carried meaning and expressed hopes or identity. A name like Moadjah, given to a priest, directly connected his personal and familial role to the public, corporate worship of God. In the context of Nehemiah, after the trauma of exile, such names reinforced the re-establishment of a society ordered around Yahweh's worship, law, and feasts (מוֹעֲדִים). Maadiah (Maʿădyâh, H4573) — A variant spelling found in Nehemiah 12:5, likely referring to the same person. The distinction is minor and likely due to textual transmission or dialectical variation.
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]