Bible Word Study
שְׁכַנְיָה
Shᵉkanyâh · Shekanjah, the name of nine Israelites
שְׁכַנְיָה
Shekanjah, the name of nine Israelites
Definition
Shekanjah (שְׁכַנְיָה) is a Hebrew proper name meaning 'Yahweh has dwelt' or 'Jah has taken up residence.' It is borne by nine different individuals in the Old Testament, primarily in post-exilic books. These men held various roles, including a descendant of David (1 Chronicles 3:21-22), a priestly leader (1 Chronicles 24:11; 2 Chronicles 31:15), and key figures in the return from Babylonian exile (Ezra 8:3, 8:5). One notable Shekanjah, the son of Jehiel, played a crucial role in confessing Israel's sin and proposing the dissolution of foreign marriages (Ezra 10:2).
Biblical Usage
The name appears exclusively in post-exilic historical books (Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah), reflecting its use during the restoration period. It is applied to priests, Levites, and laymen, indicating it was a common theophoric name expressing hope in God's renewed presence among His people. Specific references include a temple official (2 Chronicles 31:15), a builder of Jerusalem's wall (Nehemiah 3:29), and returning exiles (Ezra 8:3, 5).
Etymology
Derived from the verb שָׁכַן (shakan, H7931), meaning 'to dwell, settle, inhabit,' and the divine name יָהּ (Yah, H3050), a shortened form of Yahweh. The name is a declarative statement: 'Yahweh has dwelt.' The alternate prolonged form שְׁכַנְיָהוּ (Shekanyahu) uses the full theophoric ending.
Semantic Range
As a theophoric name, Shekanjah embodies a core biblical theme: God's dwelling (shekinah) with His people. It reflects post-exilic hope that God, who had seemingly abandoned Jerusalem, had returned to reside among the restored community. This name points forward to the ultimate fulfillment in Christ, 'the Word who became flesh and dwelt among us' (John 1:14), using the Greek equivalent of 'dwelt' (eskēnōsen). In the post-exilic era, names declaring God's action (like 'has dwelt') became prominent, expressing the community's renewed identity and dependence on God after the trauma of exile. It signified a reaffirmation of the covenant relationship and the belief that God was once again present in Jerusalem and the rebuilt Temple. Other theophoric names with the root שָׁכַן: Mishkan (מִשְׁכָּן, H4908) — refers to the Tabernacle as God's dwelling place. Bethel (בֵּית־אֵל, H1008) — means 'house of God,' a place of divine dwelling.
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]