Bible Word Study
יַחְדוֹ
Yachdôw · Jachdo, an Israelite
יַחְדוֹ
Jachdo, an Israelite
Definition
Jachdo is a proper name of an Israelite mentioned only once in the Bible. He is identified as the son of Buz and a descendant of Gad, belonging to one of the clans of the tribe of Gad (1 Chronicles 5:14). The name itself is derived from the Hebrew word for 'together' or 'unity,' suggesting a meaning like 'his unity' or 'togetherness.' As a personal name, it functions solely to identify this individual within a genealogical list and carries no other distinct meanings or applications in Scripture.
Biblical Usage
The word יַחְדוֹ (Yachdôw) is used exclusively as a proper noun in 1 Chronicles 5:14. It appears within a genealogical record detailing the lineage of the tribe of Gad, specifically listing the sons of Abihail. Its usage is purely for personal identification in a historical and familial context, with no narrative or descriptive function beyond naming this individual in the list.
Etymology
The name Jachdo is constructed from the Hebrew root יַחַד (yachad, H3162), meaning 'together,' 'unity,' or 'as one,' combined with the third-person masculine singular pronominal suffix וֹ (ô), meaning 'his.' Thus, the name literally translates to 'his unity' or 'his togetherness.' It is a theophoric or descriptive name reflecting a concept of communal or familial solidarity.
Semantic Range
In ancient Israelite culture, names often carried significant meaning, reflecting circumstances of birth, parental hopes, or attributes of God. A name like Jachdo ('his unity') likely expressed a value placed on family or tribal solidarity. Its appearance in a genealogy underscores the importance of lineage and tribal identity for the post-exilic community for whom Chronicles was written, preserving the memory of the Gadite clans. יַחַד (yachad, H3162) — The root word meaning 'together' or 'unity,' from which Jachdo is derived.
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]