Bible Word Study
יְהַלֶּלְאֵל
Yᵉhallelʼêl · Jehallelel, the name of two Israelites
יְהַלֶּלְאֵל
Jehallelel, the name of two Israelites
Definition
Yᵉhallelʼêl is a Hebrew proper name meaning 'he praises God' or 'let him praise God.' It belongs to two distinct individuals in the Old Testament. The first is a descendant of Judah mentioned in 1 Chronicles 4:16. The second is the father of Azariah, a Levite who served during the reforms of King Hezekiah, as recorded in 2 Chronicles 29:12. In both cases, the name functions solely as a personal identifier for these Israelite men, with no narrative or meaning differentiation between the two biblical occurrences.
Biblical Usage
This name is used only twice in the Old Testament, both times to identify specific individuals within genealogical or service lists. In 1 Chronicles 4:16, it appears in the genealogy of the tribe of Judah. In 2 Chronicles 29:12, it identifies the father of Azariah, a Levite who assisted in the temple purification under Hezekiah. The usage is strictly onomastic, serving to name persons within historical and priestly lineages.
Etymology
The name is a compound derived from the Hebrew root הָלַל (hālal, H1984), meaning 'to praise, shine, or boast,' and the divine name אֵל (ʼēl, H410), meaning 'God.' It is constructed in a verbal form (the Hiphil imperfect) combined with 'El,' yielding the transparent meaning 'he praises God' or 'let him praise God.' It is part of a common pattern of Hebrew theophoric names that express an action or relationship directed toward God.
Semantic Range
As a theophoric name meaning 'he praises God,' Yᵉhallelʼêl embodies a central theme of Israelite worship and identity. It reflects the cultural and spiritual practice of embedding declarations of faith and devotion into personal identity. While the individuals bearing the name are not major narrative figures, the name itself serves as a perpetual, lived testimony to the importance of praise within the covenant community. Understanding its meaning enriches reading by highlighting how piety was woven into the fabric of daily life and family lineage. In ancient Israel, names were often semantically significant, conveying hopes, character traits, or theological statements about God. A name like Yᵉhallelʼêl, which openly declares 'praise to God,' functioned as a constant personal reminder and public declaration of faith. It fits within the widespread cultural practice of using 'El' (God) or 'Yah' (the LORD) in compound names to express devotion, gratitude, or a desired relationship with the divine. Hodavyah (Hodaviah, H1938) — means 'praise of Yahweh'; another theophoric name combining praise with a divine name. Yehudah (Judah, H3063) — means 'praised,' from the same root (H1984), but is a tribal name, not a direct compound with 'El.'
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]