Bible Word Study
יֶהְדַי
Yehday · Jehdai, an Israelite
יֶהְדַי
Jehdai, an Israelite
Definition
Yehday (יֶהְדַי) is a proper noun identifying an individual named Jehdai, who appears only once in the Old Testament. He is listed as a descendant of Caleb within the genealogy of the tribe of Judah (1 Chronicles 2:47). The name is recorded as the son of an otherwise unknown figure named Ezrah and the father of several sons, placing him in a specific lineage. As a genealogical entry, the name serves to document the family lines within Israel's history, with no other narrative or descriptive details provided about his life or actions.
Biblical Usage
This word is used exactly once in the entire Old Testament, in 1 Chronicles 2:47. Its usage is strictly genealogical, appearing within the extensive family records of the tribe of Judah. It functions solely to identify a person within a list of descendants, with no narrative context or repeated appearances in other books.
Etymology
The etymology of יֶהְדַי (Yehday) is uncertain. Strong's suggests it is perhaps derived from a form corresponding to H3061, יְהוּד (Yehud), which relates to Judah or praise. This potential connection would link the name to the tribe of Judah or to concepts of thanksgiving. However, the exact derivation remains unclear, and it is treated as a proper name with no further developed meaning.
Semantic Range
In the cultural context of ancient Israel, genealogies like the one in 1 Chronicles were vital for establishing tribal identity, inheritance rights, and priestly lineages. A name like Jehdai, recorded in such a list, signifies his place within the covenant community and the historical continuity of God's people. While mundane to modern readers, each name in these lists affirmed an individual's connection to the promises given to Abraham and Judah. יְהוּדָה (Yehudah, H3063) — The name of the tribe and patriarch Judah, from which Jehdai descends; a much more prominent and theologically significant 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]