🔼The name Jaaziah: Summary
- Meaning
- Yah Strengthens
- Etymology
- From (1) the verb עזז ('azaz), to be strong, and (2) יהו (yahu), the shortened name of the Lord.
🔼The name Jaaziah in the Bible
The name Jaaziah (or rather Jaaziahu) is assigned only once in the Bible. He's mentioned under the descendants of Merari, the son of Levi, and the father of Beno, Shoham, Zaccur and Ibri (1 Chronicles 24:26).
🔼Etymology of the name Jaaziah
The name Jaaziah consists of two components. The last bit of the name is the appellative יה (Yah) = יהו (Yahu) = יו (Yu), which in turn are abbreviated forms of the Tetragrammaton יהוה, YHWH, or Yahweh.
About the origin of the first element of the name Jaaziah the sources are in disagreement. Jones' Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names goes with a verb that doesn't occur in Hebrew, but which in Arabic means to comfort.
BDB Theological Dictionary and NOBSE Study Bible Name List (and probably any Hebrew audience) don't see the need to go abroad and go with the familiar Hebrew verb עזז ('azaz), generally meaning to be strong:
עזז
The verb עזז ('azaz) means to be strong. Adjective עז ('az) means strong, mighty or fierce and adjective עזוז ('izzuz) means mighty or powerful. Nouns עז ('oz) and עזוז ('ezuz) mean strength, might or fierceness.
Noun עזניה ('ozniya) denotes some kind of bird of prey (this word may actually be a convenient import from another language) and noun עז ('ez) denotes a she-goat (this word may actually derive from a verb that means to be wayward or perhaps strong-headed).
Verb עוז ('uz) means to bring into refuge or to seek safety. Noun מעוז (ma'oz) describes a place or agent of safety.
🔼Jaaziah meaning
For a meaning of the name Jaaziah, Jones' Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names reads He Is Comforted Of The Lord. BDB does not propose a translation but NOBSE reads Yahweh Strengthens.