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Athaiah meaning

Athaiah in Biblical Hebrew
עתיה
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Source: https://www.abarim-publications.com/Meaning/Athaiah.html

🔼The name Athaiah: Summary

Meaning
Help Of Yah
Era Of Yah, Witness Of Yah, Answer Of Yah, Ornament Of Yah
Etymology
From (1) the verb עות ('ut), to help, and (2) יה (yah), the name of the Lord.
From (1) the verb ענה ('ana), to answer or correspond, and (2) יה (yah), the name of the Lord.
Related names
• Via עות ('ut): Jeush, Uthai
• Via ענה ('ana): Anah, Anaiah, Anamim, Anammelech, Anath, Anathoth, Anthothijah, Attai, Baana(h), Beth-anath, Beth-anoth, Bethany, Eth-kazin, Janai, Unni
• Via יה (yah): See the 'browse by form' menu for a long list of yah-names.

🔼The name Athaiah in the Bible

The name Athaiah occurs only once in the Bible. A man named such was a son of Uzziah of Judah and was counted among those who were selected to live in Jerusalem, just after the return from Babylon (Nehemiah 11:4).

🔼Etymology of the name Athaiah

The name Athaiah consists of two part, the final one being יה (yah), which is short for יהוה or YHWH. The origin of the first part is not clear, but one possibility is that it derives from עות ('ut), meaning to help:

Excerpted from: Abarim Publications' Biblical Dictionary
עות

Verb עות ('awat) means to bend, make curved or pervert or falsify. Noun עותה ('awwata) means subversion.

עוש

Verb עוש ('ush) means to help. It may also be spelled עות ('ut).

— See the full Dictionary article —

Another possible origin of the first part of our name is in any of the verbs ענה ('ana):

Excerpted from: Abarim Publications' Biblical Dictionary
ענה

There are four verbs of the form ענה ('nh), or perhaps one verb with four distinct usages:

Verb ענה ('ana I) means to answer, respond or correspond, and since in the old world time was considered a cycle, noun עת ('et) means time. Temporal adverb עתה ('atta) means now; adjective עתי ('itti) means timely or ready, and conjunction יען (ya'an) means on account of. Noun מענה (ma'aneh) means an answer and noun ענה ('ona) means cohabitation.

Verb ענה ('ana II) means to be busy or occupied with. Noun ענין ('inyan) means occupation or task, and noun מענה (ma'ana) means place for or agent of a task.

Verb ענה ('ana III) means to afflict, oppress or humble. Noun ענו ('anaw) refers to the poor, afflicted or needy. Noun ענוה ('anawa) means humility. Noun ענות ('enut) means affliction. Adjective עני ('ani) means poor or afflicted. Noun עני ('oni) means affliction or poverty, and noun תענית (ta'anit) means humiliation.

Verb ענה ('ana IV) means to sing.

— See the full Dictionary article —

🔼Athaiah meaning

For a meaning of the name Athaiah, NOBSE Study Bible Name List goes with the verb עות ('ut) and reads Yahweh Is Helper. Jones' Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names appears to evoke the same verb and reads Made Opportunely Of The Lord. BDB Theological Dictionary declares this name "very dubious" and equates it with the name Uthai.