🔼The name Azaziah: Summary
- Meaning
- Yah Is Strong, Strength Of Yah
- Etymology
- From (1) the verb עזז ('azaz), to be strong, and (2) יהו (yahu), the shortened name of the Lord.
🔼The name Azaziah in the Bible
The name Azaziah is actually Azaziahu. Almost all Hebrew names that end with iah also occur slightly expanded, ending with iahu. But the English translations of the Bible traditionally only list the iah-form and omit the iahu-form. The name Azaziah only occurs as Azaziahu in the Bible, but, true to tradition, we'll continue to speak of Azaziah:
There are three men named Azaziah in the Bible, all relatively late in the narrative:
🔼Etymology of the name Azaziah
The name Azaziah consists of two elements. The first part of our name comes from the verb עזז ('azaz), 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.
The final part of the name Azaziah is the appellative יה (Yah) = יהו (Yahu) = יו (Yu), which in turn are abbreviated forms of the Tetragrammaton יהוה, YHWH, or Yahweh.
🔼Azaziah meaning
For a meaning of the name Azaziah, NOBSE Study Bible Name List reads Yahweh Is Strong. Jones' Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names reads Strengthened Of The Lord. And BDB Theological Dictionary reads Yahweh Is Mighty.