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Discover the meanings of thousands of Biblical names in Abarim Publications' Biblical Name Vault: Bedeiah

Bedeiah meaning

בדיה

Source: https://www.abarim-publications.com/Meaning/Bedeiah.html

🔼The name Bedeiah: Summary

Meaning
Servant Of Yah
Part Of Yah
In The Sufficiency Of Yah
Etymology
From (1) the verb עבד ('abad), to work or serve, and (2) יה (yah), the name of the Lord.
From (1) the verb בדד (badad), to isolate, and (2) יה (yah), the name of the Lord.
From (1) the prefix ב (be), in, (2) the particle די (day), sufficient, and (3) יה (yah), the name of the Lord.

🔼The name Bedeiah in the Bible

The name Bedeiah occurs only once in the Bible. Ezra mentions a man named such among the sons of Bani who had married foreign wives and who pledged to divorce them (Ezra 10:35).

🔼Etymology of the name Bedeiah

It's not clear where the name Bedeiah (בדיה) comes from but it may be a shortened version of the name Obadiah (עבדיה). That name is a compound of יה (yah), which itself is short for יהוה or YHWH, and the verb עבד ('abad), meaning to work or to serve:

Excerpted from: Abarim Publications' Biblical Dictionary
עבד

The verb עבד ('abad) means to work or serve, and the noun עבד ('ebed) denotes someone who works: from a slave to a hired expert. The Greek equivalent of this noun is δουλος (doulos).

Another possible origin of our name lies in the verb בדד (badad), meaning to isolate or divide into parts:

Excerpted from: Abarim Publications' Biblical Dictionary
בדד

The verb בדד (badad) means to isolate or be separate, but significantly not severed from the maternal medium but rather identified as an individual part of that maternal medium. Its derived nouns בדד (badad) and בד (bad) describe isolation for whatever reason but frequently describe how God isolates (but not severs) his people from the world or makes them notably special or recognizable within it. Hence the noun בד (bad) also describes the signature linen ephods of priests. More negatively, this noun בד (bad) may also describe speech that is disjointed, idle or empty. The verb בדא (bada') means to invent or connive.

Finally, the first part of our name may also be a compound of two elements, namely the prefix ב (be), meaning in:

Excerpted from: Abarim Publications' Biblical Dictionary
ב

Prefix ב (be) means in, within or by means of.

And the substantive די (day), meaning sufficient:

Excerpted from: Abarim Publications' Biblical Dictionary
די

The particle די (day) means sufficiently or enough and implies an abundance. It often occurs joined with prefixes.

🔼Bedeiah meaning

For a meaning of the name Bedeiah, NOBSE Study Bible Name List goes with the shortened version of Obadiah and reads Servant Of Yahweh. Jones' Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names derives our name from ב (be) and די (day) and reads In The Protection Of The Lord. BDB Theological Dictionary appears to agree with NOBSE, refers to Obadiah but adds a question mark.