3164. Yachdiy'el

Lexical Summary

Yachdiy'el: Jediael

Original Word: יַחְדִּיאֵל
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Yachdiy'el
Pronunciation: yahk-dee-EL
Phonetic Spelling: (yakh-dee-ale')
KJV: Jahdiel
Word Origin: [from H3162 (יַחַד - together) and H410 (אֵל - God)]

1. unity of God
2. Jachdiel, an Israelite

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

Jahdiel

From yachad and 'el; unity of God; Jachdiel, an Israelite -- Jahdiel.

see HEBREW yachad

see HEBREW 'el

Brown-Driver-Briggs

יַחְדִּיאֵל proper name, masculine (God giveth joy) a chief man in Manasseh 1 Chronicles 5:24, ᵐ5 Ιελιηλ, A ᵐ5^L Ιεδιηλ.

Topical Lexicon

Name Significance

Jahdiel (יַחְדִּיאֵל) conveys the thought of divine joy or gladness bestowed by God. The name itself witnesses to the covenant conviction that true rejoicing is rooted in the LORD’s favor (compare Psalm 16:11).

Biblical Occurrence

The name appears once, in 1 Chronicles 5:24, within the genealogy of the half-tribe of Manasseh that settled east of the Jordan.

Geographical and Historical Setting

• Territory: From Bashan northward to Baal-Hermon and Mount Hermon (1 Chronicles 5:23).
• Period: After the initial conquest, during the era of the united monarchy and stretching toward the eighth-century Assyrian incursions.
• Political Climate: The eastern tribes enjoyed prosperity and military might yet faced constant pressure from desert peoples (Hagrites) and, later, Assyria.

Role Among the Transjordan Manassites

1 Chronicles 5:24 records: “These were the heads of their families: Epher, Ishi, Eliel, Azriel, Jeremiah, Hodaviah, and Jahdiel. They were mighty warriors, famous men, and heads of their families.”

1. Clan Leadership – Jahdiel is listed among seven “heads,” implying recognized authority over an extended family network.
2. Military Reputation – The Chronicler calls them “mighty warriors,” reflecting the martial culture of the frontier tribes that guarded Israel’s northeastern flank.
3. Social Influence – They were “famous men,” i.e., men of renown whose decisions shaped the well-being of thousands.

Covenant Faithfulness and Apostasy

Immediately after naming these leaders, the inspired record adds a sobering contrast: “But they were unfaithful to the God of their fathers” (1 Chronicles 5:25). Despite strength and fame, the tribe drifted into idolatry, culminating in exile under Tiglath-pileser (verse 26). Jahdiel’s generation therefore stands at a watershed—honored for valor, yet unable to arrest the community’s spiritual decline.

Spiritual Lessons and Ministry Applications

1. Godly Joy versus Worldly Allure – A name celebrating divine gladness does not guarantee lasting joy; obedience does (John 15:10-11).
2. Leadership Responsibility – Heads of families bear a unique charge to preserve doctrinal fidelity (Deuteronomy 6:6-9). Jahdiel’s era warns of the cost when leadership influence falters.
3. The Peril of Success – Material prosperity and military success can mask creeping compromise (Revelation 3:17).
4. Hope in Exile – Even in judgment the chronicler’s genealogy points forward to restoration; God preserves a remnant and ultimately fulfills His redemptive plan through the Messiah (Isaiah 11:11-12).

Intertextual Connections

• Numbers 32 – initial settlement of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh sets the stage for later genealogies.
• Psalm 60:6-10 – David’s confidence in God’s sovereignty over Transjordan territory offers a theological counterpoint to the tribe’s later unfaithfulness.
• 2 Kings 15:29 – the historical narrative of Tiglath-pileser confirms the exile alluded to in 1 Chronicles 5:26.

Conclusion

Jahdiel exemplifies a generation of valiant, influential leaders whose outward strength could not compensate for inward apostasy. His inclusion in Scripture urges every era to unite courageous service with steadfast devotion, so that the joy expressed in his name becomes the enduring experience of God’s people.

Forms and Transliterations

וְיַחְדִּיאֵ֗ל ויחדיאל veyachdiEl wə·yaḥ·dî·’êl wəyaḥdî’êl

Englishman's Concordance

1 Chronicles 5:24
HEB: וְיִרְמְיָ֨ה וְהוֹדַוְיָ֜ה וְיַחְדִּיאֵ֗ל אֲנָשִׁים֙ גִּבּ֣וֹרֵי
NAS: Hodaviah and Jahdiel, mighty
KJV: and Hodaviah, and Jahdiel, mighty
INT: Jeremiah Hodaviah and Jahdiel men mighty

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 3164
1 Occurrence

wə·yaḥ·dî·’êl — 1 Occ.