Hebrew word · H2970

יַאֲזַנְיָ֫הוּ

ya'azanyah

Jaazaniah

Yaʾazanyahu is a sentence name: ʾazan ("to give ear, listen," related to ʾozen, "ear") plus -yahu (the LORD).

Appears 5 times in 5 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

A man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 2Ki.25.23;

son of: Hoshaiah (H1955H); also called Jaazaniah at 2Ki.25.23; Azariah at Jer.43.2;

Another spelling of ye.zan.yah (יְזַנְיָה "Jezaniah" H3153)

§ Jaazaniah = "Jehovah hears"

1) a Judean, son of the Maachathite, a captain of the Judean forces who visited Gedaliah at Mizpah after Gedaliah had been appointed governor of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar

2) son of Shaphan, an elder of Israel in the days of Ezekiel

3) son of Azur, one of the princes of the people against whom Ezekiel was directed to prophesy

4) a Rechabite, son of Jeremiah the prophet

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Ezekiel 8:11

Range of meaning

Yaʾazanyahu is a sentence name: ʾazan ("to give ear, listen," related to ʾozen, "ear") plus -yahu (the LORD). It means "the LORD listens." The name was common in late Judah: the name Jaazaniah appears on a seal found at Tell en-Nasbeh (biblical Mizpah), and the Bible mentions several men with the name (2 Kings 25:23; Jeremiah 35:3; Ezekiel 11:1).

Against the English

English readers see only a name. The meaning and the family connection are lost.

Used elsewhere in the period

Shaphan the scribe (2 Kings 22:3–14) read the law book to Josiah. His son Ahikam protected Jeremiah (Jeremiah 26:24), Elasah carried Jeremiah's letter to the exiles (29:3), Gemariah owned the room where Jeremiah's scroll was read (36:10–12, 25), and his grandson Gedaliah became governor (2 Kings 25:22). This Jaazaniah is not the Jaazaniah son of Azzur in Ezekiel 11:1.

Where it appears

2 Kings · 1

  1. 2 Kings 25:23 וְיַֽאֲזַנְיָ֙הוּ֙ and Jaazaniah

    When all the commanders of the armies and their men heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah as governor, they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah—Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan son of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah son of the Maacathite, as well as their men.

Jeremiah · 2

  1. Jeremiah 35:3 יַאֲזַנְיָ֤ה Jaazaniah

    So I took Jaazaniah son of Jeremiah, the son of Habazziniah, and his brothers and all his sons—the entire house of the Rechabites—

  2. Jeremiah 40:8 וִֽיזַנְיָ֙הוּ֙ and Jezaniah

    they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah—Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, and Jezaniah son of the Maacathite—they and their men.

    Here: 2 Kings 25:23 spells the same man Jaazaniah. The name comes from 'ear' (ʾōzen): God gives ear.

Ezekiel · 2

  1. Ezekiel 8:11 וְיַאֲזַנְיָ֨הוּ and Jaazaniah

    Before them stood seventy elders of the house of Israel, with Jaazaniah son of Shaphan standing among them. Each had a censer in his hand, and a fragrant cloud of incense was rising.

    Here: The name means "the LORD gives ear" or "the LORD hears." It sits awkwardly with what this group says in v. 12 ("the LORD does not see us") and with God's verdict in v. 18 ("though they cry in my ears… I will not listen").

  2. Ezekiel 11:1 יַאֲזַנְיָ֧ה Jaazaniah

    Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the gate of the house of the LORD that faces east. And there at the entrance of the gate were twenty-five men. Among them I saw Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah son of Benaiah, who were leaders of the people.

    Here: A real and common name of the time. He is not the Jaazaniah son of Shaphan of 8:11. The name means "YHWH gives ear", which is a pointed name for a man the next verse shows giving evil counsel.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.