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Hephzibah

biblical_name theological_term standard

A Hebrew personal name meaning “my delight is in her.” In Isaiah 62:4 it is used as a symbolic name for restored Zion, expressing the Lord’s favor toward his people.

At a Glance

Name meaning “my delight is in her.”

Key Points

Description

Hephzibah is a Hebrew personal name commonly understood to mean “my delight is in her.” Scripture uses the name in two related ways. First, it identifies Hezekiah’s wife, the mother of Manasseh, in 2 Kings 21:1. More significantly, Isaiah 62:4 uses Hephzibah as a symbolic name for Zion, declaring that the city will no longer be called Forsaken but Hephzibah, because the Lord delights in her. In that prophetic setting the name functions as a vivid picture of covenant restoration and gracious divine favor after judgment. The entry is best treated as a biblical name with theological significance rather than as a standalone doctrinal term.

Biblical Context

2 Kings 21:1 introduces Hephzibah as the wife of Hezekiah and mother of Manasseh. Isaiah 62:4 then reuses the name poetically for Zion, contrasting abandonment with restored delight.

Historical Context

The name reflects common Hebrew naming practices, where personal names often carried theological meaning. Isaiah’s use of the name fits prophetic language of renewal and restored identity for Jerusalem after judgment and exile.

Jewish and Ancient Context

In the ancient Near Eastern and biblical world, names often conveyed hope, character, or divine action. Isaiah’s renaming of Zion fits the biblical pattern of symbolic name-giving to express a changed covenant status.

Primary Key Texts

Secondary Key Texts

Original Language Note

Hebrew: חֶפְצִי־בָהּ (commonly understood as “my delight is in her”). The exact nuance reflects the name’s poetic and symbolic force in context.

Theological Significance

In Isaiah 62:4 the name signals God’s gracious delight in his restored people. It highlights covenant mercy, renewed identity, and the reversal of forsakenness.

Philosophical Explanation

The term shows how biblical language can move from ordinary naming to symbolic proclamation. A personal name becomes a theological sign when used in prophecy to describe God’s relation to his people.

Interpretive Cautions

Do not treat Hephzibah as a separate doctrine or as evidence for special mystical meaning in names. In Isaiah 62:4 the force is literary and prophetic: the name symbolizes restored favor, not a literal change in ontology.

Major Views

Interpreters generally agree on the basic meaning and on Isaiah 62:4 as symbolic language for Zion. The main question is not the meaning of the name but how strongly the prophetic renaming should be pressed; the safest reading sees it as vivid covenant-restoration imagery.

Doctrinal Boundaries

The entry should remain within the bounds of biblical naming and prophetic symbolism. It should not be expanded into speculative name theology or detached from the immediate context of Isaiah 62.

Practical Significance

Hephzibah reminds readers that God can replace shame with delight and abandonment with restored favor. It offers a concise picture of grace and renewal.

Related Entries

See Also

Data

Machine-readable JSON for Hephzibah

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