Yozavad is a Hebrew masculine name found in the Old Testament, representing a direct Hebrew form of Jozabad, which itself is a contracted form of Yehozavad. The deeper etymology traces back to the Hebrew roots yeho, referring to the God of Israel, and zavaḏ, meaning "to give," giving the full name "Yahweh has given." Thus, Yozavad shares this theophoric meaning with other biblical names like Jehozabad (the Biblical form) and Yahweh.
Biblical Context
In the Old Testament, Jehozabad (and its variants) appears as the name of minor characters, including one of the assassins of King Joash. The name reflects a common pattern of Hebrew names that incorporate the divine element and express gratitude for a gift from God. The use of the tetragrammaton YHWH is central to these names, though the original pronunciation was considered sacred and eventually lost.
Linguistic Variants
The name appears in several forms across ancient and modern languages: Yehozavad as the full Hebrew form; Jozabad as a contracted Biblical variant; and Jehozabad in Latinzed Biblical transmission. Yozavad itself represents the Hebrew origin without contraction.
- Meaning: "Yahweh has given"
- Origin: Hebrew (from roots yeho + zavad)
- Type: First name, biblical
- Usage: Hebrew Bible