אִי־כָבוֹד (i-kha.vod)
i-kha.vod
Ichabod
N:N-M-PQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- N:N-M-P
Word Overview
The name Ichabod, meaning "no glory," appears in 1 Samuel as a poignant marker of national tragedy. It belongs to the son of Phinehas, born at a moment when Israel suffered a devastating military defeat and the Ark of the Covenant was captured by the Philistines. The name serves not merely as an identifier but as a permanent memorial to that specific loss, encapsulating the sudden removal of divine presence from the community.
Linguistically, Ichabod is a compound of the negative particle ai and the noun kavod, which denotes weight, honor, or glory. By combining these elements, the name functions as a declarative statement: the glory has departed. This usage highlights how Hebrew names often carried prophetic or descriptive weight, reflecting the circumstances of birth rather than just familial lineage.
Although the name appears only twice in Scripture—first in 1 Samuel 4:21 and again in a genealogical list in 1 Chronicles 8:33—it carries significant theological resonance. It stands in stark contrast to the earlier glory associated with Phinehas and the Tabernacle, illustrating a period where God’s visible favor seemed withdrawn. The brevity of its biblical record underscores the severity of the event it commemorates.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The name Ichabod carries a heavy weight, literally meaning 'no glory.' It marks a moment in Israel’s history when the Ark of the Covenant was captured and the visible presence of God seemed to have departed from His people. This name serves as a stark reminder that human strength or religious rituals cannot guarantee divine favor.
Yet, this story does not end in despair. The departure of glory was a temporary season of judgment, not a permanent abandonment by God. Even when circumstances feel dark or when we sense distance from the divine, the narrative of Scripture moves toward restoration and renewed hope.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- Ichabod1×
- I-1×
- -chabod1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- כָבוֹד֙1×
- אִיכָב֣וֹד\׀1×
- אִֽי\־1×
Key Verses
-
I Samuel 4:21
She named the child Ichabod, saying, “The glory has departed from Israel!” because God’s ark was taken, and because of her father-in-law and her husband.
This verse captures the immediate grief of the mother, linking the name directly to the loss of the Ark and the perceived absence of God's glory.
-
I Samuel 14:3
including Ahijah the son of Ahitub, Ichabod’s brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli the priest of Yahweh in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. The people didn’t know that Jonathan was gone.
This genealogical mention preserves the memory of Ichabod’s family line, showing that even in tragedy, God remembers individuals and their place in history.