אַשְׁדּוֹדִי (ash.do.di)
ash.do.di
Ashdod
N:N--LGQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 4 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- N:N--LG
Word Overview
The noun Ashdodi refers to a person from the Philistine city of Ashdod, one of the five major cities in the region that often stood in opposition to Israel during the period of the judges and the monarchy. The term functions as a gentilic adjective, identifying nationality or origin rather than describing a specific character trait or religious belief. In the Hebrew text, it appears sparingly, occurring only four times across the Old Testament.
The word is closely linked to its root, Ashdod (H0795), which means "spoils" or "plunder." This etymology hints at the city's historical reputation for wealth acquired through trade and warfare. The sources note that Ashdodi is essentially a variant spelling of the more common form found in other contexts, serving to distinguish these inhabitants from other Philistines like Gathites or Ekronites.
Scripture uses this label primarily in historical narratives to locate events geographically. It appears in Joshua 13:3 when defining the borders of Canaan, and in Nehemiah 4:7 where it describes enemies plotting against Jerusalem's walls. In 1 Samuel 5-6, the term identifies the priests and people who handled the ark of the covenant after its capture. These references anchor the word in specific political and military conflicts, marking the Ashdodites as key players in Israel’s struggle for land and security.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The term Ashdodi simply identifies a person from the Philistine city of Ashdod. It is a geographical label used in historical records to distinguish residents of that specific area from other neighbors like Gathites or Ekronites. The word itself does not carry moral judgment but places people within a concrete political and military context during Israel’s early history.
These references appear when defining borders, describing conflicts over the ark of the covenant, or noting mixed marriages in later generations. For believers today, such terms ground Scripture in real places and real tensions. They remind us that God’s story unfolds among actual nations facing real struggles for identity and security.
Reading these names helps us see how ancient communities navigated their relationships with surrounding powers. Whether describing enemies or neighbors, the text treats them as part of a larger divine narrative where human choices intersect with God’s purposes.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 4 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- the/ Ashdodites1×
- and/ the/ Ashdodite[s]1×
- [the] Ashdodites1×
- Ashdodite1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- וְ/הָ/אַשְׁדּוֹדִי֙1×
- הָ/אַשְׁדּוֹדִ֖ים1×
- אַשְׁדּוֹדִים֙1×
- אַשְׁדֳּדִיּ֔וֹת1×
Key Verses
-
I Samuel 5:3
When the people of Ashdod arose early on the next day, behold, Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before Yahweh’s ark. They took Dagon and set him in his place again.
This verse uses the term to identify the specific community that discovered Dagon fallen before the ark, highlighting their role in witnessing divine power.
-
I Samuel 5:6
But Yahweh’s hand was heavy on the people of Ashdod, and he destroyed them and struck them with tumors, even Ashdod and its borders.
Here the label identifies the population suffering judgment, showing how the city’s inhabitants were directly affected by God’s hand.
-
Nehemiah 13:23
In those days I also saw the Jews who had married women of Ashdod, of Ammon, and of Moab;
This occurrence marks a later generation where Ashdodi women married Jewish men, illustrating ongoing social and religious challenges for restored Jerusalem.