עַשְׁתְּרָתִי (ash.te.ra.ti)
ash.te.ra.ti
Ashterathite
N:N--LGQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- N:N--LG
Word Overview
The adjective ashterathi identifies a person as an inhabitant of Ashtaroth, a city mentioned in the genealogies and military records of Israel. In 1 Chronicles 11:44, it describes one of King David’s mighty men, linking this warrior directly to that specific location.
The word is formed by adding the Hebrew gentilic suffix -i to the name Ashtaroth (H6252). This morphological pattern is standard for denoting origin or nationality in biblical Hebrew, similar to how "Jerusalemite" might describe someone from Jerusalem. The root city name itself likely relates to stars, reflecting the Canaanite deity associated with that region.
Because this term appears only once in the entire Hebrew Bible, it serves as a precise geographical marker rather than a theological concept. Its sole occurrence anchors a historical figure to a place, preserving the memory of Ashtaroth’s role in the tribal landscape during the united monarchy period.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The name Ashterathite appears just once in Scripture, identifying Uzzia as a man from Ashtaroth. This brief mention anchors his identity to a specific place, reminding us that God records the origins of His people with care. In the biblical world, your hometown shaped your community ties and often your trade. For Uzzia, this label was not just geography; it marked him as part of David’s trusted military force.
God’s story includes ordinary places and everyday names alongside grand theological themes. By preserving Uzzia’s local identity, Scripture shows that faithfulness happens in real communities, not in abstraction. Your own background and connections are known to God. He weaves individual lives into a larger narrative of redemption, valuing each person’s unique contribution to His purposes.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- the/ Ashterathite1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- הָ/עֲשְׁתְּרָתִ֑י1×
Key Verses
-
I Chronicles 11:44
Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jeiel the sons of Hotham the Aroerite,
This verse uniquely identifies Uzzia by his place of origin, linking a specific warrior to the city of Ashtaroth within David's military roster.