from חָדַד; a peak; Chadid, a place in Palestine; Hadid.
Transliteration:Châdîyd
Pronunciation:khaw-deed'
Detailed Word Study
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### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew lemma `{{H2307}}` חָדִיד (Châdîyd) is a proper noun, specifically a place name. Its etymology traces back to the root `{{H2300}}` חָדַד (chadad), which signifies "to be sharp," "to be keen," or "to be pointed." Consequently, the literal meaning of חָדִיד is "a peak" or "a sharp point," suggesting a location characterized by a prominent or pointed geographical feature. As a proper noun, it identifies a specific town in ancient Palestine, whose name likely derived from its topographical description.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
The town of Hadid is mentioned exclusively in the post-exilic books of Ezra and Nehemiah, consistently appearing in lists detailing the return of the Jewish exiles from Babylon.
* In [[Ezra 2:33]], Hadid is listed alongside Lod (Lydda) and Ono as one of the towns whose inhabitants returned to Judah, with 725 individuals specified. This verse is part of a comprehensive register of those who came back with Zerubbabel.
* A parallel account is found in [[Nehemiah 7:37]], where Hadid, Lod, and Ono are again grouped together, with a slightly different count of 721 individuals. This reiteration underscores the significance of these communities in the re-establishment of the Jewish presence in the land.
* Furthermore, [[Nehemiah 11:34]] lists Hadid among the towns where the people of Judah settled after the return from exile, specifically stating, "Hadid, Zeboim, Neballat." This passage highlights the re-population efforts and the distribution of the returning exiles throughout various historical towns in the region of Benjamin/Ephraim.
From these occurrences, it is evident that Hadid was a recognized and settled town during the Persian period, situated in a strategic area often associated with the Lod Valley. Its inclusion in these vital post-exilic records confirms its role as a key location in the restoration of the Jewish community and the re-inhabitation of the ancestral land.
### Related Words & Concepts
The primary related word is the verbal root `{{H2300}}` חָדַד (chadad), from which `{{H2307}}` derives. This root conveys the idea of sharpness, as seen in contexts describing sharpened tools or weapons (e.g., [[Isaiah 41:15]] referring to a "sharp" threshing sledge, or [[Ezekiel 21:14]] describing a "sharpened" sword). This etymological link suggests that Hadid was named for a distinctive, perhaps prominent or pointed, geographical feature in its vicinity.
Conceptually, Hadid relates to other biblical place names that are descriptive of their physical environment (e.g., Mount Hermon, meaning "sacred peak"; Beersheba, "well of the oath"). Its mention in the context of the return from exile connects it to broader themes of restoration, re-population, and the re-establishment of the covenant community in the Promised Land. It is part of the geographical and demographic fabric of post-exilic Judah.
### Theological Significance
As a geographical place name, the theological significance of Hadid is primarily indirect, contributing to the historical and geographical framework of God's redemptive plan. Its repeated mention in the lists of returnees from Babylonian exile (Ezra and Nehemiah) underscores the fulfillment of divine prophecy concerning the restoration of Israel to their land. The very act of the exiles settling in places like Hadid signifies the tangible outworking of God's faithfulness to His covenant promises, bringing His people back from dispersion.
Hadid represents one of the many physical locations that witnessed the re-gathering of the remnant and the rebuilding of the nation. While not a site of major theological revelation or a symbolic archetype, its presence in the biblical record serves as a testament to the meticulous detail of God's sovereign oversight of history. It reminds the reader that God's promises are fulfilled not merely in abstract terms but in the concrete re-establishment of communities in specific, named places, including those whose names evoke their physical characteristics, like "the peak."
### Summary
`{{H2307}}` חָדִיד (Châdîyd) is a Hebrew proper noun designating a town in ancient Palestine, whose name means "peak" or "sharp point," derived from the root `{{H2300}}` (to be sharp). It appears exclusively in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, consistently listed among the towns re-inhabited by Jewish exiles returning from Babylon (e.g., [[Ezra 2:33]], [[Nehemiah 7:37]], [[Nehemiah 11:34]]). Its inclusion in these post-exilic registers highlights its role as a tangible location in the historical process of Israel's restoration. Theologically, Hadid contributes to the narrative of God's faithfulness in fulfilling His covenant promises, as the returnees re-established their communities in the land, marking a significant phase in the unfolding of divine redemptive history.
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