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H2147 · Hebrew · Old Testament
זִכְרִי
Zikhri
Noun, proper (personal name)
remembered by God, memorable

Definition

Zikhri (זִכְרִי) is a personal name meaning "remembered by God" or "my remembrance." It derives from zakar (H2142, to remember), one of Scripture's most theologically laden verbs. Multiple men bear this name in the Hebrew Bible, primarily in Chronicles and Nehemiah.

Usage & Theological Significance

Zakar — to remember — is not a passive mental act in Hebrew theology. When God "remembers" (zakar), He acts. "God remembered Noah" (Gen. 8:1) and sent the flood to recede. "God remembered Rachel" (Gen. 30:22) and opened her womb. The name Zikhri is thus a declaration of faith: I am one God remembers; I am not forgotten. In a culture without written records for common people, being "remembered by God" was the ultimate security. The opposite — to be forgotten by God — was the deepest terror (Psalm 88:5).

Key Verses

1 Chronicles 8:19 Jakim, Zichri, Zabdi...
Nehemiah 11:9 Joel son of Zichri was their chief officer, and Judah son of Hassenuah was second in command over the New Quarter.
Genesis 8:1 But God remembered [zakar] Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark.
Psalm 98:3 He has remembered [zakar] his love and his faithfulness to Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
Luke 1:72 To show mercy to our ancestors and to remember his holy covenant.

Word Study

The name Zikhri has at least 12 bearers in the OT, suggesting its popularity as a faith confession. It belongs to a family of names encoding theological trust: Zekaryah (Zechariah) means "YHWH has remembered." To name a child "God Remembers" is to plant hope in the next generation. The NT equivalent is found in Zechariah's song (Benedictus, Luke 1:68-79): God has "remembered" his covenant — the divine memory finally breaking into history in Christ.

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External Resources

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