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H223 · Hebrew · Old Testament
אוּרִיָּה
Uriyah
Proper noun, masculine
Uriah (my flame is Yahweh)

Definition

The Hebrew proper name Uriyah (אוּרִיָּה) means "Yahweh is my light" or "Yahweh is my flame", combining ur (light/flame) and Yah (Yahweh). The most famous bearer is Uriah the Hittite, one of David's "Thirty" — his elite warriors — and the husband of Bathsheba.

Usage & Theological Significance

Uriah the Hittite stands as one of Scripture's most striking ironies: a Gentile warrior whose name declares "Yahweh is my light" displayed more integrity than Israel's king in the moment of David's sin. While David plotted his death, Uriah refused to go home to his wife while his comrades were encamped in the field (2 Samuel 11:11) — an act of covenant loyalty and soldier's honor. His faithful name and faithful conduct expose David's treachery. The prophet Nathan's parable and God's judgment follow. Uriah's name in Christ's genealogy (Matthew 1:6 — "the wife of Uriah") memorializes both his faithfulness and God's grace operating despite human sin.

Key Bible Verses

2 Samuel 11:3 And David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, 'She is Bathsheba, daughter of Eliam and wife of Uriah the Hittite.'
2 Samuel 11:11 Uriah said to David, 'The ark and Israel and Judah are staying in tents... Shall I then go to my house to eat and drink and make love to my wife?'
2 Samuel 23:39 Uriah the Hittite: thirty-seven in all.
Matthew 1:6 And Jesse the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah's wife.
1 Kings 15:5 For David had done what was right in the eyes of the LORD and had not failed to keep any of the LORD's commands all the days of his life — except in the case of Uriah the Hittite.

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