Lexical Summary
Yechiyyah: Yechiyyah
Original Word:יְחִיָּה
Part of Speech:Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration:Ychiyah
Pronunciation:yeh-khee-YAH
Phonetic Spelling:(yekh-ee-yaw')
KJV: Jehiah
NASB:Jehiah
Word Origin:[fromH2421 (חָיָה - To live) andH3050 (יָהּ - LORD)]
1. Jah will live
2. Jechijah, an Israelite
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Jehiah
Fromchayah andYahh; Jah will live; Jechijah, an Israelite -- Jehiah.
see HEBREWchayah
see HEBREWYahh
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
chayah and
YahDefinition"may Yah live," an Isr.
NASB TranslationJehiah (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
(
may Yah live) keeper of the ark
1 Chronicles 15:24 ( (),
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Topical Lexicon
Theological Significance of the NameYechiah (יְחִיָּה) proclaims, by its very sound, that “Yah lives.” In Israel’s corporate memory this was more than a personal confession; it was a public witness that the covenant God is the ever-living God who sustains His people and keeps His promises.
Biblical Context
1 Chronicles 15 records David’s carefully organized, God-centered procession that brought the Ark of the Covenant from Obed-edom’s house to Jerusalem. After the tragedy of Uzzah (1 Chronicles 13:9–10), David sought the Lord’s will, consulted the Torah regarding priestly duties, and assembled the Levites in meticulous order. Within this context, “Obed-edom and Jehiah were also to be gatekeepers for the ark” (1 Chronicles 15:24).
Historical Setting
David’s reign marked a decisive shift from tribal confederacy to a centralized monarchy with Jerusalem as both political and liturgical center. The Ark’s arrival in the city symbolized Yahweh’s enthronement amid His people (Psalm 132:13–14). Yechiah’s brief appearance situates him in a watershed moment when the worship life of Israel was being codified and publicly re-anchored in scriptural obedience.
Levitical Ministry Role
Gatekeepers guarded the thresholds of the sanctuary, regulating access and ensuring purity:
• Protection of holiness—no unauthorized person could draw near (Numbers 18:3–5).
• Facilitation of worship—directing the orderly flow of priests, musicians, and sacrifices (1 Chronicles 23:5).
• Custodianship of sacred objects—standing watch so that nothing common intruded upon the holy (2 Chronicles 35:15).
By assigning Yechiah as a gatekeeper, David underscored that reverence and regulation are not optional extras but integral to joyful worship.
Trumpets, Gatekeepers, and the Voice of God
Although Yechiah himself is not listed among the trumpet-blowing priests, his station complements their task. Trumpets announced the Ark’s movement (Numbers 10:1–10), while gatekeepers ensured the sanctity of that movement. Together they provided audible and structural testimony that the living God was in the midst of His people. The harmonious interplay between sound and safeguard illustrates how God’s presence is both celebrated and protected.
Spiritual Lessons
1. The indispensability of “minor” servants
Scripture names Yechiah only once, yet his faithfulness contributed to one of Israel’s most joyous liturgical events. The chronicler’s inclusion of his name reminds believers that God notices every act of obedience, however small (Hebrews 6:10).
2. Life from the Living God
Yechiah’s very name embodies the truth that the Lord is alive. In contrast to the mute idols of surrounding nations, Yahweh intervenes in history, brings judgment, and grants life (Deuteronomy 32:39–40).
3. Holiness safeguarded
The gatekeeper’s post teaches that divine presence demands moral and ritual readiness. New-covenant worship likewise requires approaching God “with a true heart in full assurance of faith” (Hebrews 10:22).
Christological Foreshadowing
The Ark ultimately typifies Jesus Christ, the fullest manifestation of God’s presence (John 1:14;Colossians 2:9). Just as Yechiah guarded the Ark’s entrance into Jerusalem, so Christ’s people are called to preserve the gospel’s purity as it enters the hearts of men (2 Timothy 1:14). The living God whom Yechiah’s name extols is the One who, in the resurrection of Jesus, has vindicated His own life and power (Acts 2:24).
Applications for the Church Today
• Cultivate reverent joy—celebration and holiness are not opposites but partners.
• Embrace quiet faithfulness—anonymous service is eternally significant.
• Guard the sacred trust—uphold doctrinal integrity and moral purity in local congregations.
Related Texts for Further Study
Numbers 4:3–15;Numbers 10:1–10;2 Samuel 6:12–15;Psalm 24:7–10;Psalm 68:24–27;1 Corinthians 4:1–2;Revelation 11:19.
Summary
Though mentioned only once, Yechiah stands as a living witness to the God who lives, a gatekeeper whose vigilance helped usher the Ark—and therefore the visible symbol of divine presence—into the heart of Israel’s worship. His life invites every believer to faithful, reverent service before the living Lord.
Forms and Transliterations
וִֽיחִיָּ֔ה ויחיה vichiYah wî·ḥî·yāh wîḥîyāh
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