Hizkijah is a name found in the King James Bible, appearing 1 time in the text.
Who This Was
Hizkijah was one of the leaders of Israel who sealed the covenant with Nehemiah during the restoration of Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile. He is named in Nehemiah 10:17, in a list of men who put their seal to a written agreement made before God. The setting is the rebuilt city of Jerusalem, where the returned exiles had gathered under Nehemiah’s leadership to confess their sins, commit themselves to obey God’s law, and formally bind themselves to that commitment by sealing a document.
The sealing of this covenant was a serious and public act. Those who sealed it were not merely adding their names to a record; they were pledging themselves, their households, and their futures to faithfulness before God. Nehemiah 10 opens with the names of the men who sealed the covenant, beginning with Nehemiah the governor and then listing priests, Levites, and leaders of the people. Hizkijah appears in that list alongside Ater and Azzur, identified as one of the leaders who joined in this pledge.
Scripture tells us nothing else about Hizkijah beyond this single mention. We do not know his father, his tribe, or his later life. What we know is that when the people of God were called to renew their covenant with Him, Hizkijah was among those who stepped forward and set his seal to that commitment. His one appearance in the King James Bible is a record of his participation in that solemn moment of national repentance and dedication.
The Name
The name Hizkijah is a Hebrew name, and its meaning is well established. It is a form of the name more commonly rendered Hezekiah, which means “Yahweh is my strength” or “the LORD strengthens.” The name is built from the Hebrew elements *hazaq*, meaning “to be strong” or “to strengthen,” and a shortened form of the divine name *Yahweh*. The same name appears elsewhere in Scripture in its longer form, most famously borne by King Hezekiah of Judah. The shorter spelling “Hizkijah” found here in Nehemiah reflects a variation in how the name was written and transmitted. Its meaning, however, remains the same: a confession that strength comes from the LORD.
A Closing Thought
Hizkijah appears only once in all of Scripture, yet that single verse records something that mattered: he sealed a covenant to follow God. Most of us will never be remembered in a list of notable names, and that is all right. What matters is not how many verses mention us, but whether we are found among those who, when the moment calls for it, quietly bind themselves to the Lord. Hizkijah’s name means “the LORD strengthens,” and perhaps that is fitting—for it is only by God’s strength that any of us keeps the promises we make to Him.
At a Glance
- Gender: Male
- Testament: Old
- Mentions in the KJV: 1
Where It Appears in Scripture
- Nehemiah 10:17 — Ater, Hizkijah, Azzur,