Meaning & History
Diklah (דִּקְלָה) is a masculine Hebrew name appearing in the Old Testament. The name is thought to mean "palm grove" in both Hebrew and Aramaic. In the Genealogy of Shem (Genesis 10:27), Diklah is listed as the sixth son of Joktan, making him a descendant of Shem through Eber.
Etymology
The meaning "palm grove" is a plausible derivation from the Semitic root dql, which in Arabic yields words for date palm or palm tree. The name may reflect the presence of oasis vegetation in the region of southern Arabia, which is traditionally associated with Joktan's descendants. Syntactically, the form Diklah resembles a feminine singular noun in Hebrew, but it is used here as a masculine name in the Bible.
Biblical Context
Diklah appears solely in the Table of Nations (Genesis 10:27) within the list of Joktan's sons: Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, Obal, Abimael, Sheba — thirteen in total. These names are often interpreted as representing tribes or locations in the Arabian Peninsula. The Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, also preserves Diklah as Δεγλά (Degla). Apart from these genealogical records, no further narrative details fill out the name bearer's life, underscoring Diklah's role as an eponymous ancestor rather than a biographical figure. Based on the text, he lived sometime in the second millennium BCE, though precise dating of patriarchal lineages remains uncertain.
Cultural Significance
Without a Wikipedia extract or substantial later use, Diklah remains a largely obscure name, primarily studied in the context of Hebrew lexicography and biblical genealogies. In modern times, the related Dikla is a much more common Hebrew version, hinting at an appeal through its nature-related sound. Given its sole occurrence in the Old Testament genealogical tables, the name effectively serves as a reference to the enduring patterns of ancient Near Eastern onomastics.