Meaning & History
Micaiah is a Hebrew name appearing in the Old Testament, given to both males and females. It means "who is like Yahweh?" and is composed of the elements mi ("who"), ke ("like"), and yah (referring to the Hebrew God). This name is the full form of Micah, which itself appears as a shortened version.
Biblical figures
In the Hebrew Bible, Micaiah is best known as the son of Imlah, a prophet active during the reign of King Ahab of Israel. According to 1 Kings 22, Micaiah was called upon by Ahab and King Jehoshaphat of Judah to prophesy about a upcoming battle at Ramoth-gilead. While 400 other prophets unanimously predicted victory, Micaiah courageously contradicted them, foretelling disaster because of a lying spirit sent by God to deceive Ahab. This prophecy indeed came true, as Ahab died in that battle. Micaiah is also counted as one of the four disciples of the prophet Elijah.
The name also appears as a feminine name, belonging to the mother of King Abijah of Judah. 2 Chronicles 13:2 refers to her as Micaiah, though parallel passages (e.g., 1 Kings 15 and 2 Chronicles 11) call her Maacah, possibly due to a textual variant or her use of an alternative name because of a close maternal figure named Maacah.
Linguistic and textual background
The Hebrew spelling of Micaiah can vary; the masculine prophet's name is sometimes given as Miykah (Micah) or Mikhāyāhû (the longer theophoric form). Other related forms include Michaiah, Micajah, and in the Septuagint, Michaias (Greek) or Micheas (Latin). The name is also cognate with German Micha and Biblical Hebrew Mikha.
- Meaning: "Who is like Yahweh?"
- Origin: Hebrew
- Type: Unisex (both male and female bearers in the Bible)
- Usage regions: English Bible translations, also in modern usage through Puritan traditions
Related Names
Sources: Wikipedia — Micaiah