Iyyar 1 – Beloved Brother – Today in the Bible

Iyyar 1, 5785; from sunset April 28, 2025, to sunset April 29, 2025

(The sixteenth day of the second month)

Our featured image for today is from the top of the fortress Masada. We’ve chosen to use this location when remembering the men whom King David selected to protect the kingdom. As the last hold-out after Rome destroyed Jerusalem, Masada has become a symbol of Jewish resistance. In modern times, IDF recruits would complete a pre-dawn climb to its summit and, there, took an oath of allegiance to the nation of Israel. Though this practice has largely ended, Masada’s symbolism lives on.

This is the name Dodai as seen in the Aleppo Codex, one of the oldest, most complete Hebrew manuscripts.

It’s a new month and that means a new military commander is keeping watch over the kingdom. King David set up a military guard that rotated every month. Each month had a leader and 24,000 men. Today in the Bible, Dodai takes command.

And the children of Israel, according to their number, the heads of fathers’ houses, the captains of thousands and hundreds and their officers, served the king in every matter of the military divisions. These divisions came in and went out month by month throughout all the months of the year, each division having twenty-four thousand. – 1 Chronicles 27:1

Over the division of the second month was Dodai an Ahohite, and of his division Mikloth also was the leader; in his division were twenty-four thousand. – 1 Chronicles 27:4 (NKJ)

The name Dodai comes from the Hebrew verb דוד (dvd), which is not used as a verb in the Bible. However, there are several related nouns which are in the Bible — including one very famous proper noun. As a verb, דוד means to love or fondle. Below is a listing of nouns which stem from this verb:

dod (דּוֹד) – beloved, uncle
dodah (דּ֗דָה) – aunt
dudai (דּוּדַי) – mandrake
dud (דּוּד) – a pot or a jar

דָּוִיד

So, what is the very famous proper noun stemming from this root? It’s David! דָּוִיד – David’s name means “Beloved.”

The letter י (yod) upon which the name Dodai ends, may either create an adjective (“love-ly”), a possessive form (“my love”), or may be an indicator of God’s Holy Name which begins with a yod (“Love of God”).

For a meaning of the name Dodai, the Jones’ Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names reads “Beloved of the Lord.”

Dodai was an Ahohite (אֲחוֹחִי – “A-cho-chi”). The word “ach” (אׇח), in Hebrew, means “brother.” The name Ahoah (אֲחוֹחַ – “A-cho-ach”), from which Ahohite stems, means “brotherly.”

Dodai, the Ahohite, our captain for the month of Iyyar and a “Beloved Brother.”

Serving with Dodai, Mikloth is also listed as a leader. The name Mikloth (מִקְלוֹת) comes from the word “makkel” (מַקֵּל) meaning “a rod or a staff.” Mikloth is in the plural form — rods, staffs.

To read all of our posts on King David’s military leaders, please click on the image above.