Jedidiah

Jedidiah is the alternate name given to Solomon at his birth — bestowed not by his parents but by Yahweh through the prophet Nathan. The name appears only once in the text but carries weight as a marker of divine favor on the child born to David and Bathsheba after the death of their first son. Solomon is the throne-name; Jedidiah is the name from God.

The name from Yahweh

After the second son of David and Bathsheba is named Solomon, the narrative immediately adds Yahweh's own naming: "and he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet; and he named him Jedidiah, for Yahweh's sake" (2Sa 12:25). The verse layers two acts. First, the parents' name stands. Then Yahweh sends the same prophet who had earlier confronted David over Bathsheba and Uriah, and through Nathan attaches a second name that doubles as a verdict — divine love rests on this child where divine judgment had fallen on the first. The name is given "for Yahweh's sake," anchoring it in Yahweh's own purpose rather than human intent.