יְבֶרֶכְיָהוּ
Jeberekjah, an Israelite
Definition
Yᵉberekyâhûw is a proper name meaning 'Yahweh blesses' or 'blessed of Yahweh.' It is the name of a single individual in the Old Testament, the father of Zechariah, a witness to the prophet Isaiah's symbolic act (Isaiah 8:2). The name is a compound theophoric name, explicitly invoking the blessing of Israel's God. As a personal name, it does not have multiple senses, but its meaning is entirely derived from its constituent parts.
Biblical Usage
This name is used only once in the entire Old Testament, in Isaiah 8:2. It identifies Jeberekiah as the father of Zechariah, one of the two reliable witnesses Isaiah calls to attest to his prophetic action of writing 'Maher-shalal-hash-baz' on a large tablet. The name appears solely in this historical-prophetic context within the book of Isaiah.
Etymology
The name is a compound of two Hebrew elements. The first part comes from the verb בָרַךְ (bārak, H1288), meaning 'to bless.' The second part is a shortened form of the divine name יָהּ (Yāh, H3050), a poetic abbreviation for Yahweh (יהוה). Thus, the name is a clear declaration: 'Yahweh blesses' or 'blessed of Yah.'
Semantic Range
As a theophoric name, Jeberekiah embodies a core theological affirmation of ancient Israel: that blessing originates from Yahweh. While the individual himself is not a major figure, his name serves as a perpetual, personal testimony to God's character as the source of all blessing. Understanding the name's meaning enriches the reading of Isaiah 8:2 by reminding the reader that even the witnesses in a prophetic sign-act bear names that declare foundational truths about God.
In ancient Israel, names were often meaningful statements of faith, hope, or circumstance. A name like Jeberekiah was a public declaration of the parents' devotion to Yahweh and their prayer for His blessing upon their child. It reflects the common cultural practice of embedding theological concepts into personal identity, something less emphasized in many modern naming conventions.
בָּרוּךְ (Bārûk, H1289) — An adjective meaning 'blessed,' often used as a standalone name (e.g., Baruch, Jeremiah's scribe). יְהוֹנָתָן (Yᵉhônāṯān, H3083) — A theophoric name meaning 'Yahweh has given,' sharing a similar structure of combining an action of God with the divine name.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
Full methodology & sources →