יְמוּאֵל
Jemuel, an Israelite
Definition
יְמוּאֵל (Yᵉmûwʼêl) is a proper name meaning 'Day of God' or 'God's Day.' It refers to Jemuel, a son of Simeon, the second son of Jacob and Leah (Genesis 46:10). In the parallel genealogy in Exodus 6:15, the same individual is named Nemuel, a variation likely due to dialectical differences or scribal transmission. The name appears only in these two genealogical lists, identifying him as a founding member of the Simeonite tribe during the family's descent into Egypt.
Biblical Usage
This name is used exclusively in two Old Testament genealogical passages. It appears in Genesis 46:10, listing the sons of Simeon who went to Egypt with Jacob. It recurs in Exodus 6:15, in the genealogy of Moses and Aaron, though with the variant 'Nemuel.' There are no narrative uses; its function is purely identificatory within tribal lineage records.
Etymology
The name יְמוּאֵל is a compound of two Hebrew elements: יוֹם (yôm, H3117), meaning 'day,' and אֵל (ʼēl, H410), a primary name for 'God.' It is a theophoric name, a common practice in Israelite culture, where a divine name (El) is incorporated to express a relationship or attribute of God, in this case, perhaps invoking God's sovereignty over time or a specific day of divine significance.
Semantic Range
While the name itself is not central to major doctrines, its meaning, 'Day of God,' reflects the Israelite practice of embedding theological concepts into personal identity. It serves as a small reminder that even in genealogical lists, the biblical narrative points to a God who is involved with families and tribes. Understanding such names enriches reading by revealing the pervasive hope and acknowledgment of God's presence in daily life and lineage.
In ancient Israelite culture, names were often descriptive or expressed a hope or statement about God. A name like Jemuel, borne by a tribal patriarch, would have been a constant, albeit subtle, reminder to his clan of God's claimed authority over their days and destiny. The variant spelling (Nemuel) in Exodus illustrates the fluidity of name transmission in oral and written records before standardization.
Nemuel (Nᵉmûwʼêl, H5241) — A variant name for the same individual, likely a dialectical form or transcriptional difference.
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 →