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Ishvi

Old TestamentEgypt & WildernessMaleSon

Ishvi (or Isui) was a son of Asher and grandson of Jacob (Gen.46.17, Num.26.44, 1Ch.7.30).

Ishvi illustration
Ishvi

Biography

Ishvi (also rendered Isui or Jesui) was among the sons born to Asher, one of the twelve sons of Jacob, making him a grandson of the patriarch Israel. His name appears in the ancestral genealogies recorded in Genesis 46:17, Numbers 26:44, and 1 Chronicles 7:30, situating him within the generation that accompanied Jacob's household into Egypt during the sojourn that preceded the Exodus. As a founding figure within the tribe of Asher, Ishvi stands at the origin point of one of the tribal clans. Numbers 26:44 lists the Ishvites among the clans of Asher counted in the wilderness census, indicating that his descendants formed a distinct, enumerated family unit within the broader tribal structure of Israel.

Significance

Though Ishvi receives no personal narrative in Scripture, his place in the Asherite genealogy carries theological weight. The meticulous recording of tribal lineages in Numbers and Chronicles reflects Israel's understanding that God's covenant promises were transmitted through specific families and bloodlines. Ishvi's clan, the Ishvites, contributed to the demographic and territorial inheritance of the tribe of Asher, a tribe later associated with the northern land allotment in Canaan. His inclusion in multiple genealogical lists across different books of Scripture underscores the Bible's sustained interest in preserving the integrity of covenant lineage, through which God's redemptive purposes would ultimately be fulfilled in the Messiah.

Verse Appearances (3)

References

  1. Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
  2. Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References (TIPNR). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
  3. Wikidata contributors (n.d.) Wikidata. Available at: https://www.wikidata.org. [CC0]
  4. Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]

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