Bible Word Study
Σεμεΐ
semei · Semein
Σεμεΐ
Semein
Definition
Σεμεΐ (Semei) is a proper name referring to an individual listed in the genealogy of Jesus Christ. He appears specifically as an ancestor in the line of Joseph, the legal father of Jesus, as recorded in the Gospel of Luke. This name occurs only once in the New Testament, in Luke 3:26, where he is identified as the son of Josech and the father of Mattathias. The name itself is of Hebrew origin, corresponding to the Old Testament name Shemaiah, meaning 'Yahweh has heard.'
Biblical Usage
This word is used exclusively as a proper name within a single genealogical list in the New Testament. It appears in Luke 3:26, which traces the ancestry of Jesus back through David to Adam. The usage is purely historical and genealogical, serving to establish Jesus's legal lineage within the narrative structure of Luke's Gospel.
Etymology
The name Σεμεΐ (Semei) is a Greek transliteration of the Hebrew name שְׁמַעְיָה (Shemaiah), which means 'Yahweh has heard' or 'heard by the Lord.' It is derived from the Hebrew verb שָׁמַע (shama', 'to hear') and the divine name יה (Yah, short for Yahweh). Several individuals in the Old Testament bear this name, including prophets and priests (e.g., 1 Kings 12:22, Jeremiah 29:31).
Semantic Range
While the name Σεμεΐ itself is not theologically loaded, its inclusion in Luke's genealogy (Luke 3:23-38) is theologically significant. This genealogy presents Jesus as the Son of Adam and the Son of God, connecting him to all humanity and affirming his role as the promised Messiah. The name, meaning 'Yahweh has heard,' subtly echoes the biblical theme of God hearing the prayers of his people, which finds its ultimate fulfillment in the sending of His Son. In the cultural context of first-century Judaism, genealogies were of paramount importance for establishing lineage, tribal affiliation, and inheritance rights, especially for claims to the Davidic throne. The inclusion of names like Semei in Luke's record would have validated Jesus's legal right as a descendant of David for a Jewish audience. The name's Hebrew origin and meaning would have been recognizable, connecting Jesus's lineage to the history of Israel.
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Dodson Greek-English Lexicon, supplemented by STEPBible TBESG data (CC BY 4.0). Concordance and morphology data are derived from the interlinear Bible.
Full methodology & sources →References
- Abbott-Smith, G. (1921) A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Brown, F., Driver, S.R. and Briggs, C.A. (1906) A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford: Clarendon Press. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Tyndale Brief lexicon of Extended Strongs for Greek (TBESG). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Formatted full LSJ (TFLSJ). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Thayer, J.H. (1889) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. [Public Domain]
- Gesenius, W. (1846) Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament. [Public Domain]
- Dodson, J. (2010) Greek Lexicon. Biblical Humanities. [CC0]