Bible Word Study
יַעֲשִׂיאֵל
Yaʻăsîyʼêl · Jaasiel, an Israelite
יַעֲשִׂיאֵל
Jaasiel, an Israelite
Definition
Yaʻăsîyʼêl (Jaasiel) is a proper name meaning 'made by God' or 'God has made.' It belongs to two different individuals in the Old Testament. The first is Jaasiel the Mezobaite, one of King David's mighty warriors (1 Chronicles 11:47). The second is Jaasiel son of Abner, a tribal leader over Benjamin during David's reign (1 Chronicles 27:21). Both uses refer to distinct historical figures, but the name carries the same foundational meaning of divine craftsmanship or creation.
Biblical Usage
This name appears only twice in the Old Testament, both times in the book of 1 Chronicles within lists of David's officials and warriors. In 1 Chronicles 11:47, Jaasiel is listed among David's 'mighty men,' a group of elite warriors. In 1 Chronicles 27:21, a different Jaasiel is named as the leader of the tribe of Benjamin during the administrative organization of David's kingdom. The usage is strictly for personal identification within historical and genealogical records.
Etymology
The name is a compound of two Hebrew elements: the verb עָשָׂה (ʻāsâ, H6213), meaning 'to do' or 'to make,' and the noun אֵל (ʼēl, H410), meaning 'God.' It is a theophoric name, common in Israelite culture, which directly incorporates the divine name El. It follows a pattern similar to names like Israel ('he strives with God') and Samuel ('name of God' or 'God has heard'), signifying an action or attribute of God.
Semantic Range
While a personal name, Yaʻăsîyʼêl reflects the Israelite practice of embedding theological truths into identity. It acknowledges God as the active creator and shaper of human life. For the modern reader, it serves as a reminder that biblical names often carry significant meaning, pointing to God's sovereignty and intimate involvement in the lives of His people, even in genealogical lists that might seem routine. In ancient Israel, names were not merely labels but were often descriptive, expressing hope, character, or divine action. A name like 'Made by God' likely expressed the parents' gratitude or acknowledgment of God's hand in the child's birth. It fits within the widespread cultural tradition of using theophoric names to honor and invoke the protection of the deity. Yehowshuwaʻ (Joshua, H3091) — means 'Yahweh is salvation,' another theophoric name but using the divine name Yahweh. Yisraʼel (Israel, H3478) — means 'he strives with God,' a name given to Jacob and the nation, also incorporating El. Shemuwʼel (Samuel, H8050) — means 'name of God' or 'God has heard,' another name combining divine action with El.
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (BDB, 1906, public domain). Concordance and morphology data are from the OSHB (Open Scriptures Hebrew 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]