Bible Word Study
יָמִין
Yâmîyn · Jamin, the name of three Israelites
יָמִין
Jamin, the name of three Israelites
Definition
Yamîn (יָמִין) is a proper noun meaning 'Jamin,' the name of three distinct individuals in the Old Testament. First, it refers to a son of Simeon, listed among those who went to Egypt with Jacob (Genesis 46:10, Exodus 6:15). Second, it is the name of a descendant of Judah through Jerahmeel (1 Chronicles 2:27). Third, it identifies a Levite who helped the people understand the Law read by Ezra (Nehemiah 8:7). In all instances, it functions solely as a personal name, with no other semantic range.
Biblical Usage
The name Jamin is used exclusively as a personal name for male Israelites across narrative, genealogical, and historical contexts. It appears in the foundational genealogy of the tribe of Simeon (Genesis 46:10, Exodus 6:15, Numbers 26:12), in the detailed genealogies of Judah (1 Chronicles 2:27) and Simeon again (1 Chronicles 4:24), and finally in the post-exilic account of Ezra's public reading of the Law (Nehemiah 8:7). Its usage is consistent and confined to identifying specific individuals.
Etymology
The name Jamin (יָמִין) is identical to the common Hebrew noun yamîn (H3225), which means 'right hand' or 'south.' It is derived from the root ימן (y-m-n), associated with strength, favor, and the south direction (as one faces east). As a personal name, it likely carried the positive connotations of the right hand, such as skill, power, or a favored position.
Semantic Range
While primarily a personal name, its etymological connection to 'right hand' (a symbol of strength, salvation, and honor in Scripture, e.g., Psalm 16:8, 110:1) may subtly reflect the character or hoped-for destiny of the individuals. Understanding this root enriches the reading by connecting a simple name to a broader biblical metaphor for God's power and the favored status of His people. In ancient Semitic culture, names were often meaningful and descriptive, not merely labels. Naming a child 'Jamin' ('right hand') likely expressed a parent's hope for the child's strength, success, or favored status within the family or community. It reflects a cultural practice of embedding aspirational or characteristic meanings into personal identities. yad (יָד, H3027) — A more general term for 'hand,' without the specific connotation of 'right' or 'south.' yamîn (יָמִין, H3225) — The identical common noun meaning 'right hand' or 'south,' from which the proper name is derived.
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]