Bible Word Study
יְעוּשׁ
Yᵉʻûwsh · Jeush, the name of an Edomite and of four Israelites
יְעוּשׁ
Jeush, the name of an Edomite and of four Israelites
Definition
Jeush (יְעוּשׁ) is a proper noun used as a personal name for several individuals in the Old Testament. Its primary sense is as the name of a son of Esau by his wife Oholibamah, making him a chief of Edom (Genesis 36:5, 14, 18; 1 Chronicles 1:35). The name is also borne by four different Israelites: a descendant of Benjamin (1 Chronicles 8:39), a Levite of the family of Gershon (1 Chronicles 23:10-11), and two other individuals mentioned in genealogies (1 Chronicles 7:10; 1 Chronicles 23:10-11). In all contexts, it functions solely as a personal identifier.
Biblical Usage
The name Jeush appears exclusively in Old Testament genealogical and historical lists. It is found in the narratives of Genesis and the extensive genealogies of 1 Chronicles. Its usage is consistent—it identifies specific individuals within family lineages, particularly among the Edomites (descendants of Esau) and the Israelites. For example, it marks an Edomite tribal chief in Genesis 36:18 and identifies members of the Levitical priesthood in 1 Chronicles 23:10-11.
Etymology
The name יְעוּשׁ (Yᵉʻûwsh) derives from the Hebrew root עוּשׁ (ʻûsh, H5789), meaning 'to hasten' or 'to hurry.' It is a verb-based name, often understood to mean 'hasty' or 'he hurries.' This follows a common Hebrew naming convention where personal names are formed from verbs or adjectives describing a characteristic or circumstance. A variant spelling, יְעִישׁ (Yᵉʻîysh, H3274), is noted in Strong's for comparison.
Semantic Range
In ancient Semitic culture, names were often significant and descriptive. A name like Jeush ('hasty') may have reflected a circumstance of birth, a perceived character trait, or a parent's hope. Its appearance in both Edomite and Israelite lines highlights the interconnected, genealogical nature of biblical narratives, where names anchor individuals within the broader story of God's people and their neighbors. The duplication of the name across different tribes was common. יְעִישׁ (Yᵉʻîysh, H3274) — A variant spelling or related name, also meaning 'hasty.'
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]