Bible Word Study
יִשְׁבַּח
Yishbach · Jishbach, an Israelite
יִשְׁבַּח
Jishbach, an Israelite
Definition
יִשְׁבַּח (Yishbach) is a proper noun referring to an Israelite individual mentioned in 1 Chronicles 4:17. The name appears in a genealogical list of the tribe of Judah, specifically as a son of Eshton. As a personal name, it carries the meaning 'he will praise,' derived from the Hebrew root for praise. In the biblical context, it serves solely to identify this specific ancestor within Judah's lineage, with no other recorded narrative or action associated with him.
Biblical Usage
This word is used exactly once in the Old Testament, in 1 Chronicles 4:17. It functions strictly as a personal name within a genealogical record. The context is the chronicler's listing of descendants from Judah, intended to establish lineage and tribal heritage. There are no patterns of usage beyond this single, identifying occurrence.
Etymology
The name יִשְׁבַּח is derived from the Hebrew root שָׁבַח (shavach, H7623), which means 'to praise,' 'to commend,' or 'to glory in.' It is a verb in the imperfect (future) form, giving it the sense of 'he will praise.' It is related to other words of praise like תְּהִלָּה (tehillah, H8416), meaning 'praise' or 'song of praise.'
Semantic Range
In ancient Israelite culture, names were often significant and descriptive, sometimes expressing a hope or characteristic about the person. A name meaning 'he will praise' likely reflected the parents' devotion or hope that the child would live a life honoring to God. While the individual himself is not prominent in the biblical narrative, his inclusion in the genealogy of Judah connects him to the messianic line, as the promise of the Messiah came through this tribe (Genesis 49:10). שָׁבַח (shavach, H7623) — the verbal root meaning 'to praise.' תְּהִלָּה (tehillah, H8416) — a noun meaning 'praise' or a 'song of praise,' often used in worship contexts.
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]