Bible Word Study
יוֹעֶזֶר
Yôwʻezer · Joezer, an Israelite
יוֹעֶזֶר
Joezer, an Israelite
Definition
Yo'ezer (Joezer) is a proper name meaning 'Yahweh is help' or 'Yahweh has helped.' It is borne by a single individual in the Old Testament, a warrior from the tribe of Gad who joined David's forces at Ziklag (1 Chronicles 12:6). As a proper noun, it does not have multiple senses, but its meaning is entirely derived from its etymological components, signifying a personal testimony to God's assistance. The name reflects a common Hebrew naming convention that attributes action or character directly to God.
Biblical Usage
This name occurs only once in the Hebrew Bible, in 1 Chronicles 12:6. It is used in a military roster context, listing the 'mighty men' and warriors from the tribe of Gad who defected to David's side while he was in exile from King Saul. Its usage is purely identificatory, denoting a specific individual within a historical record.
Etymology
The name Yo'ezer is a compound of two Hebrew elements: the theophoric prefix 'Yo-' (a shortened form of Yahweh, H3068) and the noun 'ezer' (H5828), meaning 'help,' 'aid,' or 'succor.' It is a classic example of a Hebrew sentence name, literally translating to 'Yahweh is help.' It shares a structural pattern with names like Eli'ezer (God is help) and Azariah (Yahweh has helped).
Semantic Range
While the name itself belongs to a minor biblical figure, its etymology is theologically significant. It encapsulates a core theme of the Hebrew Bible: divine assistance and reliance on God. Names like Yo'ezer served as constant, personal reminders of God's character and active role in the life of the individual and the community. Understanding such names enriches reading by highlighting how faith was woven into the very identity of God's people. In ancient Israelite culture, names were not merely labels but often carried meaning and expressed hopes, circumstances, or theological convictions. A name like Yo'ezer, declaring Yahweh as help, likely reflected the parents' faith or a circumstance of the child's birth. It fits within a widespread practice of using 'Yahweh' (or its shortened form) in personal names, demonstrating the centrality of God in everyday life and identity. Eli'ezer (ʼEliʻezer, H461) — Means 'God is help'; uses 'El' for God instead of the Yahweh prefix. Azariah (ʻĂzaryâh, H5838) — Means 'Yahweh has helped'; uses a different verbal form but shares the core concepts of help and Yahweh.
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]