Bible Word Study
יוֹיָרִיב
Yôwyârîyb · Jojarib, the name of four Israelites
יוֹיָרִיב
Jojarib, the name of four Israelites
Definition
The Hebrew name יוֹיָרִיב (Yôwyârîyb) is a proper noun meaning 'Yahweh contends' or 'Yahweh pleads a cause.' It is the name of four distinct Israelites in the post-exilic biblical record. The most prominent is a leading priest (Ezra 8:16) and ancestor of a priestly course (Nehemiah 12:6, 12:19). Another is a Judahite who settled in Jerusalem after the return from exile (Nehemiah 11:5), and a third is a priest from the family of Jeshua (Nehemiah 11:10). All instances appear in the context of re-establishing the religious and civil community in Jerusalem.
Biblical Usage
This name is used exclusively in the post-exilic books of Ezra and Nehemiah, appearing five times. It is used to identify key individuals involved in the restoration of Judah. In Ezra 8:16, a man named Joiarib is sent to recruit Levites for temple service. In Nehemiah, the name identifies residents of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 11:5, 11:10) and is used for priests in genealogical lists that establish the restored priestly orders (Nehemiah 12:6, 12:19).
Etymology
The name יוֹיָרִיב is a later, shortened form of the earlier priestly name יְהוֹיָרִיב (Yehoyarib, H3080), which means 'Yahweh contends.' It is a theophoric name combining the divine name Yahweh (יְהוֹ) with the verb רִיב (riv, H7378), meaning 'to strive, contend, or plead a case.' This name expresses the belief that God actively defends and advocates for His people.
Semantic Range
As a theophoric name meaning 'Yahweh contends,' it embodies a key theological concept: God as the righteous judge and defender of Israel. This is especially poignant in the post-exilic context, where the returning community faced opposition and needed reassurance of God's active advocacy (cf. Isaiah 49:25). The name, borne by priests and leaders, served as a constant reminder that the community's restoration was undergirded by God's own pleading of their cause. In ancient Israelite culture, names were often descriptive and carried significant meaning. A name like 'Yahweh contends' given to priests and leaders during the restoration period would have been a powerful statement of identity and faith. It affirmed that their community's re-establishment was not merely a human political effort but was being championed by Yahweh Himself against any opposition. יְהוֹיָרִיב (Yehoyarib, H3080) — The original, longer form of the same name, used for the head of the first priestly course (1 Chronicles 24:7).
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]