🔼The name Jeshebeab: Summary
- Meaning
- May The Father Sojourn, Habitation Of The Father
- Etymology
- From (1) the verb ישב (yashab), to dwell or sojourn, and (2) the noun אב ('ab), father.
🔼The name Jeshebeab in the Bible
The name Jeshebeab occurs only once in the Bible. It's the name of a descendant of Aaron, who was assigned priestly duties in the time of king David. These duties were assigned according to lots, and the fourteenth lot fell to Jeshebeab (1 Chronicles 24:13).
🔼Etymology of the name Jeshebeab
The name Jeshebeab consists of two elements. The first part of our name comes from the verb ישב (yashab), meaning to sit, remain or dwell:
שוב
The verb שוב (shub) tells of a reversal in motion; the point where an upward motion becomes a downward one, or vice versa, or a westward motion an eastward one, and so on. This very frequently occurring verb is mostly translated with to turn or return, and is often used to mean to convert or return to a more fruitful way of life, and hence to restore, to retrieve or even to abstain, to reply and to repeat. Noun שובה (shuba) means withdrawal; noun שיבה (shiba) means restoration, and noun תשובה (teshuba) means answer. Adjectives שובב (shobab), שובב (shobeb) and משובה (meshuba) mean backsliding, or transitioning from a positive to a negative way of life.
Verb ישב (yashab) means to sit (the act which occurs precisely in between a person's descent and ascent) or to remain or dwell (in between traveling to and from some place). Nouns שבת (shebet) and מושב (moshab) mean both seat or dwelling place. Noun תושב (toshab) means sojourner.
The verb שבת (shabbat) means to rest or cease activity, and the familiar noun שבת (shabbat) means a rest or stoppage. Noun שבת (shebbet) means cessation and is closely similar to the noun שבת (shebet), meaning seat, mentioned above. Noun משבת (mishbat) also means cessation. Denominative verb שבת (shabat) means to keep the Sabbath and the noun שבתון (shabbaton) denotes a sabbatical observance.
Verb שבה (shaba) means to take captive, or to put a halt to someone's preferred trajectory and coerce them to go somewhere else. Nouns שבי (shebi) and שביה (shibya) mean captivity or captives collectively, but with the emphasis on being moved somewhere rather than the static condition of being imprisoned. Likewise, the noun שביה (shebiya) means captive. Noun שבית (shebit) or שבות (shebut) means captivity but since the parent verb speaks of a sudden change of destiny rather than a particular destination, this noun may also be used to mean restoration. The noun שבו (shebo) describes some sort of gem, apparently a real "head-turner."
The second part of our name is the familiar word אב ('ab), meaning father:
אב
The noun אב ('ab) means father, but describes primarily a social relationship rather than a biological one. That social fatherhood was the defining quality of the community's alpha male, the one around whom all economy revolved and from whom emanated all instructions by which the 'sons' (בן, ben) operated. It's unclear where this word אב ('ab) comes from but the verb abu means to decide.
🔼Jeshebeab meaning
For a meaning of the name Jeshebeab, NOBSE Study Bible Name List reads a rather clumsy May The Father Tarry (Live) (and to tarry indeed means to remain or reside temporarily; sojourn). Jones' Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names proposes Habitation Of The Father. BDB Theological Dictionary does not interpret this name but does list it under the verb ישב (yashab).