🔼The name Joshibiah: Summary
- Meaning
- Yah Lets Sit, Yah Causes to Peacefully Dwell
- Etymology
- From (1) the verb ישב (yashab), to sit, or שבת (shabbat), to be at peace, and (2) יה (yah), the name of the Lord.
🔼The name Joshibiah in the Bible
The name Joshibiah occurs only once in the Bible. In 1 Chronicles 4:35 a man named such is mentioned among the Simeonites. His son Jehu was a family leader.
🔼Etymology of the name Joshibiah
The name Joshibiah consists of two elements, the final one being יה (yah), which is short for יהוה or YHWH.
The first part of our name is either the verb שבת (shabbat), to rest or be at peace, or the verb ישב (yashab), to sit. These two verbs are so similar that certain grammatical constructions render them indistinguishable from each other. In other words, our name may either start with the statement "he will be made to sit" or "he will cause peace":
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."
🔼Joshibiah meaning
For a meaning of the name Joshibiah, NOBSE Study Bible Name List has Yahweh Causes To Dwell (In Peace). Jones' Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names reads He Will Be Made To Sit Down Of The Lord. And BDB Theological Dictionary proposes Yah Setteth/ Causeth To Dwell.