יַעְבֵּץ
𐤉𐤏𐤁𐤑
Yaebets
H3258 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A proper noun used as both a personal name and a place name. As a personal name, Yaʻbêts refers to an individual within the genealogies of the tribe of Judah in the post-exilic lists; as a place name, it designates a locality associated with scribal families (possibly a settlement in Judah or its environs). The primary lexical value reflects a possible connection to pain, sorrow, or grief, as suggested by the wordplay in the biblical narrative, but this sense is not independently attested outside these contexts. The semantic range is thus limited: (1) personal name; (2) place name.
Semantic Range
personal name (a man of Judahite genealogy), place name (associated with scribal families in Judah), possible literary association with pain or sorrow (only in context of 1 Chronicles 4:9–10)
Root / Etymology
The word is commonly linked to the root עצב (ʿtsb, to grieve, be in pain), but this is based on biblical wordplay rather than clear etymological derivation. The root of יַעְבֵּץ is uncertain; Hebrew tradition presents it as related to עֹצֶב (ōtsev, pain/sorrow), but there is no direct evidence of a verb יַעְבֵּץ or root י־ב־ץ in Hebrew.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In biblical usage, יַעְבֵּץ appears twice: as an individual among the descendants of Judah (1 Chronicles 4:9–10), in a narrative noting that his mother named him יַעְבֵּץ because 'I bore him in pain,' and as the name of a settlement or clan connected with scribes (1 Chronicles 2:55). The association with pain or sorrow in the personal name is based on narrative etymology rather than independent linguistic evidence. English translations often render as 'Jabez,' but this reflects later naming tradition and does not necessarily capture possible semantic nuances. There is no evidence that the term was used as a common noun or adjective in any period; it is strictly a proper name in all attested instances. The place-name usage may reflect eponymy (naming a place after a person) or could signal a lost clan name. In post-biblical and modern tradition, 'Jabez' is sometimes interpreted as 'sorrowful' or 'one who causes pain,' but such readings depend on the biblical narrative rather than strict philological proof.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from an unused root probably meaning to grieve; sorrowful; Jabets, the name of an Israelite, and also of a place in Palestine; Jabez.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
uncertain (possibly עצב) (uncertain (possibly ʿ-ṣ-b)) — uncertain; possibly grief, pain, sorrow
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3258-01 |
יַעְבֵּ֔ץ | yaebets | HNp |
Jabez | Yaabets | 4 |
Occurrences in Scripture
4 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3258-01 |
1 Chronicles 2:55 | יַעְבֵּ֔ץ | yaebets | HNp |
at Jabez | Yaabets |
H3258-01 |
1 Chronicles 4:9 | יַעְבֵּ֔ץ | yaebets | HNp |
Jabez | Yaabets |
H3258-01 |
1 Chronicles 4:9 | יַעְבֵּץ֙ | yaebets-2 | HNp |
Jabez | Yaabets |
H3258-01 |
1 Chronicles 4:10 | יַ֠עְבֵּץ | yaebets | HNp |
Jabez | Yaabets |