יַעֲלָא
𐤉𐤏𐤋𐤀
Yaala
H3279 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Yaʻălâʼ is a personal name designating an individual identified among the Nethinim (temple servants) in post-exilic community lists. The name likely means 'mountain goat' or 'wild goat,' echoing the noun יַעֲלָה (yaʿalah). In the Hebrew Bible, it refers specifically to a family or ancestor of a group returning from Babylonian exile.
Semantic Range
(personal name) Yaʻălâʼ, Jaalah; (related noun) wild goat, mountain goat; (root) ascend, be useful; (onomastic) designation of a Nethinim family in post-exilic lists
Root / Etymology
From the root י-ע-ל (יעל) meaning 'to go up, ascend,' but in noun form often refers to wild goats due to their climbing ability. The personal name יַעֲלָא reflects this, deriving either via the noun יַעֲלָה (‘wild goat’) or directly from the root. See also the feminine noun יַעֲלָה (yaʿalah, ‘doe, wild goat’).
Historical & Contextual Notes
The name appears in lists of the Nethinim in Ezra 2:56 and Nehemiah 7:58, referring to temple servants returning from exile, and is not otherwise attested in the Hebrew Bible. The Nethinim were a hereditary class of temple workers of foreign origin or non-Israelite descent. In English Bibles, the name commonly appears as 'Jaala' or 'Jaalah,' but these forms reflect later transliteration conventions. The etymological association with the 'wild goat' (yaʿalah) is plausible, linking the name to animal-based names common in post-exilic onomastics. The modern English word 'Jew' is sometimes applied anachronistically in translation, but in these passages the text identifies specific returnee groups rather than making religious-ethnic generalizations. Compare with other animal names employed among the Nethinim.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
or יַעֲלָה; the same as יַעֲלָה or direct from יַעַל; Jaala or Jaalah, one of the Nethinim; Jaala, Jaalah.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
יעל (y-ʿ-l) — ascend, climb, be useful; wild goat
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H3132 | יוֹעֵאלָה | and Joelah |
| H3276 | יַעַל | he brought benefit |
| H3277 | יָעֵל | the mountain ibexes |
| H3278 | יָעֵל | Ibex |
| H3280 | יַעֲלָה | and female ibex of |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3279-01 |
יַעְלָ֥א | yaela | HNp |
Jaala | Wild-Goat | 1 |
H3279-02 |
יַעְלָ֥ה | yaelah | HNp |
Jaala | Wild-Goat | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3279-02 |
Ezra 2:56 | יַעְלָ֥ה | yaelah | HNp |
Jaala | Wild-Goat |
H3279-01 |
Nehemiah 7:58 | יַעְלָ֥א | yaela | HNp |
Jaala | Wild-Goat |