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יֵשֶׁר

𐤉𐤔𐤓

Yesher

H3475 noun

SILEX Entry

Root ישר to be straight, to be right, to be upright

Definition

A personal name meaning 'uprightness' or 'righteousness.' In the Hebrew Bible, Yêsher refers to an individual, specifically one of the descendants of Caleb. The term carries the idea of moral integrity or straightness when used as a common noun, but here as a proper noun, it identifies a person whose name embodies these qualities.

Semantic Range

uprightness, straightness (as a quality); used as a personal name for an Israelite (descendant of Caleb)

Root / Etymology

From the root יָשַׁר (y-sh-r), meaning 'to be straight, right, upright.' The form יֵשֶׁר derives as a noun meaning 'uprightness' or as a personal name that encapsulates the quality of being upright.

Historical & Contextual Notes

יֵשֶׁר appears in 1 Chronicles 4:17 as the name of a descendant of Caleb. The underlying root is frequently used throughout the Hebrew Bible to describe moral and ethical uprightness, often in contrast to crookedness or perversion (see Deuteronomy 32:4; Psalm 25:8). In naming, the use of such an abstract quality as a personal name reflects a broader Near Eastern pattern where names often expressed virtues or aspirations (e.g., 'justice,' 'peace'). The English rendering 'Jesher' follows the transliteration tradition, but the name's semantic force centers on uprightness rather than personal designation alone. Unlike later terms such as 'Jew,' which took on ethnic and religious significance much later, this name is firmly rooted in the early Israelite genealogical context. There is no evidence that the individual's identity extended beyond the genealogical record, nor that the term took on any collective sense in biblical or later Hebrew.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from יָשַׁר; the right; Jesher, an Israelite; Jesher.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

ישר (y-š-r) — to be straight, to be right, to be upright

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3474 יָשַׁר I will make straight
H3476 יֹשֶׁר in his uprightness
H3477 יָשָׁר the upright one
H3480 יְשַׂרְאֵלָה God is Upright
H3483 יִשְׁרָה and in uprightness of

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H3475-01 יֵ֥שֶׁר yesher HNp Jesher Uprightness 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H3475-01 1 Chronicles 2:18 יֵ֥שֶׁר yesher HNp Jesher Uprightness
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