יְבוּס (ye.vus)
ye.vus
Jebus
N:N--LQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 4 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- N:N--L
Word Overview
The noun Yebus refers to an early name for Jerusalem, specifically identifying it as the stronghold of the Jebusites before David captured it. The sources indicate that the name likely means "threshing floor," a detail that adds historical texture to the city’s identity in the Hebrew Bible.
Although it appears only four times in Scripture, primarily in Judges and 1 Chronicles, the word marks a significant transition in biblical history. It serves as a reminder of Jerusalem’s Canaanite origins before it became the political and spiritual center of Israel, highlighting how the city was transformed from a fortified Jebusite enclave into the capital of David’s kingdom.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The name Jebus reminds us that places and people can change when God moves among them. In the Bible, this word marks Jerusalem before it became Israel’s capital. It was once a fortress held by the Jebusites, but David took it and made it his own. This shift shows how God can take something old and make it new.
For your faith, this history offers comfort. Just as Jerusalem changed hands and purpose, your life is not fixed in its current struggles. God is able to transform difficult seasons into places of blessing. You do not need to stay where you are stuck; hope is always available for renewal.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 4 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- Jebus3×
- [was] Jebus1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- יְב֔וּס2×
- יְבוּס֙1×
- יְב֑וּס1×
Key Verses
-
Judges 19:10
But the man wouldn’t stay that night, but he rose up and went near Jebus (also called Jerusalem). With him were a couple of saddled donkeys. His concubine also was with him.
This verse highlights the name Jebus as an alternative for Jerusalem, showing how the city was known before David's conquest.
-
Judges 19:11
When they were by Jebus, the day was far spent; and the servant said to his master, “Please come and let’s enter into this city of the Jebusites, and stay in it.”
Here the term appears in a warning from a servant, emphasizing the city's reputation as a foreign stronghold that Israel had not yet fully secured.
-
I Chronicles 11:4
David and all Israel went to Jerusalem (also called Jebus); and the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, were there.
This passage records David’s move to Jerusalem, explicitly linking the name Jebus to the beginning of its role as the political center of Israel.