יְבוּסִי (ye.vu.si)
ye.vu.si
Jebusite
N:N--LGQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 39 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- N:N--LG
Word Overview
The noun Yevusi refers to the Jebusites, a Canaanite people identified as descendants of Jebus, the third son of Canaan. This ethnic group inhabited the fortified city of Jebus, which later became Jerusalem. The sources list them among the nations present in the land before Israel’s arrival, appearing frequently in the books of Joshua and Chronicles as they describe the boundaries of tribal inheritance and the early history of the united monarchy.
Etymologically, the name connects to the root meaning "tread down," likely referencing a threshing floor or a place of pressure. This linguistic detail aligns with the city’s geography on a hilltop ridge. The term is used both for the people and, occasionally, as a poetic shorthand for the city itself, as seen in Zechariah 9:7 where Jerusalem is called "daughter of Zion" alongside references to its Jebusite past.
A significant historical point is their prolonged resistance to Israelite control. While other groups were displaced earlier, the Jebusites held Jerusalem until King David conquered it, an event recorded in 2 Samuel 5 and 1 Chronicles 11. Despite this defeat, traces of the population remained, with Ezra noting that some intermarried with Israelites centuries later, highlighting their enduring presence in the region’s social fabric.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The name Jebusite identifies a specific people group in the biblical narrative, rooted in the land of Canaan before Israel’s arrival. Their story is not just about ancient history but shows how God works through time and geography. The city they held, Jebus, later became Jerusalem, a place central to God's presence among His people.
For believers today, this word reminds us that no barrier is too strong for God’s purposes. Even when a people seemed firmly entrenched in their power, like the Jebusites in their fortified hilltop city, God’s plan moved forward. King David’s eventual capture of Jerusalem illustrates that what seems impossible to human strength yields to divine timing and faithfulness.
Understanding these ancient groups helps us appreciate the fullness of Scripture’s historical context. It invites us to trust that God is at work in our own lives, turning difficult places into spaces of blessing and hope, just as He transformed a Jebusite stronghold into the heart of Israel.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 39 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- and/ the/ Jebusite[s]18×
- the/ Jebusite[s]13×
- the/ Jebusite6×
- <of> a Jebusite2×
- and/ the/ Jebusite1×
- [will be] like/ a Jebusite1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- וְ/הַ/יְבוּסִֽי\׃6×
- הַ/יְבוּסִי֙6×
- וְ/הַ/יְבוּסִ֑י4×
- וְ/הַ/יְבוּסִ֔י3×
- הַ/יְבוּסִֽי\׃\ \ס2×
- הַ/יְבוּסִ֜י2×
- הַ/יְבֻסִֽי\׃2×
- כִּ/יבוּסִֽי\׃1×
- יְבוּסִי֙1×
- יְבֻסִי֙1×
- וְ/הַ/יְבוּסִֽי\׃\ \פ1×
- וְ/הַ/יְבוּסִ֨י1×
Key Verses
-
Joshua 15:63
As for the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the children of Judah couldn’t drive them out; but the Jebusites live with the children of Judah at Jerusalem to this day.
This verse highlights the initial inability of Judah to displace the Jebusites, showing that God’s promises sometimes unfold over generations rather than immediately.
-
II Samuel 5:6
The king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, who spoke to David, saying, “The blind and the lame will keep you out of here,” thinking, “David can’t come in here.”
Here the Jebusites mock David, revealing their confidence in Jerusalem’s defenses until God grants the king victory through strategic faithfulness.
-
Exodus 3:8
I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey; to the place of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite.
God lists the Jebusite among the nations He intends to drive out, framing their presence as part of the broader context of Israel’s deliverance and inheritance.