יַחְמַי (yach.may)
yach.may
Jahmai
N:N-M-PQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- N:N-M-P
Word Overview
Yachmay is a proper name found only once in the Hebrew Bible, appearing in the genealogical record of the tribe of Issachar at 1 Chronicles 7:2. The text identifies him as a son of Tola and one of several brothers who headed their family unit during the period leading up to the wilderness wanderings. His inclusion here serves to establish the lineage and numerical strength of this specific branch within the larger tribal structure.
The name Yachmay carries the meaning "whom Jehovah guards." This theophoric element, embedding the divine name Yahweh into a personal identifier, was common in ancient Israelite culture. It reflects a belief that protection and preservation were direct gifts from God. In this context, the name marks an individual within a recorded history, linking his identity to divine care even as he is listed among ancestors rather than central narrative figures.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
Names like Yachmay appear in long lists that can feel distant from our daily lives. Yet this name means "whom Jehovah guards." It reminds us that God’s care extends to every person, even those recorded only in genealogies. Your identity is known fully by Him, regardless of how famous or obscure you might seem.
Being listed among the ancestors of Issachar shows that family history matters. Each name represents a life lived under God’s watchful eye. This word encourages us to trust that we are not forgotten. Our lives have value and purpose within God’s larger story, connected to those who came before and those who will follow.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- and/ Jahmai1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- וְ/יַחְמַ֨י1×
Key Verses
-
I Chronicles 7:2
The sons of Tola: Uzzi, Rephaiah, Jeriel, Jahmai, Ibsam, and Shemuel, heads of their fathers’ houses, of Tola; mighty men of valor in their generations. Their number in the days of David was twenty-two thousand six hundred.
This verse places Yachmay among the heads of his father's house, showing that divine guardianship was associated with leadership and responsibility within the tribe of Issachar.