יְקַבְצְאֵל (ye.qav.tse.el)
ye.qav.tse.el
Jekabzeel
N:N--LQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- N:N--L
Word Overview
The name Jekabzeel, or ye.qav.tse.el, is a Hebrew place name meaning "God gathers." It appears only once in the Old Testament, listed among the towns of Judah in Nehemiah 11:26. The sources identify it as the most remote city of Judah, situated on the southern border near Edom.
Its etymology combines qabats, meaning to gather or collect, with El, referring to God. This creates a title that likely reflects either divine protection over a frontier settlement or the idea of God assembling His people in this distant location. As a proper noun for a specific town, it serves as a geographical marker rather than a theological concept.
Because it occurs just once, the word does not carry broad semantic range. It simply anchors Nehemiah’s census to the edge of the tribal territory. The name reminds readers that even the furthest settlements were part of the gathered community of Judah.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The name Jekabzeel means "God gathers," yet it describes a town on the very edge of Judah’s territory. In Nehemiah 11:26, this remote settlement is listed alongside more central cities. This placement shows that God’s gathering work was not limited to the capital or the temple district. It extended to the frontier, reaching those who lived in the most distant and perhaps overlooked places.
For your faith, this offers a quiet comfort. You do not have to be in the center of religious activity to be part of God’s people. The same God who gathers His community in Jerusalem also includes those on the margins. Your location or circumstances do not disqualify you from belonging to Him.
Even when life feels isolated or peripheral, remember that you are included in this divine gathering. The boundary lines of human geography cannot separate you from the care of God. He knows every corner of your world and claims it as His own.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- and/ in/ Jekabzeel1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- וּ/בִֽ/יקַּבְצְאֵ֖ל1×
Key Verses
-
Nehemiah 11:25
As for the villages with their fields, some of the children of Judah lived in Kiriath Arba and its towns, in Dibon and its towns, in Jekabzeel and its villages,
This verse lists Jekabzeel among the towns where Judah's people settled, showing that even remote frontier villages were part of the restored community.