יָשֻׁ֫בִי לָ֑חֶם (ya.shu.vi le.chem)
ya.shu.vi le.chem
Lehem
N:N--LQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- N:N--L
Word Overview
The proper name Jashubi-lehem, found only in 1 Chronicles 4:22, translates literally to "returner of bread." It identifies a descendant of Shelah, who was the son of Judah by his Canaanite wife Bath-shua. This genealogical record places him within the tribal lineage of Judah, tracing the family lines that would eventually lead to King David and, in Christian tradition, to Jesus.
Lexical sources note a significant textual ambiguity regarding this name. Some scholars suggest it may be another designation for Bethlehem, the city known as "House of Bread." However, its placement in a list of individual descendants strongly supports reading it as a personal name rather than a place name. This distinction highlights how ancient scribes sometimes used descriptive titles or epithets that could refer to either a person’s origin or their identity.
The phrase itself is striking because it combines the concept of returning with sustenance. While Bethlehem became famous as the birthplace of David, this specific name appears in a context of tribal registration rather than geography. It serves as a reminder that the stories of Israel are built on both places and people, each carrying their own weight in history.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
Names in Scripture often carry more weight than we first notice. Jashubi-lehem appears in a long list of ancestors, yet his name means "returner of bread." This suggests that identity is not just about where you come from, but also about what sustains you and how you contribute to the community around you.
For believers today, this reminds us that our lineage matters. We are part of a long story that connects back to Judah and forward to Christ. Even in the most detailed records of family trees, every name has a place. Your life, too, is woven into God's ongoing work, contributing to the spiritual nourishment of others.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- and/ Jashubi1×
- Lehem1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- לָ֑חֶם1×
- וְ/יָשֻׁ֣בִי1×
Key Verses
-
I Chronicles 4:22
and Jokim, and the men of Cozeba, and Joash, and Saraph, who had dominion in Moab, and Jashubilehem. These records are ancient.
This verse places Jashubi-lehem in the lineage of Judah, showing how individual names preserve tribal history and point toward the broader Messianic line.