יִשְׁוִי (yish.vi)
yish.vi
Ishvite
N:N--PGQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- N:N--PG
Word Overview
The term yishvī functions as a gentilic adjective, identifying a member of the family line descended from Ishvi. This individual appears in Genesis 46:17 as one of the sons of Asher who moved to Egypt with Jacob’s household. The word itself derives from the personal name Ishvi, which carries the meaning "he will justify me."
Its most distinct usage occurs in Numbers 26:44, where the definite form hay-yishvī acts as a collective noun for this specific clan within the tribe of Asher. This census entry highlights how biblical genealogies preserved the identity of smaller family groups during the wilderness period, ensuring their lineage remained distinct even as the broader nation grew.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The name Ishvi carries the gentle promise that God will justify us. When we look at the genealogies in Scripture, it is easy to feel they are just lists of distant names. Yet each entry marks a real person who trusted in the same covenant promises we hold today.
This word reminds us that God’s plan includes every family line. Even those with fewer mentions in the Bible were part of His careful preservation. We belong to a story much larger than ourselves, woven together by grace across generations.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- the/ Ishvite[s]1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- הַ/יִּשְׁוִ֑י1×
Key Verses
-
Numbers 26:44
The sons of Asher after their families: of Imnah, the family of the Imnites; of Ishvi, the family of the Ishvites; of Beriah, the family of the Berites.
This verse uses the term to identify the specific clan descended from Ishvi within the tribe of Asher during the wilderness census.