יֵשׁוּעַ (ye.shu.a)
ye.shu.a
Jeshua
N:N-M-PQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 28 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- N:N-M-P
Word Overview
The name Yeshua is a shortened form of Joshua, meaning "he will save" or "Yahweh is salvation." It appears twenty-eight times in the Hebrew Bible, primarily in Ezra, Nehemiah, and Chronicles. While it originally referred to Joshua son of Nun, who led Israel into Canaan, by the time of the post-exilic restoration it became a common personal name for several high priests and Levites.
The most prominent bearer is the high priest Jeshua, son of Jehozadak, who returned from Babylonian exile. He figures centrally in the rebuilding efforts described in Ezra 2:2 and Nehemiah 8:17, working alongside Zerubbabel to restore worship and community life. The name also identifies other priests and even a town in southern Judah, showing how deeply rooted this title was in the restored community.
This Hebrew form is the direct linguistic ancestor of the Greek Iesous found in the New Testament. The shift from Yeshua to Jesus reflects the translation of the Hebrew name into Greek for early Christian audiences. Both names carry the same core promise: that salvation comes from God alone, a theme that connects the ancient leaders of Israel with the central figure of the Christian faith.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The name Yeshua carries a simple but profound promise: God saves. In the Hebrew Bible, this name appears mostly among the priests and leaders who returned from exile to rebuild Jerusalem. It belonged to Jeshua son of Jehozadak, a high priest who stood alongside Zerubbabel to restore worship when the people felt broken and distant from home. This historical figure shows us that faithfulness often looks like showing up, rebuilding what was lost, and trusting God with the next step.
For your own life, this word reminds you that salvation is not something you achieve on your own but a gift received from God. The same name later became Jesus in Greek, linking these ancient leaders to the central hope of Christianity. Whether you are facing personal loss or community challenges, the story of Yeshua encourages you that God remains present in the rebuilding process. You do not have to carry the weight of restoration alone.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 28 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- Jeshua19×
- and/ Jeshua7×
- to/ Jeshua1×
- and/ in/ Jeshua1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- יֵשׁ֨וּעַ3×
- יֵשׁ֧וּעַ3×
- יֵשׁ֡וּעַ3×
- יֵשׁ֖וּעַ3×
- יֵשׁ֛וּעַ2×
- יֵשׁ֔וּעַ2×
- וְ/יֵשׁ֨וּעַ2×
- לְ/יֵשׁ֙וּעַ֙1×
- יֵשֽׁוּעַ\׃\ \פ1×
- יֵשׁ֤וּעַ1×
- יֵשׁ֣וּעַ1×
- וּ/בְ/יֵשׁ֥וּעַ1×
Key Verses
-
Ezra 3:2
Then Jeshua the son of Jozadak stood up with his brothers the priests and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and his relatives, and built the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings on it, as it is written in the law of Moses the man of God.
This verse highlights Jeshua’s role in restarting worship by building the altar, showing that spiritual renewal often begins with returning to basic obedience.
-
Nehemiah 8:17
All the assembly of those who had come back out of the captivity made temporary shelters and lived in the temporary shelters, for since the days of Joshua the son of Nun to that day the children of Israel had not done so. There was very great gladness.
The text explicitly connects the name Yeshua to Joshua son of Nun, linking the post-exilic leader to the original conqueror and emphasizing continuity in God’s plan.
-
Ezra 3:8
Now in the second year of their coming to God’s house at Jerusalem, in the second month, Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and the rest of their brothers the priests and the Levites, and all those who had come out of the captivity to Jerusalem, began the work and appointed the Levites, from twenty years old and upward, to have the oversight of the work of Yahweh’s house.
Here Jeshua is listed with Zerubbabel as they oversee the temple work, illustrating that leadership in restoration requires both spiritual authority and practical organization.
-
Nehemiah 9:5
Then the Levites, Jeshua, and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said, “Stand up and bless Yahweh your God from everlasting to everlasting! Blessed be your glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise!
Jeshua joins the Levites in leading public praise, demonstrating that acknowledging God’s greatness is a key response to His saving acts.