יָשֵׁשׁ (ya.shesh)
ya.shesh
decrepit
H:AQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:A
Word Overview
The Hebrew adjective yashesh describes a state of advanced age marked by physical weakness or decay. It conveys more than simple seniority; it points to a body that has worn out, becoming feeble and unable to sustain itself. This term appears only once in the Hebrew Bible, in 2 Chronicles 36:17.
In that specific context, the word characterizes the elderly survivors of Jerusalem who were taken into Babylonian captivity. The text uses yashesh to highlight their vulnerability and diminished strength as they faced exile. The image is one of total depletion, where age has stripped away vitality and left only frailty behind.
Because this word is so rare, its single occurrence carries significant weight. It serves as a stark reminder of the human cost of judgment and war. Translators typically render it as "aged" or "decrepit," capturing the sense of a life that has reached its natural, exhausted end without the strength to resist further suffering.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word yashesh paints a picture of profound exhaustion, describing those whose bodies have worn out from age and hardship. In 2 Chronicles 36:17, it highlights the vulnerability of the elderly survivors taken into exile. This rare term reminds us that physical decline is a real part of our shared human experience, stripping away strength and leaving only frailty.
When we encounter such imagery in Scripture, it invites empathy rather than judgment. The text shows God’s people in their weakest moments, underscoring the heavy cost of conflict and the fragility of life. It calls us to care for those who are aging or infirm, recognizing their dignity even when they can no longer sustain themselves.
Ultimately, this word points to our need for divine strength when our own is gone. While earthly bodies fade, the hope found in God remains steadfast. We are invited to trust in His sustaining power, knowing that He sees and values every stage of life, especially those marked by weakness.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- and/ [the] decrepit1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- וְ/יָשֵׁ֑שׁ1×
Key Verses
-
II Chronicles 36:17
Therefore he brought on them the king of the Chaldeans, who killed their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion on young man or virgin, old man or infirm. He gave them all into his hand.
This verse uses the term to describe the infirm elderly among the captives, emphasizing their total vulnerability and lack of strength in the face of judgment.