Jeshaiah

At a Glance

A recurring Hebrew personal name borne by more than one man in the Old Testament.

Key Points

• Not a doctrine or theological theme
• Appears in genealogies, worship lists, and return-from-exile records
• Context is required to distinguish the different men named Jeshaiah

Description

Jeshaiah is an Old Testament personal name borne by multiple individuals. The name appears in settings such as Davidic genealogy, Levitical service lists, and postexilic restoration records. Because the same name is used for more than one man, any treatment of Jeshaiah must be tied to the specific biblical context in which the name occurs. Scripture uses it as a proper name, not as a theological term or doctrinal category.

Biblical Context

The name appears in biblical lists and genealogies where identifying the exact person depends on immediate context and family line.

Historical Context

These references reflect the common biblical pattern of repeated family names across generations, especially in royal, priestly, and postexilic records.

Jewish and Ancient Context

In ancient Israel, the same personal name could be borne by multiple people within different families or generations, so careful contextual reading was essential.

Primary Key Texts

• 1 Chr 3:21
• 1 Chr 25:3
• Ezra 8:7

Secondary Key Texts

• Other occurrences may appear in Chronicles and related postexilic lists, depending on translation and spelling.

Original Language Note

A Hebrew personal name in the Isaiah-name family, commonly understood along the lines of "Yahweh saves" or "the LORD has saved."

Theological Significance

The entry has little direct doctrinal significance beyond reminding readers that Scripture’s names must be read in context and not flattened into a single person or idea.

Philosophical Explanation

Proper names identify real persons rather than abstract concepts. When a name recurs, meaning depends on reference and context, not on the name itself.

Interpretive Cautions

Do not assume every occurrence of Jeshaiah refers to the same individual. Use the surrounding genealogy or narrative to identify the referent.

Major Views

There is no major theological disagreement about the term itself; the main issue is identifying which biblical person is meant in each occurrence.

Doctrinal Boundaries

This is a personal-name entry, not a doctrinal topic, and should not be used to construct theology.

Practical Significance

Readers should check the surrounding passage carefully before drawing conclusions from any mention of Jeshaiah.

Related Entries

• Isaiah
• Jesaiah
• biblical personal names
• genealogies
• Levites
• Ezra-Nehemiah

See Also

• 1 Chronicles
• Ezra
• Nehemiah
• Old Testament names