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יָבִין

𐤉𐤁𐤉𐤍

Yavin

H2985 noun

SILEX Entry

Root בין to discern, to understand, to have insight

Definition

Proper name designating a Canaanite ruler: Jabin. Used as the personal name for two distinct Canaanite kings—one ruling Hazor at the time of the Israelite conquest, and another referenced during the period of the Judges. As a personal name, it likely conveys 'He (the deity) understands,' reflecting a West Semitic onomastic pattern where qualities or hopes are ascribed to the bearer. Not used as a common noun or adjective for 'intelligent' in Biblical Hebrew; only as a proper name.

Semantic Range

personal name of Canaanite kings; not used as a common noun; not used adjectivally; does not denote 'intelligent' outside its function as a proper name

Root / Etymology

Derived from the Hebrew root בין (b-y-n), 'to understand, discern.' The verbal root connotes understanding or insight, but as a personal name, יָבִין is probably a nominal form, meaning 'He/it understands,' typical in Northwest Semitic theophoric and declarative naming conventions.

Historical & Contextual Notes

יָבִין appears exclusively as the name of foreign (Canaanite) kings in the Hebrew Bible (Joshua 11, Judges 4-5), specifically as the ruler of Hazor. The name is not borne by Israelites nor used as a common word. While the name is formed from a Hebrew root, its usage among Canaanites indicates shared linguistic heritage among West Semitic peoples. English translations transliterate rather than translate the name; the rendering 'Jabin' follows Septuagint and later traditions. Later Jewish and Christian terminology sometimes retrojects meanings (e.g., 'intelligent') based on the root, but in context the word is strictly a personal name. There is no indication the name reflects an epithet or title in the biblical context.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from בִּין; intelligent; Jabin, the name of two Canaanitish kings; Jabin.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

בין (b-y-n) — to discern, to understand, to have insight

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1143 בֵּנַיִם the between-two space
H8394 תָּבוּן in discernment
H946 בּוּנָה and Bunah
H995 בִּין I discern
H996 בֵּין in between

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H2985-02 יָבִ֣ין yavin HNp Jabin He-understands 7
H2985-01 כְ֝/יָבִ֗ין kheyavin HR/Np like Jabin like Yavin 1

Occurrences in Scripture

8 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H2985-02 Joshua 11:1 יָבִ֣ין yavin HNp Jabin He-understands
H2985-02 Judges 4:2 יָבִ֣ין yavin HNp Jabin He-understands
H2985-02 Judges 4:7 יָבִ֔ין yavin HNp Jabin's He-understands
H2985-02 Judges 4:17 יָבִ֣ין yavin HNp Jabin He-understands
H2985-02 Judges 4:23 יָבִ֣ין yavin HNp Jabin He-understands
H2985-02 Judges 4:24 יָבִ֣ין yavin HNp Jabin He-understands
H2985-02 Judges 4:24 יָבִ֥ין yavin-2 HNp Jabin He-understands
H2985-01 Psalms 83:10 כְ֝/יָבִ֗ין kheyavin HR/Np like Jabin like Yavin
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