יוֹכֶבֶד
𐤉𐤅𐤊𐤁𐤃
Yokheved
H3115 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Personal name: Yôkheved. Most likely means 'Yahweh is glory' or 'Yahweh is honored.' The name combines a theophoric prefix referring to the Israelite deity and a verbal/root element related to honor or glory. In the Torah, this is the name of Moses' mother, who is also the wife of Amram and the mother of Aaron and Miriam. The semantic nuance emphasizes divine honor or the ascription of glory to the deity identified as Yahweh.
Semantic Range
Yahweh is honored, Yahweh is glory, Yahweh’s honor, Yahweh is glorious; personal name designating the mother of Moses, Aaron, and Miriam
Root / Etymology
From the theophoric element יוֹ (a form of יהוה, Yahweh, the Israelite divine name, here as a prefix) + כָּבֵד (kaved, to be heavy, weighty, honored, or glorious). Thus, the name is assembled as 'Yah(weh) is honor(ed)' or 'Yahweh is glory.' This construction is consistent with standard formation of Israelite theophoric personal names. Some debate exists over the contraction of the divine name, but the most widely accepted root division is יוֹ + כֶּבֶד.
Historical & Contextual Notes
יוֹכֶבֶד appears only in the Torah, specifically in Exodus 6:20, Numbers 26:59, indicating her role as the mother of major Israelite figures, Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. The name is an example of a theophoric compound personal name common among Israelites of the monarchic and earlier periods. Unlike later terminologies (such as 'Jew' for post-exilic or Greco-Roman period individuals), 'Yôkheved' is directly tied to the Israelite context. Standard English renderings use 'Jochebed,' a form based on later Greek and Latin translations, but this obscures the theophoric and honorific dimensions of the Hebrew original. The name reflects the practice of invoking the deity in personal names to express devotion or as a statement of faith about the deity’s attributes. Comparable names with the -kbd root (such as Ichabod, אִיכָבוֹד) focus on glory or honor, reinforcing the central motif of divine honor in Israelite onomastics. במהלך התקופה המקראית, שמות תאופוריים כאלה הדגישו את הקשר הבלתי נפרד בין הזהות המשפחתית והאמונה באלהי ישראל.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from יְהֹוָה contracted and כָּבַד; Jehovah-gloried; Jokebed, the mother of Moses; Jochebed.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
יכבד (y-k-b-d) — to be heavy, to be weighty, to be honored, to be glorious
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3115-01 |
יוֹכֶ֤בֶד | yokheved | HNp |
Jochebed | Yahweh-is-Glory | 2 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3115-01 |
Exodus 6:20 | יוֹכֶ֤בֶד | yokheved | HNp |
Jochebed | Yahweh-is-Glory |
H3115-01 |
Numbers 26:59 | יוֹכֶ֨בֶד֙ | yokheved | HNp |
Jochebed | Yahweh-is-Glory |