יַחְלְאֵל
𐤉𐤇𐤋𐤀𐤋
Yacheleel
H3177 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Yachleel is a personal name meaning 'God waits' or 'God is expectation.' As a proper noun, it denotes an individual in the genealogical lists—specifically, a male son of Zebulun and ancestor of the clan of the Yachleelites within the Israelite tribal structure. The formation of the name expresses the idea either that 'God is hope/expectation,' or 'one who hopes in God.'
Semantic Range
personal name, expressing relationship of hope or expectation toward God; ancestor of the Yachleelites; member of the tribe of Zebulun
Root / Etymology
A compound of the root יחל (y-ch-l, 'to wait, hope, expect') and the theophoric element אֵל (El, 'God'). The name reflects a characteristic or relationship to the deity, common in Israelite personal names.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Yachleel appears in Genesis 46:14 and Numbers 26:26 as a son of Zebulun and eponymous ancestor of the Yachleelite clan among the Israelites. The use of 'El' in the name aligns with a pattern in personal names where the divine name or title functions as a subject or object, indicating the deity is involved in the hoped-for action. English Bible translations usually render the name as 'Jahleel' or 'Jachleel,' but these forms do not capture its Hebrew etymological nuance; there is no basis for connecting the later English word 'Jew' to this name. There is no evidence that the name was applied as a group identity in later periods. The proper noun form does not imply any theological statement of faith but signals a naming convention found frequently in the genealogical traditions of ancient Israel. Though 'expectant of God' is a reasonable gloss, the grammatical form can bear either the passive or active nuance ('God expects' or 'expects in God'), but contextual and comparative evidence favors the latter, where the person is characterized by hope in God or God as the object of expectation.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from יָחַל and אֵל; expectant of God; Jachleel, an Israelite; Jahleel.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
יחל + אל (y-ḥ-l + ʾēl) — to wait, to hope, to expect
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3177-02 |
וְ/יַחְלְאֵֽל | veyacheleel | HC/Np |
and Jahleel | And God-Waits | 1 |
H3177-01 |
לְ/יַ֨חְלְאֵ֔ל | leyacheleel | HR/Np |
of Jahleel | to God-Is-Expectation | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3177-02 |
Genesis 46:14 | וְ/יַחְלְאֵֽל | veyacheleel | HC/Np |
and Jahleel | And God-Waits |
H3177-01 |
Numbers 26:26 | לְ/יַ֨חְלְאֵ֔ל | leyacheleel | HR/Np |
of Jahleel | to God-Is-Expectation |