יִסְכָּה
𐤉𐤎𐤊𐤄
Yisekah
H3252 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A personal name, Yiskah, borne by a female figure mentioned in Genesis 11:29 as the sister of Lot. While Strong's associates the name with a possible meaning 'to watch' or 'observant,' there is no clear evidence for this lexical meaning elsewhere in the Hebrew Bible. The word functions solely as a proper noun, a given name, without attestations as a common noun or verb.
Semantic Range
proper name (female), possible etymological association with 'to look' or 'to observe' (unattested), no common noun or verb usage
Root / Etymology
The etymology of יִסְכָּה is uncertain. Strong's proposed derivation from a hypothetical root סכה ('to look, observe') is based on phonetic similarity, but this root's attested form (סָכָה, 'to overshadow, cover') is not directly related to the spelling of יִסְכָּה. There is no clear corresponding verbal or nominal form in biblical Hebrew that substantiates this derivation. The name may reflect a Northwest Semitic naming pattern but its specific root or meaning remains unclear.
Historical & Contextual Notes
יִסְכָּה appears only in Genesis 11:29 as the sister of Lot and daughter of Haran. The name does not receive explanation or further use elsewhere in the Hebrew Bible, and thus its significance remains obscure. Later Jewish tradition sometimes associates Yiskah with the matriarch Sarah, but this identification is post-biblical and not explicit in the biblical text. English translations often transliterate the name (Iscah, Jiskah), and do not attempt to translate its potential meaning since any such meaning is speculative. There is no evidence that יִסְכָּה was ever used as a common noun or title; its use is strictly as a personal name. The translation 'observant' in older sources likely reflects a guess based on linguistic resemblance rather than a documented usage in biblical Hebrew.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from an unused root meaning to watch; observant; Jiskah, sister of Lot; Iscah.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
uncertain (uncertain) — uncertain; possibly look, observe (speculative)
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1085 | בִּלְדַּד | Bildad |
| H1095 | בֵּלְטְשַׁאצַּר | Belteshatsar |
| H1114 | בִּלְשָׁן | Bilshan |
| H1150 | בִּנְעָא | Bin'a |
| H116 | אֱדַיִן | and then |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3252-01 |
יִסְכָּֽה | yisekah | HNp |
Iscah | Yiskah | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3252-01 |
Genesis 11:29 | יִסְכָּֽה | yisekah | HNp |
Iscah | Yiskah |