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יִשְׁמָעֵאל

𐤉𐤔𐤌𐤏𐤀𐤋

Yishemael

H3458 noun

SILEX Entry

Root שׁמע-אל to hear, listen, obey; God, deity

Definition

Personal name meaning 'El (God) hears' or 'God has heeded.' Most prominently used for the first son of Abraham by Hagar, and also occurring as the name of several other individuals in genealogical and narrative contexts. The name expresses the idea that God has responded to an appeal, often highlighting divine attention to human petition or need.

Semantic Range

(personal name) God hears; one for whom God has heard; divine responsiveness; used of Abraham's son by Hagar as well as several Israelites; name signifying response to a prayer or plea

Root / Etymology

Compound of the verbal root שָׁמַע (sh-m-ʿ, 'to hear, listen, obey') and the theophoric element אֵל ('El,' a Northwest Semitic designation for God). The name is thus a sentence name, typical of West Semitic anthroponyms, meaning 'God has heard.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the biblical context, יִשְׁמָעֵאל is first given to the son of Abraham and Hagar (Genesis 16), with the narrative explicitly linking the naming to God's response to Hagar's affliction. The name appears in several genealogical lists referring to other Israelite figures (e.g., 2 Kings 25:23, 1 Chronicles 4:25), reflecting its use both within and outside the descendants of Abraham. In later history, the descendants of Ishmael are described as forming a distinct group among the peoples living in and around the desert regions south and east of Canaan, but the biblical text does not equate their identity with that of Israelites or Judahites. The English tradition of translating יִשְׁמָעֵאל as 'Ishmael' occasionally applies religious or later ethnic categories not present in the Hebrew Bible; care should be taken to maintain its original reference as a theophoric personal name indicating God's attentiveness. The use of theophoric names with '-El' is widespread in ancient Israelite and broader Northwest Semitic naming conventions, often expressing a relationship or event involving the deity.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from שָׁמַע and אֵל; God will hear; Jishmael, the name of Abraham's oldest son, and of five Israelites; Ishmael.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

שׁמע־אל (sh-m-ʿ ʾ-l) — hear, listen, heed; God, deity

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H3458-03 יִשְׁמָעֵ֔אל yishemael HNp Ishmael God has heard 37
H3458-02 וְ/יִשְׁמָעֵ֣אל veyishemael HC/Np and Ishmael And God-hears 9
H3458-01 וּֽ/לְ/יִשְׁמָעֵ֘אל uleyishemael HC/R/Np and-to-Ishmael and to God-hears 2

Occurrences in Scripture

48 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H3458-03 Genesis 16:11 יִשְׁמָעֵ֔אל yishemael HNp Ishmael God has heard
H3458-03 Genesis 16:15 יִשְׁמָעֵֽאל yishemael HNp Ishmael God has heard
H3458-03 Genesis 16:16 יִשְׁמָעֵ֖אל yishemael HNp Ishmael God has heard
H3458-03 Genesis 17:18 יִשְׁמָעֵ֖אל yishemael HNp Ishmael God has heard
H3458-01 Genesis 17:20 וּֽ/לְ/יִשְׁמָעֵ֘אל uleyishemael HC/R/Np And as for Ishmael and to God-hears
H3458-03 Genesis 17:23 יִשְׁמָעֵ֣אל yishemael HNp Ishmael God has heard
H3458-02 Genesis 17:25 וְ/יִשְׁמָעֵ֣אל veyishemael HC/Np And Ishmael And God-hears
H3458-02 Genesis 17:26 וְ/יִשְׁמָעֵ֖אל veyishemael HC/Np and Ishmael And God-hears
H3458-02 Genesis 25:9 וְ/יִשְׁמָעֵאל֙ veyishemael HC/Np and Ishmael And God-hears
H3458-03 Genesis 25:12 יִשְׁמָעֵ֖אל yishemael HNp of Ishmael God has heard
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