יִשְׁמָעֵאל (H3458) — Hebrew Lexicon

יִשְׁמָעֵאל

𐤉𐤔𐤌𐤏𐤀𐤋

Yishemael

H3458 noun

SILEX Entry

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

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

שׁמע-אל (Yishemael) — to hear, listen, obey; God, deity

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

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2	Occurrences
`H3458-03`	יִשְׁמָעֵאל֙	yishemael	`HNp`	Ishmael	God has heard	Yishemael	37
`H3458-02`	וְ/יִשְׁמָעֵֽאל	veyishemael	`HC/Np`	and Ishmael	And God-hears	and Yishemael	9
`H3458-01`	וּ/לְ/יִשְׁמָעֵ֣אל	uleyishemael	`HC/R/Np`	and-to-Ishmael	and to God-hears	and to Yishemael	2

Occurrences in Scripture

48 occurrences

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2
`H3458-03`	Genesis 16:11	יִשְׁמָעֵ֔אל	yishemael	`HNp`	Ishmael	God has heard	Yishemael
`H3458-03`	Genesis 16:15	יִשְׁמָעֵֽאל	yishemael	`HNp`	Ishmael	God has heard	Yishemael
`H3458-03`	Genesis 16:16	יִשְׁמָעֵ֖אל	yishemael	`HNp`	Ishmael	God has heard	Yishemael
`H3458-03`	Genesis 17:18	יִשְׁמָעֵ֖אל	yishemael	`HNp`	Ishmael	God has heard	Yishemael
`H3458-01`	Genesis 17:20	וּֽ/לְ/יִשְׁמָעֵ֘אל	uleyishemael	`HC/R/Np`	And as for Ishmael	and to God-hears	and to Yishemael
`H3458-03`	Genesis 17:23	יִשְׁמָעֵ֣אל	yishemael	`HNp`	Ishmael	God has heard	Yishemael
`H3458-02`	Genesis 17:25	וְ/יִשְׁמָעֵ֣אל	veyishemael	`HC/Np`	And Ishmael	And God-hears	and Yishemael
`H3458-02`	Genesis 17:26	וְ/יִשְׁמָעֵ֖אל	veyishemael	`HC/Np`	and Ishmael	And God-hears	and Yishemael
`H3458-02`	Genesis 25:9	וְ/יִשְׁמָעֵאל֙	veyishemael	`HC/Np`	and Ishmael	And God-hears	and Yishemael
`H3458-03`	Genesis 25:12	יִשְׁמָעֵ֖אל	yishemael	`HNp`	of Ishmael	God has heard	Yishemael
`H3458-03`	Genesis 25:13	יִשְׁמָעֵ֔אל	yishemael	`HNp`	of Ishmael	God has heard	Yishemael
`H3458-03`	Genesis 25:13	יִשְׁמָעֵאל֙	yishemael-2	`HNp`	of Ishmael	God has heard	Yishemael
`H3458-03`	Genesis 25:16	יִשְׁמָעֵאל֙	yishemael	`HNp`	Ishmael	God has heard	Yishemael
`H3458-03`	Genesis 25:17	יִשְׁמָעֵ֔אל	yishemael	`HNp`	of Ishmael	God has heard	Yishemael
`H3458-03`	Genesis 28:9	יִשְׁמָעֵ֑אל	yishemael	`HNp`	Ishmael	God has heard	Yishemael
`H3458-03`	Genesis 28:9	יִשְׁמָעֵ֨אל	yishemael-2	`HNp`	of Ishmael	God has heard	Yishemael
`H3458-03`	Genesis 36:3	יִשְׁמָעֵ֖אל	yishemael	`HNp`	Ishmael	God has heard	Yishemael
`H3458-02`	2 Kings 25:23	וְ/יִשְׁמָעֵ֣אל	veyishemael	`HC/Np`	and Ishmael	And God-hears	and Yishemael
`H3458-03`	2 Kings 25:25	יִשְׁמָעֵ֣אל	yishemael	`HNp`	Ishmael	God has heard	Yishemael
`H3458-02`	Jeremiah 40:8	וְ/יִשְׁמָעֵ֣אל	veyishemael	`HC/Np`	and Ishmael	And God-hears	and Yishemael
`H3458-03`	Jeremiah 40:14	יִשְׁמָעֵ֣אל	yishemael	`HNp`	Ishmael	God has heard	Yishemael
`H3458-03`	Jeremiah 40:15	יִשְׁמָעֵ֣אל	yishemael	`HNp`	Ishmael	God has heard	Yishemael
`H3458-03`	Jeremiah 40:16	יִשְׁמָעֵֽאל	yishemael	`HNp`	Ishmael	God has heard	Yishemael
`H3458-03`	Jeremiah 41:1	יִשְׁמָעֵ֣אל	yishemael	`HNp`	Ishmael	God has heard	Yishemael
`H3458-03`	Jeremiah 41:2	יִשְׁמָעֵ֨אל	yishemael	`HNp`	Ishmael	God has heard	Yishemael
`H3458-03`	Jeremiah 41:3	יִשְׁמָעֵֽאל	yishemael	`HNp`	Ishmael	God has heard	Yishemael
`H3458-03`	Jeremiah 41:6	יִשְׁמָעֵ֨אל	yishemael	`HNp`	Ishmael	God has heard	Yishemael
`H3458-03`	Jeremiah 41:7	יִשְׁמָעֵ֤אל	yishemael	`HNp`	Ishmael	God has heard	Yishemael
`H3458-03`	Jeremiah 41:8	יִשְׁמָעֵאל֙	yishemael	`HNp`	Ishmael	God has heard	Yishemael
`H3458-03`	Jeremiah 41:9	יִשְׁמָעֵאל֙	yishemael	`HNp`	Ishmael	God has heard	Yishemael
`H3458-03`	Jeremiah 41:9	יִשְׁמָעֵ֥אל	yishemael-2	`HNp`	Ishmael	God has heard	Yishemael
`H3458-03`	Jeremiah 41:10	יִ֠שְׁמָעֵאל	yishemael	`HNp`	Ishmael	God has heard	Yishemael
`H3458-03`	Jeremiah 41:10	יִשְׁמָעֵ֣אל	yishemael-2	`HNp`	Ishmael	God has heard	Yishemael
`H3458-03`	Jeremiah 41:11	יִשְׁמָעֵ֖אל	yishemael	`HNp`	Ishmael	God has heard	Yishemael
`H3458-03`	Jeremiah 41:12	יִשְׁמָעֵ֣אל	yishemael	`HNp`	Ishmael	God has heard	Yishemael
`H3458-03`	Jeremiah 41:13	יִשְׁמָעֵ֔אל	yishemael	`HNp`	Ishmael	God has heard	Yishemael
`H3458-03`	Jeremiah 41:14	יִשְׁמָעֵ֖אל	yishemael	`HNp`	Ishmael	God has heard	Yishemael
`H3458-02`	Jeremiah 41:15	וְ/יִשְׁמָעֵ֣אל	veyishemael	`HC/Np`	But Ishmael	And God-hears	and Yishemael
`H3458-03`	Jeremiah 41:16	יִשְׁמָעֵ֤אל	yishemael	`HNp`	Ishmael	God has heard	Yishemael
`H3458-03`	Jeremiah 41:18	יִשְׁמָעֵ֣אל	yishemael	`HNp`	Ishmael	God has heard	Yishemael
`H3458-03`	Ezra 10:22	יִשְׁמָעֵ֣אל	yishemael	`HNp`	Ishmael	God has heard	Yishemael
`H3458-02`	1 Chronicles 1:28	וְ/יִשְׁמָעֵֽאל	veyishemael	`HC/Np`	and Ishmael	And God-hears	and Yishemael
`H3458-03`	1 Chronicles 1:29	יִשְׁמָעֵאל֙	yishemael	`HNp`	Ishmael	God has heard	Yishemael
`H3458-03`	1 Chronicles 1:31	יִשְׁמָעֵֽאל	yishemael	`HNp`	Ishmael	God has heard	Yishemael
`H3458-02`	1 Chronicles 8:38	וְ/יִשְׁמָעֵ֣אל	veyishemael	`HC/Np`	and Ishmael	And God-hears	and Yishemael
`H3458-02`	1 Chronicles 9:44	וְ/יִשְׁמָעֵ֣אל	veyishemael	`HC/Np`	and Ishmael	And God-hears	and Yishemael
`H3458-03`	2 Chronicles 19:11	יִשְׁמָעֵ֜אל	yishemael	`HNp`	of Ishmael	God has heard	Yishemael
`H3458-01`	2 Chronicles 23:1	וּ/לְ/יִשְׁמָעֵ֣אל	uleyishemael	`HC/R/Np`	and-to-Ishmael	and to God-hears	and to Yishemael

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