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יִשְׂרָאֵל

𐤉𐤔𐤓𐤀𐤋

Yiserael

H3478 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A personal name meaning 'El (God) perseveres' or 'El contends.' Primarily denotes the eponymous ancestor Jacob after his theophoric renaming (Gen 32:29), and, by extension, the collective group descended from him—the Israelite people. In broader contexts, it refers to the entire body politic of the Israelites, to their territory, or to the national entity in the historical periods up to and including the divided monarchy. In later texts, it may be used poetically or symbolically for the faithful segment of the people, or for the land associated with them.

Semantic Range

personal name (Jacob), eponym of the group descended from Jacob (Israelites), national collective identity, designation for the northern kingdom (post-division), symbolic designation of the people as a whole, poetic/metonymic for the land or territory of the Israelites

Root / Etymology

Compound of the roots שׂרה (sarah, to strive, contend, persist) and אל (El, God). The name likely means 'El contends' or 'God perseveres.' The traditional folk etymology in Genesis 32:29 interprets the name as 'one who strives with God,' reflecting a narrative re-interpretation rather than a strictly linguistic derivation.

Historical & Contextual Notes

יִשְׂרָאֵל was introduced as the new personal name for Jacob after his struggle at the river Jabbok (Genesis 32:28–29), and subsequently becomes the collective term for his descendants. Occurs hundreds of times throughout the Hebrew Bible as both a personal and collective ethnonym. In pre-exilic texts, it refers to the entire confederation of tribes descended from Jacob; after the division of the monarchy (10th century BCE), it mainly denotes the northern kingdom (as opposed to Judah/Judahites). In exilic and post-exilic writings, 'Israel' is employed variously: sometimes restoring the idea of a pan-tribal people, sometimes referencing the faithful remnant, or functioning as a poetic designation for the entire people and land. The English 'Israel' imports later associations (religious, national, or political) which can obscure ancient uses. Related terms include 'Yisre'elim' (Israelites), בני־ישראל (Children of Israel), and 'Yehudah' (Judah). 'Jew' is not synonymous with 'Israel' in biblical texts; that term arises much later. The rendering 'he will rule as God' found in older lexicons (including Strong) reflects interpretative traditions and not strict philological analysis.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from שָׂרָה and אֵל; he will rule as God; Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity; Israel.

Bantu Hebrew

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

Root Family

שׂרה, אל (Yiserael) — to contend, to strive, to persist; God (as divine name or epithet)

Root שׂרה, אל to contend, to strive, to persist; God (as divine name or epithet)

Word Forms

10 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H3478-10 יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל yiserael HNp Israel El-Contends Yiserael 2260
H3478-01 בְּ/יִשְׂרָאֵֽל beyiserael HR/Np in Israel in Yisraʾel in Yiserael 111
H3478-03 לְ/יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל leyiserael HR/Np to Israel to El-Contends to Yiserael 50
H3478-08 וְ/יִשְׂרָאֵֽל veyiserael HC/Np and Israel El contends and Yiserael 41
H3478-04 מִ/יִּשְׂרָאֵ֔ל miyiserael HR/Np from Israel from Israel from Yiserael 32
H3478-05 וּ/לְ/יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל uleyiserael HC/R/Np and to Israel and to El-Contends and to Yiserael 6
H3478-07 וּ/בְ/יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל uveyiserael HC/R/Np and in Israel and in El-Contends and in Yiserael 3
H3478-06 וּ/מִֽ/יִּשְׂרָאֵ֑ל umiyiserael HC/R/Np and-from-Israel and from El-Contends and from Yiserael 2
H3478-02 כְּ/יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל keyiserael HR/Np like Israel as El-contends like Yiserael 1
H3478-09 ב/ישראל vyshrl HR/Np of Israel in El-Contends in Yiserael 1

Occurrences in Scripture

2507 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H3478-10 Genesis 32:29 יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל yiserael HNp Israel El-Contends Yiserael
H3478-10 Genesis 32:33 יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל yiserael HNp Israel El-Contends Yiserael
H3478-10 Genesis 33:20 יִשְׂרָאֵֽל yiserael HNp Israel El-Contends Yiserael
H3478-08 Genesis 34:7 בְ/יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל veyiserael HR/Np in Israel El contends in Yiserael
H3478-10 Genesis 35:10 יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ yiserael HNp Israel El-Contends Yiserael
H3478-10 Genesis 35:10 יִשְׂרָאֵֽל yiserael-2 HNp Israel El-Contends Yiserael
H3478-10 Genesis 35:21 יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל yiserael HNp Israel El-Contends Yiserael
H3478-10 Genesis 35:22 יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ yiserael HNp Israel El-Contends Yiserael
H3478-10 Genesis 35:22 יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל yiserael-2 HNp Israel El-Contends Yiserael
H3478-10 Genesis 36:31 יִשְׂרָאֵֽל yiserael HNp Israel El-Contends Yiserael
H3478-08 Genesis 37:3 וְ/יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל veyiserael HC/Np Now Israel El contends and Yiserael
H3478-10 Genesis 37:13 יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל yiserael HNp Israel El-Contends Yiserael
H3478-10 Genesis 42:5 יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל yiserael HNp Israel El-Contends Yiserael
H3478-10 Genesis 43:6 יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל yiserael HNp Israel El-Contends Yiserael
H3478-10 Genesis 43:8 יִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל yiserael HNp Israel El-Contends Yiserael
H3478-10 Genesis 43:11 יִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל yiserael HNp Israel El-Contends Yiserael
H3478-10 Genesis 45:21 יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל yiserael HNp Israel El-Contends Yiserael
H3478-10 Genesis 45:28 יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל yiserael HNp Israel El-Contends Yiserael
H3478-10 Genesis 46:1 יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ yiserael HNp Israel El-Contends Yiserael
H3478-03 Genesis 46:2 לְ/יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ leyiserael HR/Np to Israel to El-Contends to Yiserael
H3478-10 Genesis 46:5 יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל yiserael HNp Israel El-Contends Yiserael
H3478-10 Genesis 46:8 יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל yiserael HNp of Israel El-Contends Yiserael
H3478-10 Genesis 46:29 יִשְׂרָאֵ֥ל yiserael HNp Israel El-Contends Yiserael
H3478-10 Genesis 46:30 יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל yiserael HNp Israel El-Contends Yiserael
H3478-10 Genesis 47:27 יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל yiserael HNp Israel El-Contends Yiserael
H3478-10 Genesis 47:29 יִשְׂרָאֵ֘ל yiserael HNp of Israel El-Contends Yiserael
H3478-10 Genesis 47:31 יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל yiserael HNp Israel El-Contends Yiserael
H3478-10 Genesis 48:2 יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל yiserael HNp El-Contends Yiserael
H3478-10 Genesis 48:8 יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל yiserael HNp Israel El-Contends Yiserael
H3478-10 Genesis 48:10 יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ yiserael HNp of Israel El-Contends Yiserael
H3478-10 Genesis 48:11 יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ yiserael HNp Israel El-Contends Yiserael
H3478-10 Genesis 48:13 יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל yiserael HNp Israel El-Contends Yiserael
H3478-10 Genesis 48:13 יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל yiserael-2 HNp Israel El-Contends Yiserael
H3478-10 Genesis 48:14 יִשְׂרָאֵ֨ל yiserael HNp Israel El-Contends Yiserael
H3478-10 Genesis 48:20 יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ yiserael HNp Israel El-Contends Yiserael
H3478-10 Genesis 48:21 יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ yiserael HNp Israel El-Contends Yiserael
H3478-10 Genesis 49:2 יִשְׂרָאֵ֥ל yiserael HNp Israel El-Contends Yiserael
H3478-01 Genesis 49:7 בְּ/יִשְׂרָאֵֽל beyiserael HR/Np in Israel in Yisraʾel in Yiserael
H3478-10 Genesis 49:16 יִשְׂרָאֵֽל yiserael HNp Israel El-Contends Yiserael
H3478-10 Genesis 49:24 יִשְׂרָאֵֽל yiserael HNp of Israel El-Contends Yiserael
H3478-10 Genesis 49:28 יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל yiserael HNp Israel El-Contends Yiserael
H3478-10 Genesis 50:2 יִשְׂרָאֵֽל yiserael HNp Israel El-Contends Yiserael
H3478-10 Genesis 50:25 יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל yiserael HNp Israel El-Contends Yiserael
H3478-10 Exodus 1:1 יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל yiserael HNp Israel El-Contends Yiserael
H3478-10 Exodus 1:7 יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל yiserael HNp Israel El-Contends Yiserael
H3478-10 Exodus 1:9 יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל yiserael HNp Israel El-Contends Yiserael
H3478-10 Exodus 1:12 יִשְׂרָאֵֽל yiserael HNp Israel. El-Contends Yiserael
H3478-10 Exodus 1:13 יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל yiserael HNp Israel El-Contends Yiserael
H3478-10 Exodus 2:23 יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל yiserael HNp Israel El-Contends Yiserael
H3478-10 Exodus 2:25 יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל yiserael HNp Israel, El-Contends Yiserael
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