Lexical Definition

‎יִשְׂרָאֵל‎ Yisrâʼêl (yis-raw-ale') Israel ^N:N-M-P
from ‎שָׂרָה‎ and ‎אֵל‎; he will rule as God

Israel.

• § Israel = "God prevails"
• Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob
• also (typically) of his posterity

1) the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel
2) the name of the descendants and the nation of the descendants of Jacob
2a) the name of the nation until the death of Solomon and the split
2b) the name used and given to the northern kingdom consisting of the 10 tribes under Jeroboam; the southern kingdom was known as Judah
2c) the name of the nation after the return from exile

See Greek: Ἰσραήλ

Extended Information

• A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.25.26
• son of: Isaac (יִצְחָק) and Rebekah (רִבְקָה)
• brother of: Esau (עֵשָׂו); married to Rachel (רָחֵל), Leah (לֵאָה), Zilpah (זִלְפָּה) and Bilhah (בִּלְהָה)
• father of: Reuben (רְאוּבֵן), Simeon (שִׁמְעוֹן), Levi (לֵוִי), Judah (יְהוּדָה), Dan (דָּן), Naphtali (נַפְתָּלִי), Gad (גָּד), Asher (אָשֵׁר), Issachar (יִשָּׂשכָר), Zebulun (זְבוּלוּן), Dinah (דִּינָה), Joseph (יוֹסֵף) and Benjamin (בִּנְיָמִין); also called Jacob frequently

Brown-Driver-Briggs

Aramaic form: יִשְׂרָאֵל
‎יִשְׂרָאֵל‎ proper name and derivatives, see below I. ‎שׂרה‎.

‎יִשְׂרָאֵל‎₂₅₀₇ proper name, masculine and of a people Israel (El persisteth, persevereth (or jussive Let El persist) [usually contendeth (Nes^{Eg.60 ff.}) or Let El contend (Gray^{Prop. N. 218}), but see Dr^{Hast. DB JACOB 530}]; on vocalization see Lag^{BN 131 f.} Kit^{1Chr 4:16} (Hpt); MI⁵, + 5 t. ‎ישראל‎; in Egyptian Y-si-r-'l Steind^{ZAW xvi (1896), 331}, compare Breasted^{Bib. World ix (1897), 62 ff.} Paton^{Syr. and Pal. 134}; Assyrian Sir-'-lai (= ‎יִשְׂרְאֵלִי‎) Schr^{KG 356 ff., 364}; COT Gen 36:31; 1Kgs 16:29. — On a possibly relation of ‎׳‎‎יִשׂ‎ to proper name ‎שָׂרַי‎, ‎שָׂרָה‎ see RS^{K 257, 2nd ed. 34}; — compare ‎שְׂרָיָה(וּׅ‎; — Ισραηλ:

1. proper name, masculine second name of Jacob Gen 32:29* + 28 t. Genesis (JE), Exod 32:13 (JE), Hos 12:13*; Judg 18:29; Exod 6:14; Num 1:20; Num 26:5 (all P), 2Kgs 17:34; 1Chr 1:34 + 8 t. Chronicles, Ps 105:23 ‎׳‎‎בֵּית יִשׂ‎ Ruth 4:11 ‎׳‎‎בְּנֵי יִשׂ‎ (literal) Gen 42:5 + 3 t. E, 2 t. P + Exod 1:7 (P; transition to wider use), 1Kgs 18:31; 1Chr 2:1 +; = 12 tribes Exod 28:9 + 7 t. P; ‎׳‎‎אֱלֹהֵי אַבְרָהָם יִצְחָק וְיִשׂ‎ 1Kgs 18:36; 1Chr 29:18; 2Chr 30:6.

2. proper name, of a people (usually masculine^{Judg 11:17}f. but feminine 1Sam 17:21; 2Sam 24:9 [not || 1Chr 21:5], compare Dr^{on the passage} Albr^{ZAW xvi (1896), 57 f.}): name of Hebrew nation; usually derived from 1, but ‎׳‎‎יִשׂ‎ more common in early usage than ‎׳‎‎בְּנֵי יִשׂ‎ (see ‎בֵּן‎ p. 120:b):
a. (1) undivided kingdom; ‎׳‎‎יִשׂ‎ Gen 47:27 (J), Gen 49:7 (poem in J) + 108 t. J E, Deut 1:1; Deut 18:6; Deut 33:10 (poem) + 76 t. D, Gen 34:7; Exod 12:15 + 42 t. P; Judg 5:2; Judg 5:7 (twice in verse) + 104 t. Judges; often 1 and 2 Samuel; 1 Ki 1-12; ‎׳‎‎כָּליִֿשׂ‎ of whole people 2Sam 8:15 +, of whole army 2Sam 11:1 +, opposed to Judah 2Sam 2:9 + (so also later). (2) ‎׳‎‎יִשׂ‎ = Northern tribes, distinguished from Judah, even before disruption, 2Sam 2:9, compare v2Sam 2:10; 2Sam 3:10; 2Sam 4:1; 2Sam 5:5; 2Sam 12:7; 2Sam 20:1; 1Kgs 1:35; 1Kgs 4:20; 1Kgs 5:5* +; so at disruption 1Kgs 12:16 (3 t. in verse); 1Kgs 12:18; 1Kgs 12:19 then usually of Northern kingdom, till its fall, v1Kgs 12:28; 1Kgs 24:7; 1Kgs 24:10 + very often Kings, Amos 1:1; Amos 2:6; Amos 3:14 +, Hos 1:5; Hos 4:15 (twice in verse); Hos 5:3 (twice in verse); Hos 5:5 +, Mic 1:13, etc. (3) ‎׳‎‎יִשׂ‎ of Southern kingdom, Judah, rarely before fall of Samaria Isa 1:3; Isa 8:18; Mic 1:14; Mic 1:15, so ‎׳‎‎בְּנֵי יִשׂ‎ 1Kgs 12:17 after fall of Samaria, ‎׳‎‎יִשׂ‎ (less often ‎׳‎‎בְּנֵי יִשׂ‎) occurs of entire people, in reference to past or future 2Kgs 21:8; 2Kgs 23:22; Isa 17:9; Ps 103:7; Jer 2:3; Jer 50:17; Jer 50:19 +; ‎׳‎‎יִשׂ‎ also = Judah Jer 2:14; Jer 2:31; Jer 4:1 +, Ezek 13:2; Ezek 13:4; Ezek 13:16; Ezek 14:1; Ezek 14:7; Ezek 14:9 +, Isa 40:27; Isa 41:8; Isa 42:24 +, Ezra 2:59 = Neh 7:61; Ezra 2:70; Ezra 3:11 +, Neh 10:34*; Neh 10:3* +, Ps 14:7 (twice in verse) = Ps 53:7* (twice in verse), Ps 147:2; Ps 149:2 +, etc. (4) usage in Chronicles: ‎׳‎‎יִשׂ‎ of whole people 1Chr 2:7 + 110 t., of Northern kingdom 2Chr 11:1 + 16 t., of Judah 2Chr 12:6; 2Chr 19:8 + 9 t. (5) ‎׳‎‎יִשׂ‎ personified as ‎׳‎‎עֶבֶד י‎, Isa 44:1; Isa 44:21; Isa 49:3.
b. ‎׳‎‎בְּנֵי יִשׂ‎, (1) of undivided people Exod 1:12 (J), Exod 3:9 (E) + 72 t. J E, Deut 3:18; Deut 10:6 + 25 t. D, Gen 32:33* + 327 t. P; Judg 1:1 + 60 t. Judges; seldom 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 Ki 1-12; in 1Kings 13—2Kings 25 passive in reference to older history (rarely otherwise). (2) seldom of Northern kingdom Amos 2:11 + 9 t. Amos, Hosea; 2Chr 13:12 + 7 t. Chronicles. (3) of Judah (late) Ezek 2:3; Neh 1:6 (twice in verse); Ezra 3:1; Joel 4:16* +, 2Chr 31:5.
c. ‎בֵּית‎ ‎׳‎‎יִשׂ‎ Exod 16:31; Exod 40:38 + 142 t. (see ‎בַּיִת‎ 5 d (δ); 81 t. Ezekiel, where = Judah; see especially Exod 37:16); ‎׳‎‎שְׁנֵי בָֽתֵּי יִשׂ‎ Isa 8:14.
d. other phrases, see sub ‎אִישׁ‎, ‎אֶרֶץ‎, ‎בַּת‎, ‎בְּתוּלָה‎, ‎גְּבוּל‎, ‎הַר‎, ‎כִּסֵּא‎, ‎מֶלֶךְ‎, ‎(נטה) מַטֶּה‎, ‎(יעד) עֵדָה‎, ‎עַם‎, ‎שֵׁבֶט‎; also (in epithet of ‎׳‎‎י‎) below ‎אָבִיר‎, ‎אוֺר‎, ‎אֱלֹחִים‎, I. ‎גָּוֺאל‎, ‎מֶלֶךְ‎, ‎מִקְוֶה‎ (I. ‎קוה‎), I. ‎צוּר‎ (V. ‎צור‎), ‎קָדוֺשׁ‎, I. ‎רָעָה‎ 1 d (3).
e. ‎׳‎‎יִשׂ‎ = the laity, opposed to priests, etc. (late): Ezra 10:25; Neh 11:3; 1Chr 9:2 ‎׳‎‎כָּליִֿשׂ‎ Ezra 2:70; Ezra 10:5 ‎׳‎‎הָעָם יִשׂ‎ Ezra 9:1 ‎׳‎‎בְּנֵי יִשׂ‎ Neh 10:40*, compare ‎׳‎‎שְׁאָר יִשׂ‎ Neh 11:20.

Brown-Driver-Briggs References

Profile

Male • Son of Isaac • Patriarch, son of Isaac, father of twelve tribes

Man living at the time of the Patriarchs

Israel, also named Jacob, was the son of Isaac, the father of the twelve tribes of Israel, and a key patriarch of the Jewish people.

• A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.25.26;
• referred to as Israel or [ ] or Israelite or "God" (KJV= Israel) יִשְׂרָאֵל, or Israel יִשְׂרָאֵל, or Jacob or "he" (KJV= Jacob) יַעֲקֹב, or Jeshurun יְשֻׁרוּן, or Israelite יִשְׂרְאֵלִי, or Israelitess יִשְׂרְאֵלִית, or Israel or Israelite Ἰσραήλ, or Jacob Ἰακώβ, or Israelite or Israel Ἰσραηλίτης;
• son of Isaac יִצְחָק and Rebekah רִבְקָה;
• a brother of Esau עֵשָׂו;
• husband of Rachel רָחֵל, Leah לֵאָה, Zilpah זִלְפָּה and Bilhah בִּלְהָה;
• father of Reuben רְאוּבֵן, Simeon שִׁמְעוֹן, Levi לֵוִי, Judah יְהוּדָה, Dan דָּן, Naphtali נַפְתָּלִי, Gad גָּד, Asher אָשֵׁר, Issachar יִשָּׂשכָר, Zebulun זְבוּלוּן, Dinah דִּינָה, Joseph יוֹסֵף and Benjamin בִּנְיָמִין.

Israel, also known as Jacob, was the son of Isaac and Rebekah, and the grandson of Abraham. He was born after his twin brother Esau (Gen. 25:24-26).

Jacob bought Esau's birthright for a bowl of stew when Esau was famished (Gen. 25:29-34). He then deceived his father Isaac into giving him the firstborn blessing (Gen. 27). To escape Esau's anger, Jacob fled to his uncle Laban in Paddan-aram (Gen. 28:1-5).

On the way, Jacob had a dream of a stairway to heaven at Bethel, where God confirmed the covenant promises to him (Gen. 28:10-22). Jacob worked for Laban for 14 years, marrying his daughters Leah and Rachel (Gen. 29).

Wanting to return home, Jacob left Paddan-aram with his family and flocks. On the way, he wrestled with God at Peniel and was renamed Israel, meaning "he struggles with God" (Gen. 32:22-32). Israel (or 'Jacob') reconciled with Esau and settled in Canaan (Gen. 33).

Jacob had twelve sons who became the ancestors of the twelve tribes of Israel: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, Benjamin, Dan, Naphtali, Gad and Asher (Gen. 35:23-26).

Jacob showed favoritism to Joseph, provoking his brothers to sell Joseph into slavery in Egypt (Gen. 37). Later, during a famine, Jacob's sons went to Egypt for food and were reconciled with Joseph, who had risen to power there (Gen. 42-46).

Jacob moved his whole family to Egypt, where he lived for 17 years (Gen. 47:28). Before his death, Jacob blessed Joseph's sons Ephraim and Manasseh (Gen. 48) and gave prophetic blessings to his own twelve sons (Gen. 49). He died at age 147 and was buried in Canaan (Gen. 49:33; 50:1-14).

God often identified Himself as the "God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob" and reaffirmed His covenant promises to Jacob's descendants (e.g. Exo. 3:6,15). The nation of Israel took its name from Jacob and the Jewish people are his descendants. The name Jeshurun is used as a poetic name for Israel (Deut. 32:15; 33:5,26; Isa. 44:2).

All entries for Israel or Jacob or Jeshurun: יִשְׂרָאֵל ☩ יִשְׂרָאֵל ☩ יַעֲקֹב ☩ יְשֻׁרוּן ☩ Ἰακώβ ☩ יִשְׂרְאֵלִי ☩ יִשְׂרְאֵלִית ☩ Ἰσραήλ ☩ Ἰσραηλίτης

Related Profiles:

• Isaac (father)
• Rebekah (mother)
• Rachel (spouse)
• Leah (spouse)
• Zilpah (spouse)
• Bilhah (spouse)
• Esau (sibling)
• Reuben (child)
• Simeon (child)
• Levi (child)
• Judah (child)
• Dan (child)
• Naphtali (child)
• Gad (child)
• Asher (child)
• Issachar (child)
• Zebulun (child)
• Dinah (child)
• Joseph (child)
• Benjamin (child)