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Discover the meanings of thousands of Biblical names in Abarim Publications' Biblical Name Vault: Abishua

Abishua meaning

Abishua in Biblical Hebrew
אבישוע
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🔼The name Abishua: Summary

Meaning
The Father Is Salvation, Father Of Riches
Etymology
From (1) the noun אב ('ab), father, and (2) the verb ישע (yasha'), to save.
Related names
• Via אב ('ab): Abba, Abi, Abi-albon, Abiasaph, Abiathar, Abida, Abidan, Abiel, Abiezer, Abigail, Abihail, Abihu, Abihud, Abijah, Abijam, Abimael, Abimelech, Abinadab, Abinoam, Abiram, Abishag, Abishai, Abishalom, Abishur, Abital, Abitub, Abiud, Abner, Abram, Absalom, Ahab, Atroth-beth-joab, Barabbas, Bebai, Ben-abinadab, Chileab, Eliab, Huram-abi, Jeshebeab, Joab, Job, Moab, Oholiab
• Via ישע (yasha'): Bar-Jesus, Bath-shua, Chemosh, Elisha, Elishah, Elishua, Hosanna, Hosea, Hoshaiah, Isaiah, Ishi, Jason, Jeshua, Jesus, Joshua, Malchi-shua, Mesha, Shuah

🔼The name Abishua in the Bible

There are two men named Abishua in the Bible:

  • One Abishua is a son of Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron and Elisheba, and his son is graced with the lovely name Bukki (1 Chronicles 6:4), and his son is named Uzzi. Ten generations down from Uzzi we find Ezra the reformer (Ezra 7:5).
  • The other Abishua is one of nine sons of Bela, the first-born of Benjamin, the youngest son of Jacob and Rachel (1 Chronicles 8:4).

🔼Etymology of the name Abishua

The name Abishua consists of two elements. The first part of the name comes from the common Hebrew word אב ('ab), meaning father:

Excerpted from: Abarim Publications' Biblical Dictionary
אב

The noun אב ('ab) means father, but describes primarily a social relationship rather than a biological one. That social fatherhood was the defining quality of the community's alpha male, the one around whom all economy revolved and from whom emanated all instructions by which the 'sons' (בן, ben) operated. It's unclear where this word אב ('ab) comes from but the verb abu means to decide.

— See the full Dictionary article —

The added letter י (yod) creates a possessive; the compound אבי (abi) may mean my father, or father of, depending on the context.

The second part of the name Abishua comes from the root group ישע (yasha'), meaning to save, and שוע (shawa), meaning to cry for help:

Excerpted from: Abarim Publications' Biblical Dictionary
שוע  ישע

The verb ישע (yasha') means to be unrestricted and thus to be free and thus to be saved (from restriction, from oppression and thus from ultimate demise). A doer of this verb is a savior. Nouns ישועה (yeshua), ישע (yesha') and תשועה (teshua) mean salvation. Adjective שוע (shoa') means (financially) independent, freed in an economic sense.

Verb שוע (shawa') means to cry out (for salvation). Nouns שוע (shua'), שוע (shoa') and שועה (shawa) mean a cry (for salvation).

The noun תשע (tesha'), nine, looks like תושע (tohasha'), he or it will cause to save: the third person masculine singular Hiphil of the verb ישע (yasha'), to save. See our article on the Greek word for nine, εννεα (ennea).

— See the full Dictionary article —

🔼Abishua meaning

For a meaning of the name Abishua, NOBSE Study Bible Name List reads The Father Is Salvation. Jones' Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names proposes Father Of Riches or Father Of Welfare. BDB Theological Dictionary suggests My Father Is Rescue or My Father Is Opulence.