🔼The name Jesher: Summary
- Meaning
- Straight, Just
- Etymology
- From the verb ישר (yashar), to be straight.
🔼The name Jesher in the Bible
There's only one Jesher in the Bible, and he's a son of Caleb the son of Hezron, son of Perez, son of Judah and Tamar. This Caleb is not the famous friend of Joshua but the only other Caleb mentioned in the Bible. Jesher plays no further role in the Bible, and the only additional info we have on him is that his mother is called either Azubah or Jerioth (we're not sure) and his brothers are Shobab and Ardon. Their half-brother Hur is a son of Ephrath.
🔼Etymology of the name Jesher
The name Jesher comes from the verb ישר (yashar), meaning to be straight:
ישר אשר
Verb ישר (yashar) means to be straight or level. Adjective ישר (yashar) means right or upright. Nouns ישר (yosher), ישרה (yeshara) and מישר (meshar) mean uprightness or straightness. Noun מישור (mishor) describes a level place or plain.
Verb אשר ('ashar) covers a decisive progression or a setting right, and is often applied to describe happiness and prosperity (right on!). This is not due to a curious coincidence but to the obvious correlation of righteousness and efficiency. Righteousness in the Biblical sense describes a solid grasp of natural law, which leads to high levels of technology, social liquidity and thus peace and prosperity.
Nouns אשר ('esher), אשר ('ashar) and אשר ('osher) mean happiness or blessedness. Nouns אשור (ashur) and אשר (ashur) mean a step, a walk or a going. The noun תאשור (te'ashur) refers to a kind of tree (a happy tree? a progressing tree?).
The relative particle אשר (asher) means who or which, and may or may not be related to the previous (but probably does).
🔼Jesher meaning
For a meaning of the name Jesher, NOBSE Study Bible Name List reads Uprightness and Jones' Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names has Upright, or Just.