🔼The name Jushab-hesed: Summary
- Meaning
- Kindness Returned, He Will Reverse Fidelity
- Etymology
- From the verb שוב (shub), to return, and (2) the noun חסד (hesed), kindness.
🔼The name Jushab-hesed in the Bible
The name Jushab-hesed occurs only once in the Bible. The Chronicler lists him as a descendant of king Solomon and son of Zerubbabel the leader of the great return of Jews from Babylon (1 Chronicles 3:20). This Jushab-hesed has many brothers, but one is called Hasadiah and that name contains the same verb as Jushab-hesed.
🔼Etymology of the name Jushab-hesed
The name Jushab-hesed consists of two elements. The first part is an active form of the verb שוב (shub), meaning to return:
שוב
The verb שוב (shub) tells of a reversal in motion; the point where an upward motion becomes a downward one, or vice versa, or a westward motion an eastward one, and so on. This very frequently occurring verb is mostly translated with to turn or return, and is often used to mean to convert or return to a more fruitful way of life, and hence to restore, to retrieve or even to abstain, to reply and to repeat. Noun שובה (shuba) means withdrawal; noun שיבה (shiba) means restoration, and noun תשובה (teshuba) means answer. Adjectives שובב (shobab), שובב (shobeb) and משובה (meshuba) mean backsliding, or transitioning from a positive to a negative way of life.
Verb ישב (yashab) means to sit (the act which occurs precisely in between a person's descent and ascent) or to remain or dwell (in between traveling to and from some place). Nouns שבת (shebet) and מושב (moshab) mean both seat or dwelling place. Noun תושב (toshab) means sojourner.
The verb שבת (shabbat) means to rest or cease activity, and the familiar noun שבת (shabbat) means a rest or stoppage. Noun שבת (shebbet) means cessation and is closely similar to the noun שבת (shebet), meaning seat, mentioned above. Noun משבת (mishbat) also means cessation. Denominative verb שבת (shabat) means to keep the Sabbath and the noun שבתון (shabbaton) denotes a sabbatical observance.
Verb שבה (shaba) means to take captive, or to put a halt to someone's preferred trajectory and coerce them to go somewhere else. Nouns שבי (shebi) and שביה (shibya) mean captivity or captives collectively, but with the emphasis on being moved somewhere rather than the static condition of being imprisoned. Likewise, the noun שביה (shebiya) means captive. Noun שבית (shebit) or שבות (shebut) means captivity but since the parent verb speaks of a sudden change of destiny rather than a particular destination, this noun may also be used to mean restoration. The noun שבו (shebo) describes some sort of gem, apparently a real "head-turner."
The second part of our name comes from the beautiful noun חסד (hesed), meaning kindness of fidelity:
חסד
The verb חסד (hasad) means to be good or kind. The important noun חסד (hesed) means loving-kindness or allegiance in a legally binding way. Adjective חסיד (hasid) means kind or godly.
🔼Jushab-hesed meaning
For a meaning of the name Jushab-hesed, NOBSE Study Bible Name List reads Kindness Returned and Jones' Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names has He Will Return Love. BDB Theological Dictionary does not offer an interpretation of the name Jushab-hesed but does list it under the verb שוב (shub), meaning to return.
Since the שוב (shub) speaks of a reversal in direction rather than reciprocity, our name may very well refer to a halting of kindness and a reversal of it.