יִשְׁמָעֵאל
yish.ma.el
Ishmael
Lexicon Entry
Lexicon data from STEPBible TIPNR, Tyndale House, Cambridge. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
What Original Readers Understood
ExploredThe Hebrew lemma יִשְׁמָעֵאל (yish.ma.el) provides crucial information about a specific individual. Transliterated as "Ishmael," this proper name is semantically designated as a personal entity. With only two occurrences in the biblical text, it's clear that Ishmael holds significance within a narrow context, likely within a specific narrative or familial setting. Given its proper name designation, Ishmael refers to a specific person rather than a concept or abstract idea. This specificity underscores the importance of Ishmael as an individual within the narrative framework of the Hebrew Bible. The name itself remains relatively unanalyzable based on the provided data, leaving its etymology and potential connections to other words or themes uncertain. However, its usage in the biblical text undoubtedly imparts meaning, tied to its narrative context, and thus warrants examination within a larger linguistic and cultural context.
Source data & methodology
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences across the text