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

Jezer meaning

יצר

Source: https://www.abarim-publications.com/Meaning/Jezer.html

🔼The name Jezer: Summary

Meaning
Form, Shape
Etymology
From the noun יצר (yeser), form or shape.

🔼The name Jezer in the Bible

There's one Jezer in the Bible. He is listed as one of the sons of Naphtali, the sixth son of Jacob and the second of Bilhah (Genesis 46:24, 1 Chronicles 7:13).

Jezer was one of the sixty-six proto-Israelites who made the transition from Canaan to Goshen in Egypt, and by the time of the second census of Israel, the progeny of Jezer had become its own sub-clan of the Jezerites in Naphtali (Numbers 26:49).

Note that the word Jezerite is spelled the same way as the name Izri (יצרי).

🔼Etymology of the name Jezer

The name Jezer is identical to the noun יצר (yeser), meaning form or shape, from the verb יצר (yasar), meaning to fashion, form or frame:

Excerpted from: Abarim Publications' Biblical Dictionary
צור
  • Verb צור (sur I) probably means to lean or incline. Noun צואר (sawwa'r) means neck and צורון (sawwaron) means necklace.
  • Verb צור (sur II) means to confine, secure or besiege. Noun מצור (masor) means siege and מצורה (mesura) means stronghold. This verb relates to verb צרר (sarar I).
  • Verb צור (sur III) means to be an adversary. It relates to צרר (sarar II).
  • Verb צור (sur IV) means to form or fashion. Noun צורה (sura) means form and noun ציר (sir) means image. This verb relates to יצר (yasar).
  • Verb צור (sur V) probably relates to verb צרר (sarar III) and probably means to be sharp. The important noun צור (sur) means rock, and is equivalent to the Greek noun πετρα (petra), from which comes the name Peter.
צרר
  • Verb צרר (sarar I) means to bind and relates to צור (sur II). Adjective צר (sar) means narrow. Nouns צר (sar) and צרה (sara) mean distress and yield denominative verb צרה (sara), meaning to suffer distress. Noun צרור (seror) means bundle or parcel. Noun מצר (mesar) means distress.
  • Verb צרר (sarar II) means to show hostility and relates to verb צור (sur III). Noun צר (sar) means adversary. Noun צרה (sara) means vexer or rival-wife. Denominative verb צרר (sarar) means to create a rival wife.
  • Verb צרר (sarar III) probably means to be sharp and relates to צור (sur V). Nouns צר (sar), צר (sor) and צרור (seror) mean flint or pebble.
יצר

Verb יצר (yasar) means to fashion or form and relates to צור (sur IV). Noun יצר (yeser) denotes that what is formed, and noun יצרים (yesurim) means forms or members.

צרה

Verb צרה (srh) probably describes the bleeding of an odoriferous tree. Noun צרי (sari) denotes a kind of costly balsam.

🔼Jezer meaning

For a meaning of the name Jezer, NOBSE Study Bible Name List reads Form, Purpose and Jones' Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names has Frame, Form.

BDB Theological Dictionary doesn't offer an interpretation of the name Jezer but does confirm that it is identical to the noun יצר (yeser), meaning form or shape.