Meaning of the Name Jesse
Jesse appears in Hebrew as "Yishai." Its meaning is uncertain; some explanations connect it with the idea of a "gift" or "present," while others offer different root proposals. For that reason its etymology is generally treated as debated.
Origin
The name Jesse is of Hebrew origin.
Who is Jesse in the Bible?
Jesse is one of the most important family names in Israel's history because he is the father of David. In 1 Samuel he is introduced as a Bethlehemite, and later prophetic language uses the image of the "stock of Jesse" for messianic hope. The name is chiefly known through this genealogical role.
The story of Jesse in the Bible
Jesse was an Ephrathite of Bethlehem, and his significance in the Bible lies in being the father of David. In 1 Samuel, after rejecting Saul, the LORD sends Samuel to Jesse's house in Bethlehem, for the new king has been chosen from among his sons. Jesse presents seven sons in turn, but the LORD chooses none; the youngest, David, is out tending the flock. He is summoned and anointed among his brothers. Later Jesse appears as an old man in Saul's days, father of eight sons; while the eldest serve in Saul's army he sends David to the battlefield with food for his brothers, and on this errand David meets Goliath. Jesse's name later becomes a symbol in prophetic language: Isaiah announces that a fresh shoot will spring from the stump of Jesse and that the Spirit of the LORD will rest on him. This image became one of the best-known expressions of hope for a king from David's line, and Jesse is remembered as a father who appears briefly yet whose name carries a lasting promise.
Is Jesse mentioned in the Quran?
The name Jesse is not mentioned by this name in the Quran; in the Bible he appears in 1 Samuel as the father of David, and in Isaiah as the ancestor of the line to which the hope of a coming king is attached.
Verses where Jesse appears
- 1 Samuel 16:1 —
Yahweh said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite; for I have provided a king…
- 1 Samuel 17:12 —
Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehem Judah, whose name was Jesse; and he had eight sons: and the man was an old man in the days of Saul, stricken among men.
- Isaiah 11:1 —
A shoot will come out of the stock of Jesse, and a branch out of his roots will bear fruit.