3425. yerushshah
Lexical Summary
yerushshah: Inheritance, possession

Original Word: יְרֻשָּׁה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: yrushah
Pronunciation: yeh-roosh-SHAH
Phonetic Spelling: (yer-oosh-shaw')
KJV: heritage, inheritance, possession
NASB: possession, inheritance, own
Word Origin: [from H3423 (יָרַשׁ יָרֵשׁ - possess)]

1. something occupied
2. a conquest
3. also a patrimony

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
heritage, inheritance, possession

From yarash; something occupied; a conquest; also a patrimony -- heritage, inheritance, possession.

see HEBREW yarash

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from yarash
Definition
possession, inheritance
NASB Translation
inheritance (2), own (1), possession (11).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
יְרֻשָּׁה noun feminine (a) possession, inheritance; — absolute ׳יר Deuteronomy 2:5 7t., construct יְרֻשַּׁת Judges 21:17; Psalm 61:6 (but on text see below); suffix יְרֻשָּֽׁתְךָ2Chronicles 20:11; יְרֻשָּׁתוֺ Deuteronomy 2:12; Deuteronomy 3:20; יְרֻשַּׁתְכֶם Joshua 1:15; — used of land Deuteronomy 2:5,9 (twice in verse); Deuteronomy 2:19 (twice in verse); Deuteronomy 3:20; אֶרֶץ יְרֻשָּׁתוֺ Deuteronomy 2:12 the land of his possession, so Joshua 1:15; further, Joshua 12:6,7; Judges 21:7 (but BuRs 152 נִשְׁאֲרָה), Jeremiah 32:8 + Jer 61:6 (but < אֲרֶשֶׁת request, compare Checritical note.), 2 Chronicles 20:11.

Topical Lexicon
Thematic Overview

The term יְרֻשָּׁה underlines a God-assigned right of possession, most frequently territorial. Each occurrence underscores that land and heritage move into human hands only because the LORD assigns, protects, and regulates the transfer. The word consistently highlights divine sovereignty, covenant faithfulness, and ethical boundaries for Israel and the surrounding nations.

Allocation of Land to Israel and Neighboring Peoples

• Deuteronomy concentrates over half of the occurrences (2:5, 2:9, 2:12, 2:19 × 2; 3:20). In each, Moses reminds Israel that the territories of Edom, Moab, and Ammon are untouchable because the LORD has already given them as a “possession” to Esau and to Lot’s descendants. The same divine authority that grants Canaan to Israel also safeguards the allotments of other peoples.
Joshua 1:15; 12:6-7 extends the theme from promise to fulfillment. The conquest is portrayed as Israel’s faithful reception of its “inheritance,” not as self-initiated expansion. “Then each of you may return to the possession I have given you” (Joshua 1:15) keeps responsibility and privilege tightly bound together.
Judges 21:17 highlights internal justice: the tribe of Benjamin must not lose its “inheritance” despite earlier moral failure. יְרֻשָּׁה guards the principle that every covenant family retains its God-given place in the community.
2 Chronicles 20:11 reveals the reverse angle. When Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir rise against Judah, Jehoshaphat surveys their aggression as an assault on “the land You have given us as an inheritance” (paraphrase of). To violate another’s יְרֻשָּׁה is to challenge the LORD Himself.
Jeremiah 32:8 brings the concept into personal property law. Jeremiah redeems a field because he holds “the right of redemption and possess­ion,” demonstrating that the covenant structure safeguarding tribal allotments operates even under Babylonian siege.

Inheritance and Divine Sovereignty

At every turn יְרֻשָּׁה proclaims that the earth is the LORD’s. He parcels territory according to His redemptive plan, overruling human power dynamics. Israel’s conquest narrative is therefore neither oppressive nationalism nor random warfare but the outworking of covenant promise first spoken to Abraham (Genesis 15:18-21) and later reiterated through Moses and Joshua. Conversely, Israel’s restraint toward Edom, Moab, and Ammon illustrates submission to God’s revealed boundaries.

Worship, Identity, and Trust

Psalm 61:5 elevates יְרֻשָּׁה from soil to soul: “You have given me the heritage of those who fear Your name”. Here the inheritance is the cumulative spiritual privilege of belonging to the worshiping community. The psalmist interprets covenant membership itself as a granted possession, reinforcing that true security lies in relationship with the LORD rather than in territory alone.

Prophetic and Royal Usage

Jeremiah’s land purchase (32:8) anticipates national restoration. Buying the field in Anathoth serves as enacted prophecy: the God who assigned inheritances will one day resettle His people upon those same parcels. Likewise, Jehoshaphat’s prayer (2 Chronicles 20:11) treats יְרֻשָּׁה as legal evidence in the heavenly court. The king’s appeal is not merely patriotic but covenantal: invaders threaten a divine grant held in trust by Judah.

Military and Territorial Implications

Because יְרֻשָּׁה communicates a God-deeded right, military activity gains moral clarity. Israel may dispossess nations in Canaan only under explicit command (Joshua 12:6-7) and must respect the possessions of kin-nations (Deuteronomy 2). Victories are thus read as divine judgment and grace rather than mere force. This framework regulates conquest, restrains aggression, and legitimizes resistance when others violate Israel’s inheritance (2 Chronicles 20).

Continuity into New Testament Revelation

While the word itself does not appear in Greek Scripture, its theology prepares for New Testament teaching on κληρονομία (inheritance). The land motif widens into the “kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 25:34) and the “inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading” (1 Peter 1:4). Just as Joshua allocated Canaan by tribe, so Christ the greater Joshua secures an everlasting possession for His people.

Pastoral and Ministry Implications

1. Stewardship: Believers recognize property, calling, and gifting as trusts from God, to be managed under His directives rather than exploited for self-interest.
2. Justice: Respect for another’s God-given portion shapes ethical engagement with neighbors, business, and international affairs.
3. Assurance: The Lord who safeguarded Israel’s inheritance amid enemies and exile guarantees the believer’s heavenly inheritance, fostering perseverance and hope.
4. Mission: Divine ownership of all lands emboldens outreach; no territory lies outside the sovereign claim of the gospel.

Thus יְרֻשָּׁה frames territorial history, personal piety, and eschatological promise within a single, unbroken testimony: the LORD grants, guards, and ultimately perfects the inheritance of His people.

Forms and Transliterations
הַיְרֻשָּׁ֛ה הירשה יְ֝רֻשַּׁ֗ת יְרֻשַּׁ֥ת יְרֻשַּׁתְכֶם֙ יְרֻשָּֽׁה׃ יְרֻשָּׁ֔ה יְרֻשָּׁ֖ה יְרֻשָּׁ֗ה יְרֻשָּׁ֣ה יְרֻשָּׁה׃ יְרֻשָּׁת֔וֹ ירשה ירשה׃ ירשת ירשתו ירשתכם לִֽירֻשָּׁת֔וֹ לירשתו מִיְּרֻשָּׁתְךָ֖ מירשתך hay·ruš·šāh hayrushShah hayruššāh lî·ruš·šā·ṯōw lirushshaTo lîruššāṯōw mî·yə·ruš·šā·ṯə·ḵā miyerushshateCha mîyəruššāṯəḵā yə·ruš·šā·ṯōw yə·ruš·šāh yə·ruš·šaṯ yə·ruš·šaṯ·ḵem yerushShah yerushShat yerushshatChem yerushshaTo yəruššāh yəruššaṯ yəruššaṯḵem yəruššāṯōw
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Deuteronomy 2:5
HEB: רָ֑גֶל כִּֽי־ יְרֻשָּׁ֣ה לְעֵשָׂ֔ו נָתַ֖תִּי
NAS: Seir to Esau as a possession.
KJV: Seir unto Esau [for] a possession.
INT: A foot because A possession to Esau have given

Deuteronomy 2:9
HEB: לְךָ֤ מֵֽאַרְצוֹ֙ יְרֻשָּׁ֔ה כִּ֣י לִבְנֵי־
NAS: of their land as a possession, because
KJV: thee of their land [for] a possession; because I have given
INT: give of their land A possession because to the sons

Deuteronomy 2:9
HEB: אֶת־ עָ֖ר יְרֻשָּׁה׃
NAS: to the sons of Lot as a possession.
KJV: of Lot [for] a possession.
INT: have given Ar A possession

Deuteronomy 2:12
HEB: יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל לְאֶ֙רֶץ֙ יְרֻשָּׁת֔וֹ אֲשֶׁר־ נָתַ֥ן
NAS: to the land of their possession which
KJV: unto the land of his possession, which the LORD
INT: Israel to the land of their possession which gave

Deuteronomy 2:19
HEB: עַמּ֤וֹן לְךָ֙ יְרֻשָּׁ֔ה כִּ֥י לִבְנֵי־
NAS: of Ammon as a possession, because
KJV: of Ammon [any] possession; because I have given
INT: of the sons of Ammon A possession because to the sons

Deuteronomy 2:19
HEB: ל֖וֹט נְתַתִּ֥יהָ יְרֻשָּֽׁה׃
NAS: of Lot as a possession.'
KJV: of Lot [for] a possession.
INT: of Lot have given A possession

Deuteronomy 3:20
HEB: וְשַׁבְתֶּ֗ם אִ֚ישׁ לִֽירֻשָּׁת֔וֹ אֲשֶׁ֥ר נָתַ֖תִּי
NAS: every man to his possession which
KJV: every man unto his possession, which I have given
INT: may return every to his possession which have given

Joshua 1:15
HEB: וְשַׁבְתֶּ֞ם לְאֶ֤רֶץ יְרֻשַּׁתְכֶם֙ וִֽירִשְׁתֶּ֣ם אוֹתָ֔הּ
NAS: them. Then you shall return to your own land,
KJV: unto the land of your possession, and enjoy
INT: shall return land to your own and possess which

Joshua 12:6
HEB: עֶֽבֶד־ יְהוָ֜ה יְרֻשָּׁ֗ה לָרֻֽאוּבֵנִי֙ וְלַגָּדִ֔י
NAS: of Manasseh as a possession.
KJV: gave it [for] a possession unto the Reubenites,
INT: the servant God A possession to the Reubenites and the Gadites

Joshua 12:7
HEB: לְשִׁבְטֵ֧י יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל יְרֻשָּׁ֖ה כְּמַחְלְקֹתָֽם׃
NAS: of Israel as a possession according to their divisions,
KJV: of Israel [for] a possession according to their divisions;
INT: to the tribes of Israel A possession to their divisions

Judges 21:17
HEB: וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ יְרֻשַּׁ֥ת פְּלֵיטָ֖ה לְבִנְיָמִ֑ן
NAS: They said, [There must be] an inheritance for the survivors
KJV: And they said, [There must be] an inheritance for them that be escaped
INT: said an inheritance the survivors of Benjamin

2 Chronicles 20:11
HEB: לָבוֹא֙ לְגָ֣רְשֵׁ֔נוּ מִיְּרֻשָּׁתְךָ֖ אֲשֶׁ֥ר הֽוֹרַשְׁתָּֽנוּ׃
NAS: to drive us out from Your possession which
KJV: to cast us out of thy possession, which thou hast given us to inherit.
INT: coming to drive your possession which have given

Psalm 61:5
HEB: לִנְדָרָ֑י נָתַ֥תָּ יְ֝רֻשַּׁ֗ת יִרְאֵ֥י שְׁמֶֽךָ׃
NAS: You have given [me] the inheritance of those who fear
KJV: thou hast given [me] the heritage of those that fear
INT: my vows have given the inheritance fear your name

Jeremiah 32:8
HEB: לְךָ֞ מִשְׁפַּ֧ט הַיְרֻשָּׁ֛ה וּלְךָ֥ הַגְּאֻלָּ֖ה
NAS: for you have the right of possession and the redemption
KJV: for the right of inheritance [is] thine, and the redemption
INT: for have the right of possession and the redemption buy

14 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 3425
14 Occurrences


hay·ruš·šāh — 1 Occ.
lî·ruš·šā·ṯōw — 1 Occ.
mî·yə·ruš·šā·ṯə·ḵā — 1 Occ.
yə·ruš·šāh — 7 Occ.
yə·ruš·šaṯ — 2 Occ.
yə·ruš·šaṯ·ḵem — 1 Occ.
yə·ruš·šā·ṯōw — 1 Occ.

3424
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