Original Word: יִשִּׁיָּה
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Yishshiyah
Pronunciation: yish-ee-YAH or yish-ee-YAH-hoo
Phonetic Spelling: (yish-shee-yaw')
KJV: Ishiah, Isshiah, Ishijah, Jesiah
NASB: Isshiah, Isshijah
Word Origin: [from H5383 (נָשָׁה - creditor) and H3050 (יָהּ - LORD)]

1. Jah will lend
2. Jishshijah, the name of five Israelites

Ishiah, Isshiah, Ishijah, Jesiah

Or Yishshiyahuw {yish-shee-yaw'-hoo}; from nashah and Yahh; Jah will lend; Jishshijah, the name of five Israelites -- Ishiah, Isshiah, Ishijah, Jesiah.

see HEBREW nashah

see HEBREW Yahh

Word Origin
from nashah and Yah
Definition
the name of several Isr.
NASB Translation
Isshiah (6), Isshijah (1).

יִשִּׁיָּהוּ, יִשִּׁיָּה proper name, masculine 1. יִשִּׁיָּהוּ 1 Chronicles 12:7 (van d. H. v.1 Chronicles 12:6) one of David's heroes, ᵐ5 Ιησουνει, A. Ιεσια, ᵐ5^L Ιεσσουε.

2 יִשִּׁיָּה, a man of Issachar 1 Chronicles 7:3, ᵐ5 Εισια, Ιεσια, ᵐ5^L Ιωσια (and so in following).

3 Levites:

a. 1 Chronicles 23:20; 1 Chronicles 24:25 (twice in verse).

b. 1 Chronicles 24:21, ᵐ5 Ισεια, etc.

4 one of those strange wives Ezra 10:31, ᵐ5 Ιεσς(ε)ια.

Biblical Occurrences

The name יִשִּׁיָּה (rendered “Ishiah,” “Isshiah,” or “Jeshaiah” in English translations) appears seven times in the Old Testament: 1 Chronicles 7:3; 12:7; 23:20; 24:21; 24:25 (twice in the Hebrew text, once as a copyist duplication in English listings); and Ezra 10:31. Although each reference points to a different individual, the collective witness of these passages highlights consistent themes of covenant lineage, service, and repentance.

Tribal Contexts

1. Issachar (1 Chronicles 7:3) – Ishiah is counted among the sons of Uzzi, anchoring the tribe’s genealogy in the early monarchy. The careful chronicling of Issachar’s descendants underscores God’s faithfulness to every tribe, even those less prominent than Judah and Levi.
2. Benjamin (1 Chronicles 12:7) – A second Ishiah joins David’s mighty men at Ziklag. His Benjamite heritage recalls Saul’s tribe, yet his allegiance to David anticipates the unifying power of the future Messiah born of David’s line.
3. Levi (1 Chronicles 23:20; 24:21, 25) – Three Levitical occurrences involve Ishiah as a Kohathite, grandson of Uzziel. Here the name is attached to temple duty, underscoring the centrality of ordered worship.
4. Harim (Ezra 10:31) – Post-exilic Ishiah, descended from Harim, participates in the public repudiation of foreign marriages, illustrating the community’s commitment to covenant purity after the exile.

Role in the Davidic Era

“And from the Gadites there went over to David into the stronghold in the wilderness mighty men of valor… Isshiah the first, Obadiah the second, Eliab the third” (1 Chronicles 12:8–9). The Benjamite Ishiah named in 1 Chronicles 12:7 is grouped with Gadites in the following verse, exhibiting the military fluidity of those who rallied behind David before he ascended the throne. His presence testifies that loyalty to God’s anointed king transcended tribal boundaries.

Levitical Ministry

1 Chronicles 23–24 positions three individuals named Ishiah within the Kohathite branch of Levi. David re-organizes the Levites for temple service, assigning twenty-four divisions under Aaronic households. Ishiah’s line receives its post, preserving worship continuity that reaches fulfillment when Solomon’s temple is dedicated (2 Chronicles 5). The record also provides a template for New-Covenant congregational order: spiritual service is divinely appointed, not self-selected.

Post-Exilic Faithfulness

Ezra 10:31 lists Ishiah of the sons of Harim among those who pledged to dismiss foreign wives: “As for the sons of Harim… Ishiah, Malchijah, Shemaiah…”. In an age when the remnant could have compromised for political advantage, Ishiah’s repentance helped safeguard the Messianic line and modelled corporate holiness. That the same name surfaces in both Levitical and lay contexts shows holiness is required of every believer, not merely clergy.

Theological Significance

1. Covenant Continuity – Repeated mention of Ishiah affirms Scripture’s genealogical precision. The LORD remembers individual Israelites across centuries, guaranteeing His promises in detail.
2. Fidelity and Service – Whether warrior or Levite, each Ishiah exemplifies willing service aligned with God’s purposes—a reminder that every calling, however obscure, contributes to redemptive history.
3. Repentance and Renewal – The post-exilic Ishiah demonstrates that genuine repentance is indispensable for covenant blessing; personal decisions have corporate ramifications.

Lessons for the Church

• God values every believer’s place in His story; lists of names are testimonies, not trivialities.
• Spiritual unity arises from shared allegiance to the true King, not from tribal or cultural similarity.
• Worship and holiness require both ordered service and heartfelt obedience; believers today are likewise “a royal priesthood” (1 Peter 2:9).
• Repentant action sustains community purity and preserves witness to future generations.

In sum, יִשִּׁיָּה threads through Scripture as a quiet yet potent witness to covenant continuity, loyal service, and reforming grace—an encouragement that even seemingly minor figures can glorify God in decisive moments of redemptive history.

וְ֠יִשִּׁיָּהוּ וְיִשִּׁיָּ֖ה וישיה וישיהו יִשִּׁיָּ֔ה יִשִּׁיָּ֖ה יִשִּׁיָּ֛ה יִשִּׁיָּֽה׃ ישיה ישיה׃ veyishshiYah Veyishshiyahu wə·yiš·šî·yā·hū wə·yiš·šî·yāh wəyiššîyāh wəyiššîyāhū yiš·šî·yāh yishshiYah yiššîyāhInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts