Jemima is a name found in the King James Bible, appearing 1 time in the text.
Who This Was
Jemima was one of the daughters of Job, born to him after the period of his great suffering and his restoration by God. She is named in the closing chapter of the Book of Job, where the text records the family that God gave Job in his latter years. The setting is one of recovery and renewed blessing: Job had lost his possessions, his children, and his health, and had endured a long and searching dialogue about suffering and the righteousness of God. After God answered Job and Job repented, the Lord restored him and gave him a new family.
Jemima is specifically identified as the first of three daughters. The Scripture says, “And he called the name of the first, Jemima; and the name of the second, Kezia; and the name of the third, Kerenhappuch.” She is thus named directly by her father, and she is the firstborn among the daughters mentioned. Alongside her sisters, she represents the fresh beginning granted to Job after his trials.
The text does not record any action or speech of Jemima. She appears only in this single verse, as part of the account of Job’s restored household. What Scripture says of her is limited to her name, her birth order, and her place in the family that God gave Job after his affliction. She is a quiet figure, known chiefly as a sign of the mercy and restoration that followed Job’s suffering.
The Name
The name Jemima is generally understood to derive from a Hebrew root connected with the idea of warmth or brightness, often rendered as “dove” or “warm” in various traditions. The precise meaning is not fully certain, and scholars have proposed different possibilities, including associations with daylight or with the warmth of the sun. Because the etymology is not entirely clear, it is best to say that the name likely carries a sense of warmth or brightness, but its exact meaning is not firmly established.
A Closing Thought
Jemima’s brief appearance reminds us that God’s stories do not end in loss. She was born after grief, a daughter named in the daylight that followed a long night. Though she never speaks and does nothing recorded, her very existence is a testimony to restoration. There is a quiet hope in being remembered simply as one who belonged to a healed household. For anyone walking through hardship, her name stands as a small witness that God can bring new life after sorrow, and that the blessings He restores are often named and counted with joy.
At a Glance
- Gender: Male
- Testament: Old
- Mentions in the KJV: 1
Where It Appears in Scripture
- Job 42:14 — And he called the name of the first, Jemima; and the name of the second, Kezia; and the name of the third, Kerenhappuch.