Jezoar is a name found in the King James Bible, appearing 1 time in the text.
Who This Was
Jezoar was a descendant of Simeon, one of the twelve tribes of Israel. He is mentioned only once in the King James Bible, in the genealogies of the tribe of Simeon recorded in 1 Chronicles 4. The Chronicler, writing after the Babylonian exile, gathered these family records to preserve the identity and heritage of the tribes of Israel, and Jezoar appears within that record as a member of Simeon’s line.
Specifically, Jezoar is listed as one of the sons of Helah. The text reads, “And the sons of Helah were, Zereth, and Jezoar, and Ethnan” (1 Chronicles 4:7). His mother, Helah, is named in the same passage, and his brothers were Zereth and Ethnan. This places Jezoar in a household within the broader Simeonite genealogy, though the passage gives no further details about his life, occupation, or the circumstances in which he lived.
Scripture records nothing else about Jezoar—no deed, no word, no event. He appears solely as a name in a family line. Yet his inclusion in the inspired record is not without significance: he was counted among the people of Israel, and his name was preserved as part of the heritage of a tribe that, though small and often overlooked, belonged to the covenant people of God.
The Name
The name Jezoar is a Hebrew name, and its meaning is not clearly recoverable from the text or from standard Hebrew lexicons. Some have suggested possible connections to words for “help” or “shining,” but these proposals are uncertain and not well established. In all honesty, the precise meaning of this name cannot be stated with confidence, and it is better to acknowledge that than to assign it a meaning the evidence does not support. What is clear is that it was a personal name borne by a Simeonite man whose memory rests entirely in the genealogy of his tribe.
A Closing Thought
Most of us will never be remembered by history. Our names will not appear in chronicles of great deeds, and no monuments will bear our likeness. Jezoar’s entire legacy in Scripture is a single line in a family record—and yet he was known to God. His name was written down and preserved for thousands of years, not because of anything he did, but because he belonged to the people of God. That is enough. If you are in Christ, your name is written in a book far more enduring than any earthly record, and that is a hope no obscurity can take away.
At a Glance
- Gender: Male
- Testament: Old
- Mentions in the KJV: 1
Where It Appears in Scripture
- 1 Chronicles 4:7 — And the sons of Helah were, Zereth, and Jezoar, and Ethnan.