Jehush is a name found in the King James Bible, appearing 1 time in the text.
Who This Was
Jehush was a descendant of Esau, the brother of Jacob, and thus belonged to the Edomite line that sprang from Esau’s household. The source note identifies him as one of the sons of Esau mentioned in the genealogies of the Edomites in Genesis. The Edomites were the nation that descended from Esau, and their genealogies are recorded in Scripture to trace the fulfillment of God’s promise that Esau would also become a great nation. Jehush appears within this broader record of the families that came from Esau’s line.
The single appearance of the name Jehush in the King James Bible is found in 1 Chronicles 8:39: “And the sons of Eshek his brother were, Ulam his firstborn, Jehush the second, and Eliphelet the third.” In this verse, Jehush is listed as the second son of Eshek, a man of the tribe of Benjamin. His brothers are named as Ulam the firstborn and Eliphelet the third. The passage is part of a genealogy of Benjamin’s descendants, and Jehush is simply named among the sons of Eshek with no further details given about his life.
Scripture records nothing else about Jehush. He is not described as doing anything, speaking anything, or holding any office. He appears only as a name in a list, one link in a long chain of fathers and sons. What is said of him is limited to his parentage, his birth order, and his brothers. He lived, was counted among his people, and was remembered in the genealogical record preserved for Israel.
The Name
The name Jehush is a Hebrew name whose meaning is not clearly recoverable from the text itself. It appears to be related to a root associated with haste or perhaps with the idea of being gathered or brought in, but the precise sense is uncertain. Because the name occurs only once in the King James Bible and is given without explanation, no firm meaning can be established. It is better to acknowledge this honestly than to assign a meaning that Scripture does not supply. The name stands simply as the name of a Benjamite son of Eshek.
A Closing Thought
Most of the people in Scripture are like Jehush: named once, given no story, remembered only in a list. Yet the God who inspired these genealogies knew Jehush by name, numbered him among his family, and preserved his place in the record for generations. There is quiet comfort in this. A life that seems to leave no mark is still known to God. He does not forget the obscure, the second-born, or the ones whose deeds are never told. If your name is written in His book, that is enough.
At a Glance
- Gender: Male
- Testament: Old
- Mentions in the KJV: 1
Where It Appears in Scripture
- 1 Chronicles 8:39 — And the sons of Eshek his brother were, Ulam his firstborn, Jehush the second, and Eliphelet the third.