Hebrew word · H3446

יִשְׂחָק

yischak

Isaac

Isaac, son of Abraham and Sarah. The name means 'he laughs' or 'may he (God) laugh/smile'. The usual spelling is יִצְחָק (Yitschaq). The spelling here, with sin, appears only four times (Ps 105:9; Jer 33:26; Amos 7:9, 16).

Appears 4 times in 4 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.17.19;

son of: Abraham (H0085) and Sarah (H8283);

half-brother of: Ishmael (H3458), Zimran (H2175), Jokshan (H3370), Medan (H4091), Midian (H4080), Ishbak (H3435) and Shuah (H7744); married to Rebekah (H7259);

father of: Esau (H6215) and Israel (H3478)

Another spelling of yits.chaq (יִצְחָק "Isaac" H3327)

§ Isaac = "he laughs"

son of Abraham by Sarah his wife and father of Jacob and Esau

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Psalm 105:9

Range of meaning

Isaac, son of Abraham and Sarah. The name means 'he laughs' or 'may he (God) laugh/smile'. The usual spelling is יִצְחָק (Yitschaq). The spelling here, with sin, appears only four times (Ps 105:9; Jer 33:26; Amos 7:9, 16).

Against the English

No English version marks the spelling difference, and none needs to.

Used elsewhere in the period

Genesis 17:17, 18:12-15 and 21:6 play on 'laugh' (tsachaq). The verb sachaq, 'laugh, play', is a by-form of the same root. Amos uses the sin spelling as a name for the northern kingdom.

Similar words

Where it appears

Psalms · 1

  1. Psalm 105:9 לְיִשְׂחָֽק׃ to Isaac

    the covenant He made with Abraham, and the oath He swore to Isaac.

    Here: 'To Isaac': he receives the oath already sworn to his father (Genesis 26:3). The rare spelling with 'sin' may echo the play on 'laughter' behind the name (Genesis 17:17; 18:12; 21:6). Both spellings come from roots meaning 'laugh'.

Jeremiah · 1

  1. Jeremiah 33:26 יִשְׂחָ֣ק Isaac

    then I would also reject the descendants of Jacob and of My servant David, so as not to take from his descendants rulers over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For I will restore them from captivity and will have compassion on them.”

    Here: Isaac is also named only here in Jeremiah. With Abraham and Jacob he completes the classic list of the three fathers to whom the land and descendants were sworn.

Amos · 2

  1. Amos 7:9 יִשְׂחָ֔ק Isaac

    The high places of Isaac will be deserted, and the sanctuaries of Israel will be laid waste; and I will rise up against the house of Jeroboam with My sword.”

  2. Amos 7:16 יִשְׂחָֽק׃ Isaac

    Now, therefore, hear the word of the LORD. You say: ‘Do not prophesy against Israel; do not preach against the house of Isaac.’

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.