Lexical Summary Yoray: To instruct, to teach Original Word: יוֹרַי Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Jorai From yarah; rainy; Jorai, an Israelite -- Jorai. see HEBREW yarah NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom yarah Definition "He teaches," a Gadite NASB Translation Jorai (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs יוֺרַי (= יוֺרִיָּה whom Yah teacheth) proper name, masculine chief of the tribe of Gad 1 Chronicles 5:13, ᵐ5 Ιωρεε. Topical Lexicon Biblical Context and Single Occurrence Yorai appears once in Scripture, in the genealogical listing of the tribe of Gad on the east side of the Jordan River (1 Chronicles 5:13). The verse reads, “Their kinsmen by their families were seven: Michael, Meshullam, Sheba, Jorai, Jakan, Zia, and Eber”. Placed between Sheba and Jakan, Yorai is named among clan leaders whose households helped define the tribal structure in Gilead. Position within the Tribe of Gad The Gadites were renowned for valor (1 Chronicles 12:8) and for guarding Israel’s eastern frontier. Genealogies such as this one legitimized land tenure and military obligation. Yorai’s inclusion signals that his family line was recognized as a distinct ancestral house, responsible for maintaining inheritance rights, organizing fighting men, and supporting communal worship at the sanctuary in Shiloh and later at Jerusalem (Deuteronomy 12:5; 1 Chronicles 5:17). Historical and Cultural Setting 1 Chronicles 5 surveys events from the settlement period through the Assyrian exile (circa 734 BC). Verses 18-22 recount Gad’s victories over desert peoples, yet verses 25-26 record unfaithfulness that led to deportation under Tiglath-pileser. Yorai, situated early in the list, likely represents a pre-exilic clan whose territory lay in fertile Gilead. His household would have shared in the spiritual highs of covenant faithfulness and the eventual national decline, illustrating how every family—prominent or obscure—was implicated in Israel’s corporate destiny. Theological Implications 1. Covenant Inclusion: By name, Yorai testifies that the Lord’s covenant embraced entire families, not merely celebrated heroes. Lessons for the Church • Value of Every Member: As the chronicler preserved Yorai’s name, Christ “knows those who are His” (2 Timothy 2:19). Local congregations likewise honor unseen laborers whose stewardship advances the gospel. Related Themes and Passages • Genealogies as Spiritual Memorials – Genesis 5; Matthew 1:1-17 Ministry Application Pastoral leaders may draw on Yorai’s fleeting appearance to encourage every believer that, though history might record only a name, the Lord notices faithful service. Genealogical footnotes remind modern readers that spiritual vitality is transmitted through ordinary households grounded in Scripture and covenant loyalty. Forms and Transliterations וְיוֹרַ֧י ויורי veyoRai wə·yō·w·ray wəyōwrayLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 1 Chronicles 5:13 HEB: וּמְשֻׁלָּ֡ם וְ֠שֶׁבַע וְיוֹרַ֧י וְיַעְכָּ֛ן וְזִ֥יעַ NAS: Meshullam, Sheba, Jorai, Jacan, Zia KJV: and Sheba, and Jorai, and Jachan, INT: Meshullam Sheba Jorai Jacan Zia 1 Occurrence |
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