Boy Old & New Testament Known
Jesse
gift; oblation; one who is
יִשַׁי Ἰεσσαί yi.shay
Jesse (Hebrew: יִשַׁי, yi.shay) means “gift; oblation; one who is”, by traditional interpretation. It appears in 44 verses across 12 books of the Bible. In 2025 it was given to 2,074 children in the United States, ranking 184. Around 444,920 Americans have been given it since 1880. Appears with Abihail in 2 Chronicles 11.
The bearer in scripture
One person in scripture bears this name.
-
Jesse
father of King David; father of Raddai; father of David
Scripture against society
The two measures, side by side
At a glance
- Verses
- 44 across 12 books
- Bearers
- 1 one person only
- Testament
- Both
- Era
- Judges
The same name elsewhere
| Country | Form | Standing | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Jesse | rank 184 · 2,074 in 2025 | Births in year |
| Brazil | JESSE | 21,849 bearers · born 1930–2010 | Living residents |
| Spain | ISAI | 335 bearers · mean age 20.0 | Living residents |
| Portugal | Jessé | permitted | IRN approved list |
Two different questions are shown here. Rows marked births in year count children registered during a period; rows marked living residents count people of every age alive at a census. They answer different questions and are never added together.
Using it today
Based on 2025 births across the United States.
| Measure | Value | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Given in 2025 | 2,074 | Steady |
| All-time total | 444,920 | Since records begin in 1880 |
| Peak | 10,823 in 1981 | Its highest year on record |
| Strongest state | CA | Highest share relative to births |
In scripture
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| First appears | Ruth 4:17 |
| Last appears | Romans 15:12 |
| Cross-references | 1,077 linked passages |
Names connected to this one
- Obed co-occurrence Appears with Obed in Ruth 4.
- Abinadab co-occurrence Appears with Abinadab in 1 Chronicles 2.
- Eliab co-occurrence Appears with Eliab in 2 Chronicles 11.
- Shimeah co-occurrence Appears with Shimeah in 1 Chronicles 2.
- Jerimoth co-occurrence Appears with Jerimoth in 2 Chronicles 11.
- Abihail co-occurrence Appears with Abihail in 2 Chronicles 11.
- Mahalath co-occurrence Appears with Mahalath in 2 Chronicles 11.
- Shammah co-occurrence Appears with Shammah in 1 Chronicles 2.
Origin & meaning
A man of the tribe of Judah living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at Rut.4.17;
son of: Obed (H5744);
father of: David (H1732), Eliab (H0446I), Abinadab (H0041I), Shimeah (H8093), Nethanel (H5417H), Raddai (H7288), Ozem (H0684), Zeruiah (H6870), Abigail (H0026H)(?) and Elihu (H0453J)
Also named: Iessai (Ἰεσσαί "Jesse" G2421)
§ Jesse = "I possess"
son of Boaz and the father of king David
Jesse was the father of King David and an ancestor of Jesus Christ.
The biblical story
Jesse was a Bethlehemite from the tribe of Judah and the father of King David. He is first mentioned in the book of Ruth as the son of Obed and the grandson of Boaz and Ruth. Jesse had eight sons, the youngest of whom was David, who was anointed by the prophet Samuel to be king over Israel. Jesse is described as an old man during the time of David's youth, and he sent David to take supplies to his older brothers who were fighting in Saul's army against the Philistines. Later, when David was on the run from Saul, he expressed concern for his parents' safety, and he arranged for them to stay with the king of Moab. Jesse is also mentioned in the genealogies of Jesus Christ in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, emphasizing the Messianic lineage from Jesse through David. The prophet Isaiah foretold that the Messiah would come from the "stump of Jesse," symbolizing the humble origins of the Davidic dynasty.
Key verses
Jesse appears in 44 verses. Here are some of the most notable:
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And the women her neighbours gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi; and they called his name Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father of David.
Ruth 4:17 -
And Obed begat Jesse, and Jesse begat David.
Ruth 4:22 -
And the Lord said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Beth–lehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons.
1 Samuel 16:1 -
And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will shew thee what thou shalt do: and thou shalt anoint unto me him whom I name unto thee.
1 Samuel 16:3 -
And he said, Peaceably: I am come to sacrifice unto the Lord: sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice.
1 Samuel 16:5
Show all 44 references
Ruth (2)
- Ruth 4:17
- Ruth 4:22
1 Samuel (24)
- 1 Samuel 16:1
- 1 Samuel 16:3
- 1 Samuel 16:5
- 1 Samuel 16:8
- 1 Samuel 16:9
- 1 Samuel 16:10
- 1 Samuel 16:11
- 1 Samuel 16:18
- 1 Samuel 16:19
- 1 Samuel 16:20
- 1 Samuel 16:22
- 1 Samuel 17:12
- 1 Samuel 17:13
- 1 Samuel 17:17
- 1 Samuel 17:20
- 1 Samuel 17:58
- 1 Samuel 20:27
- 1 Samuel 20:30
- 1 Samuel 20:31
- 1 Samuel 22:7
- 1 Samuel 22:8
- 1 Samuel 22:9
- 1 Samuel 22:13
- 1 Samuel 25:10
2 Samuel (2)
- 2 Samuel 20:1
- 2 Samuel 23:1
1 Kings (1)
- 1 Kings 12:16
1 Chronicles (5)
- 1 Chronicles 2:12
- 1 Chronicles 2:13
- 1 Chronicles 10:14
- 1 Chronicles 12:18
- 1 Chronicles 29:26
2 Chronicles (2)
- 2 Chronicles 10:16
- 2 Chronicles 11:18
Psalms (1)
- Psalms 72:20
Isaiah (2)
- Isaiah 11:1
- Isaiah 11:10
Matthew (2)
- Matthew 1:5
- Matthew 1:6
Luke (1)
- Luke 3:32
Acts (1)
- Acts 13:22
Romans (1)
- Romans 15:12
Name variants & nicknames
- Jess — nickname
- Isaí — Spanish
- Jessé — Portuguese
- Yishai — Hebrew form