Lexical Summary
yerushshah: Inheritance, possession
Original Word:יְרֻשָּׁה
Part of Speech:Noun Feminine
Transliteration:yrushah
Pronunciation:yeh-roosh-SHAH
Phonetic Spelling:(yer-oosh-shaw')
KJV: heritage, inheritance, possession
NASB:possession, inheritance, own
Word Origin:[fromH3423 (יָרַשׁ יָרֵשׁ - possess)]
1. something occupied
2. a conquest
3. also a patrimony
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
heritage, inheritance, possession
Fromyarash; something occupied; a conquest; also a patrimony -- heritage, inheritance, possession.
see HEBREWyarash
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
yarashDefinitionpossession, inheritance
NASB Translationinheritance (2), own (1), possession (11).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
(a) ; — absolute
Deuteronomy 2:5 7t., construct
Judges 21:17;
Psalm 61:6 (but on text see below); suffix 2Chronicles 20:11;
Deuteronomy 2:12;
Deuteronomy 3:20;
Joshua 1:15; — used of land
Deuteronomy 2:5,9 (twice in verse);
Deuteronomy 2:19 (twice in verse);
Deuteronomy 3:20;
Deuteronomy 2:12the land of his possession, so
Joshua 1:15; further,
Joshua 12:6,7;
Judges 21:7 (but Bu
Rs 152 ),
Jeremiah 32:8 + Jer 61:6 (but <
request, compare Che
critical note.), 2 Chronicles 20:11.
Topical Lexicon
Thematic OverviewThe term יְרֻשָּׁה underlines a God-assigned right of possession, most frequently territorial. Each occurrence underscores that land and heritage move into human hands only because the LORD assigns, protects, and regulates the transfer. The word consistently highlights divine sovereignty, covenant faithfulness, and ethical boundaries for Israel and the surrounding nations.
Allocation of Land to Israel and Neighboring Peoples
• Deuteronomy concentrates over half of the occurrences (2:5, 2:9, 2:12, 2:19 × 2; 3:20). In each, Moses reminds Israel that the territories of Edom, Moab, and Ammon are untouchable because the LORD has already given them as a “possession” to Esau and to Lot’s descendants. The same divine authority that grants Canaan to Israel also safeguards the allotments of other peoples.
•Joshua 1:15; 12:6-7 extends the theme from promise to fulfillment. The conquest is portrayed as Israel’s faithful reception of its “inheritance,” not as self-initiated expansion. “Then each of you may return to the possession I have given you” (Joshua 1:15) keeps responsibility and privilege tightly bound together.
•Judges 21:17 highlights internal justice: the tribe of Benjamin must not lose its “inheritance” despite earlier moral failure. יְרֻשָּׁה guards the principle that every covenant family retains its God-given place in the community.
•2 Chronicles 20:11 reveals the reverse angle. When Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir rise against Judah, Jehoshaphat surveys their aggression as an assault on “the land You have given us as an inheritance” (paraphrase of). To violate another’s יְרֻשָּׁה is to challenge the LORD Himself.
•Jeremiah 32:8 brings the concept into personal property law. Jeremiah redeems a field because he holds “the right of redemption and possession,” demonstrating that the covenant structure safeguarding tribal allotments operates even under Babylonian siege.
Inheritance and Divine Sovereignty
At every turn יְרֻשָּׁה proclaims that the earth is the LORD’s. He parcels territory according to His redemptive plan, overruling human power dynamics. Israel’s conquest narrative is therefore neither oppressive nationalism nor random warfare but the outworking of covenant promise first spoken to Abraham (Genesis 15:18-21) and later reiterated through Moses and Joshua. Conversely, Israel’s restraint toward Edom, Moab, and Ammon illustrates submission to God’s revealed boundaries.
Worship, Identity, and Trust
Psalm 61:5 elevates יְרֻשָּׁה from soil to soul: “You have given me the heritage of those who fear Your name”. Here the inheritance is the cumulative spiritual privilege of belonging to the worshiping community. The psalmist interprets covenant membership itself as a granted possession, reinforcing that true security lies in relationship with the LORD rather than in territory alone.
Prophetic and Royal Usage
Jeremiah’s land purchase (32:8) anticipates national restoration. Buying the field in Anathoth serves as enacted prophecy: the God who assigned inheritances will one day resettle His people upon those same parcels. Likewise, Jehoshaphat’s prayer (2 Chronicles 20:11) treats יְרֻשָּׁה as legal evidence in the heavenly court. The king’s appeal is not merely patriotic but covenantal: invaders threaten a divine grant held in trust by Judah.
Military and Territorial Implications
Because יְרֻשָּׁה communicates a God-deeded right, military activity gains moral clarity. Israel may dispossess nations in Canaan only under explicit command (Joshua 12:6-7) and must respect the possessions of kin-nations (Deuteronomy 2). Victories are thus read as divine judgment and grace rather than mere force. This framework regulates conquest, restrains aggression, and legitimizes resistance when others violate Israel’s inheritance (2 Chronicles 20).
Continuity into New Testament Revelation
While the word itself does not appear in Greek Scripture, its theology prepares for New Testament teaching on κληρονομία (inheritance). The land motif widens into the “kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 25:34) and the “inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading” (1 Peter 1:4). Just as Joshua allocated Canaan by tribe, so Christ the greater Joshua secures an everlasting possession for His people.
Pastoral and Ministry Implications
1. Stewardship: Believers recognize property, calling, and gifting as trusts from God, to be managed under His directives rather than exploited for self-interest.
2. Justice: Respect for another’s God-given portion shapes ethical engagement with neighbors, business, and international affairs.
3. Assurance: The Lord who safeguarded Israel’s inheritance amid enemies and exile guarantees the believer’s heavenly inheritance, fostering perseverance and hope.
4. Mission: Divine ownership of all lands emboldens outreach; no territory lies outside the sovereign claim of the gospel.
Thus יְרֻשָּׁה frames territorial history, personal piety, and eschatological promise within a single, unbroken testimony: the LORD grants, guards, and ultimately perfects the inheritance of His people.
Forms and Transliterations
הַיְרֻשָּׁ֛ה הירשה יְ֝רֻשַּׁ֗ת יְרֻשַּׁ֥ת יְרֻשַּׁתְכֶם֙ יְרֻשָּֽׁה׃ יְרֻשָּׁ֔ה יְרֻשָּׁ֖ה יְרֻשָּׁ֗ה יְרֻשָּׁ֣ה יְרֻשָּׁה׃ יְרֻשָּׁת֔וֹ ירשה ירשה׃ ירשת ירשתו ירשתכם לִֽירֻשָּׁת֔וֹ לירשתו מִיְּרֻשָּׁתְךָ֖ מירשתך hay·ruš·šāh hayrushShah hayruššāh lî·ruš·šā·ṯōw lirushshaTo lîruššāṯōw mî·yə·ruš·šā·ṯə·ḵā miyerushshateCha mîyəruššāṯəḵā yə·ruš·šā·ṯōw yə·ruš·šāh yə·ruš·šaṯ yə·ruš·šaṯ·ḵem yerushShah yerushShat yerushshatChem yerushshaTo yəruššāh yəruššaṯ yəruššaṯḵem yəruššāṯōw
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