What is the meaning of the name Yishai (Hebrew: יִשַׁי – Yišay, in pausa יִשָׁי‎ – Yišāy) translated into English as Jesse

Question

The question arises from research I have been conducting into Jesse, who came from Bethlehem in Judah, and who was the father of David.

1 Sam 17:12 (JPS): Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Beth-lehem in Judah, whose name was Jesse; and he had eight sons; and the man was an old man in the days of Saul, stricken in years among men.

I would like to know if the name Jesse means "King" or "God's gift" (according to Wikipedia) since it was his son David who was anointed to replace Saul as king over Israel. Also, is there a lexical-etymological link or similarity with the meanings of "Obed - Jesse - David"?

Linked to this is a claim made by a 12th century monk that "Jesse belonged to the royal family". Which royal family?

Answer 1

I would like to know if the name Jesse means "King" or "God's gift" (according to Wikipedia)

According to the Daath Miqra (Samuel 1, 16:2), the name Yishai has two possible origins. One possibility is that it is an abbreviated form of a theophoric name Ishyah or Ishyahu, אישיהו/אישיה, meaning "man of God". Alternatively it is an abbreviated form of Yeshya (ישיה), there is a God. I have also heard (I do not know if any traditional sources state this), that it could be a contraction of יש (yesh, there is) and שי (shai, present), "there's a present" (i.e. Yishai was a present from God).

is there a lexical-etymological link or similarity with the meanings of "Obed - Jesse - David"?

David is usually assumed to be a derivative of yedid (beloved), and Obed is servant (i.e. a servant of God).

a claim made by a 12th century monk that "Jesse belonged to the royal family". Which royal family?

Yishai descended from Boaz and Ruth. Boaz was a descendant of Nahshon ben Aminadav. Nahshon was a nasi (prince) of the tribe of Yehudah.