Appearing more than 2,500 times
in the Old Testament/TaNaKH
and about 80 times
in the New Testament/Brit Chadashah,
Israel/Yisrael/יִשְׂרָאֵל
is the most used name in the scriptures.
Israel/Yisrael/יִשְׂרָאֵל
It is also a perfect example of the use of a specific name and of its’ prophetic nature being fulfilled in the future connections we frequently see in biblical names.
The Man
It all began in the beginning!
Beresheet
The genesis/beresheet
of the name
Israel/Yisrael/יִשְׂרָאֵל
started with the patriarchs/fathers,
it was first introduced in the Bible/TaNaKH in
Gen. 32:29. “And he said, ‘Your name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel; for as a prince you have power with God and with men, and have prevailed.’”
beginning with
Abraham/Avraham/אַבְרָהָם.
The words: you have power
in this scripture
is rather a weak translation,
because the Hebrew word that is used in this verse is
sa-ri-ta.
It is a past-tense verb that comes from the root word
Sar.
Sar is a prince or leader,
but as it is used as a verb in this verse,
it‘s related to the main characteristic usually associated with leadership: battle/fighting.
In the verse above,
sa-ri-ta
relates to the biblical verb that means: to fight
or put a better way: to wrestle.
Here, it illustrates as:
taking the action of a prince,
leader or hero in a battle or fight.
When the word
Israel/Yisrael/יִשְׂרָאֵל
is spoken out loud
Phonetic Spelling: yis-raw-ale’
the connection between the 2 words
is clear as they sound similar.
Here we learn the origin of the word
Wrestle
and we now know the full meaning of the name
Israel/Yisrael/יִשְׂרָאֵל: wrestled with God.
Israel/Yisrael/יִשְׂרָאֵל
started with the patriarchs/fathers,
Genesis 12:50
Abraham אברהם
While many suggest that Abram means:
exalted father
and
Abraham means:
father of a multitude,
Actually both names mean exactly the same thing
father lifted up
or
exalted father.
The beginning of both names is:
אב AB/AV
meaning: father.
The letters
ram in Abram is דם meaning:
lifted,
which in the Hebrew language is a parent root.
The raham in Abraham is רהם
also means:
lifted,
a secondary root out from the parent root MR.
Strong’s Hebrew: 85. אַבְרָהָם (Abraham) — “exalted father …
In Genesis 17:5, the Lord promises Abram that he would be the
father of many nations
which in Hebrew is:
אב המון גוים, ‘ab hamon goyim
God changes Abram’s name to Abraham.
The Lord also promises that
Abraham‘s half-sister and wife Sarai
would
become nations
or rather:
become international
היתה לגוים,
heyata le’goyim
and changed her name to Sarah 17:16.
Similar to the name Abraham,
the phrase is not related to the name.
The name Abraham אברהם
has its root from the name
Abram אברם
by adding in the letter ה he h hay hey;
in front of the final ם mem.
The name Sarah שרה
follows from Sarai שרי
by putting the same letter ה he/h/hey/hay
in place of the final י yod.
Abraham’s father was the one who named him
אברם Abram
and it was later changed by God to
אברהם Abraham.
As every Hebrew name has a meaning, and is always related to the character of the individual, it’s important to know what their names mean as it gives us insight to the person and also what their future may hold: especially when our Heavenly Father is the one giving or changing the name. Recall the instructions given via angelic messengers for naming John the Immerser and Yeshua/Jesus.
Then his miracle son
Isaac/Yitzak/יִצְחָק
Strong’s Hebrew: 3327. יִצְחָק (Yitschaq) — “he laughs,” son .
H3327 – יִצְחָק Yitschâq, yits-khawk’; from ; laughter (i.e. mochery); Jitschak (or Isaac), son of Abraham:—Isaac.
and then
Jacob/Yaakov/יעקב,
one of יִצְחָק/Isaacs twin sons.
Again as every Hebrew name has a meaning, and is always related to the character of the person; we see that the name
Yaakov/Jacob comes from the verb
עקב ‘abaq, meaning:
to follow at the heel
or
supplant. עקב.
The noun עקב ‘aqeb
means heel
In the case of
Ya’acov /Jacob/ יעקב,
he grabs the heel of his twin
His name was changed by God to
Yisrael/Israel/יִשְׂרָאֵל:
with a meaning:
turns the head of God.
Because there was a change in character,
there is also a change in the name.
As the story concerning each individual unfolds, provided that we focus on the Hebrew translation, we learn how the name is connected to the narrative.
English, Spanish, Greek and Latin, along with all other languages do not accurately or fully reveal how the Biblical name foreshadows the events in the lives of each personality, and secondly, the Hebrew name reflects and supports the accuracy of biblical events and prophecies.
Although reading the Bible in the English translation is understood by believers as reading truth, the immediate sense of confirmation, as reflected in the Hebrew name, is missing from the non-Hebrew reading experience.
This is just one reason why it is so important for every Bible follower to obtain some knowledge of Hebrew.
As recorded in the scripture
Jacob/Yaakov/יעקב,
had an encounter with the God of his forefathers the God who answers by fire in the form of a dream.
The ladder he saw extended from the earth to the heavens
with angelic messengers going up and down it.
He called the place the gate of heaven
And he was afraid, and said, ‘How awesome is this place! this is no other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven’”
Genesis 28:17
and he built an altar there.
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