Welcome to this week’s blog. Today I am sharing with you the original, biblical birth name of Jesus. You say, “What?” Isn’t His name Jesus? Before you have a knee-jerk reaction, let me enlighten you first.
I believe history is extremely important when searching for facts and the truth. History is not only important for one’s peace of mind, but it should also be pursued in order to better understand one’s origins. Therefore, each of us ought to long to become more knowledgeable and wiser to the truth, which lies within the most famous leather-bound book ever written, the Holy Bible. With that being said, long ago I chose to put all my trust in the word of God, before trusting the word of man. I also put all my faith in God's word, as opposed to trusting "man-made traditions" over God's word. But for many, traditions are more powerful than the truth, God's word. This is truly a huge deception for many.
For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. – Revelation 22:18-19 (NKJ).
Over the centuries, man has rewritten and distorted biblical prophecies, stories and parables for his own initiatives. Man has created many different renditions of the Holy Bible, as if the Bible is a buffet that each of us can sort through, and pick and choose what works for us in our life, and disregard what doesn’t work. And then simply turn a blind eye, and exclude it from our daily lives all together. Make no mistake, false prophets have been around for centuries. They have made great strides in creating their own version of the truth, by distorting, hiding and deceiving God’s original law for their own selfish, pagan agendas. Now I praise you, brethren, that you remember me in all things and keep the traditions just as I delivered them to you. – 1 Corinthians 11:2 (NKJ).
You show me in the Bible where Yeshua (Jesus) instructs and commands us to follow man, and man-made religions and agendas. Rather, the Bible has always been clear and concise, with no mincing of words. God tells us in His law that He will add to man the plagues written in His word, and God will take away man’s part from the Book of Life, from the Holy City, and from the things written in His promises (Revelation 22:18-19 (NKJ).
God, since the beginning of time, has instructed and commanded us to follow Him, not man, if we are to have eternal life, beyond this life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. – John 3:16 (NKJ).
The world we live in today has two major divisions, God and man. When we take a step back in time, starting from 4 BC, the 1st Century, and then the 16th Century, these were historical times of major division between God and man. When in doubt, do what I practice, always turn to the Bible, and test what I am saying against scripture. God is the word, and the word is God, the Creator of all things. Great is the mystery of His word. Let’s go directly to the Bible to see what the word tells us is the true and original birth name of Jesus?
According to the Bible, Yeshua (Jesus) was born in Bethlehem, not Nazareth. However, there were times when distinctions were made for individuals based on their city of origin or residence. Yeshua (Jesus) was sometimes referred to as "Jesus of Nazareth." Of course, most of us know He was not born there, but in Nazareth where Mary and Joseph lived after their return from Egypt.
Yeshua (Jesus) was of Hebrew descent. The name "Jesus" is NOT a Hebrew-Aramaic (middle eastern country) name, but a man-made English name dating back to the 16th Century, not from the first century (4 BC). At the time of Yehuda’s birth, Arc Angel Gabriel came to Mary and Joseph with a message from God. Gabriel instructed Mary and Joseph to name their soon to be born baby “Yeshua” which means “Salvation.” If you were to open a Hebrew Bible, you would quickly learn the Hebrew scriptures document the original birth name of our Savior, which is not the man-made name of Jesus created in the 16th Century (1611).
Below you can follow the 2,000-year path of translation changes, starting with the Hebrew-Aramaic language in 4 BC, and then moving into the 1st Century Greek/Arabic translations, and then fast forward to English translation in the 16th Century (1611).
Long after the birth and death of Yeshua, we can see yeshiva’s birth name was translated to the English version in 1611, a name in which most of us were traditionally taught and familiar with - "Jesus” growing up.
Here’s what Michael L. Brown, who holds a Ph.D. in Semitic languages, had to say about the matter:
The original Hebrew-Aramaic name of Jesus is yeshu‘a, which is short for yehōshu‘a (Joshua), just as Mike is short for Michael. The name yeshu‘a occurs 27 times in the Hebrew Scriptures, primarily referring to the high priest after the Babylonian exile, called both yehōshu‘a (see, e.g., Zechariah 3:3) and, more frequently, yeshu‘a (see, e.g., Ezra 3:2). So, Yeshua’s name was not unusual; in fact, as many as five different men had that name in the Old Testament. And this is how that name came to be “Jesus” in English: Simply stated, this is the etymological history of the name Jesus: Hebrew/Aramaic yeshu‘a became Greek Iēsous, then Latin Iesus, passing into German and then, ultimately, into English, as Jesus.
Note: The Hebrew-Aramaic language did not have the letter “J” in their alphabet. Nor did the Greek language have the letter “J” in their alphabet. Therefore, the true and original birth name of Yeshua (Jesus) can only be found in the scriptures of a Hebrew or Greek/Arabic Bible during a time (4 BC); before His name was translated to the English language in the 16th Century (1611).
At the time of Yeshua’s (Jesus’) birth, He was not given a last name. Christ is a title that was given to Him. For many generations, people were taught that Jesus Christ was His first name, and last name. This is incorrect information. Christ comes from the Greek word Christos, which is the translation of the Hebrew word "Meshiach," from which the English languages derives the word "Messiah." Messiah and Christ are transliterated words for the same thing, a title not a name. Both these words mean "Anointed One" in their original languages.
In the days of Yeshua (Jesus), it was not common in the Jewish culture to have last names or family names like we see today. It is believed that they had their England origin approximately 800 years ago. As I mentioned earlier, yet there were times when there were distinctions made for individuals based on their city of origin or residence. For example, Yeshua (Jesus), was sometimes referred to as "Jesus of Nazareth." As I also mentioned earlier, He was not born in Nazareth, but that is the area or region Mary and Joseph lived after their return from Egypt. This name represents the city or origin of residence of Yeshua (Jesus) at the time of His birth.
I think we can all agree, the translation of languages has been evolving for centuries, generation after generation with little linguistic awareness. Of course, most of us have depended heavily on what our parents, schools and churches taught us, right? Language today is a serious historical illiteracy for many when it comes to the original birth name of our Savior.
The objective of this blog, the true birth name of Yeshua (Jesus), is not to cause controversy or debate in what most of us have been taught our entire lives, but more so to increase knowledge and wisdom, and to help others become more aware of historical facts. In my research of today’s modern-day teachings, I've learned that many think our Savior’s original birth name should be translated depending on what country we live in?
Let’s use this example. If I send you a text and sign it “Debra,” then you should keep my name, and not change the spelling of my name, agree? My original birth name is Debra, which is an English spelling name. I once lived in Europe, so what should they have called me while I lived there, still Debra? Yes. In fact, often when people heard my name, they mis-pronounced it as Deborah. Which is not my name, then I would correct them. There’s something about the misspelling or mispronouncing one’s name that carries a deep, personal implication. So back to my text example. If you and I are texting, and I am from the United States, and you are from any of the countries listed below, should my name change dependent on your origin (country) or my origin (country)?
Then there’s also a huge difference between using a short version of my name like “Deb,” then having my name changed to “Dvorah” because I’m travelling and visiting a middle-eastern country. If I go live in Israel, should people call me “Devorah” or something like that? No! My name will always be “Debra” no matter the language of the people or the country I am visiting or living. Stay with me, there’s a point to all of this.
My name in other Languages & Cultures:
Deborah (Biblical), Debbora (Biblical Greek), Devorah (Biblical Hebrew), Debbora (Biblical Latin), Debora (Dutch), Débora (French), Debora (German), Devora, Devorah, Dvora, Dvorah (Hebrew), Debora (Italian), Débora (Portuguese), Débora (Spanish)
Here’s my overarching point. Today if you referred my name to others as something different than Debra, would you agree people would be confused regarding who you were referring too? Of course, they would. Just as in Yeshua’s generation, if you would have asked people in Israel, Jerusalem or Nazareth about this man named "Jesus", would any of them have understood who you were talking about? No, of course not. In those days (4 BC), no one would have understood the name Jesus, as opposed to His birth name, which was Yeshua.
The more I emerge myself in the study of the Bible; I grow to love history more and more. For many of us what we’ve been taught growing up doesn’t always align with the truth and facts revealed in history. Over time, history has become so convoluted, distorted, misinterpreted, and rewritten that in order to learn the truth, we must rely on historical facts to reveal the truth. Over time, the original facts have gotten lost, forcing us to dig even deeper for factual truth. This is why I love history, because after much study, and testing of scriptures, I am trusting the greatest truth, the only truth, the Bible, and what God had written for us from the very beginning of time, in the Book of Genesis.
Here’s just two examples of scripture from “modern-day Bibles” that again, have been translated from Yeshua (Hebrew) to Jesus (English).
In the New King James Bible - Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel. – Isaiah 7:14 (NKJ).
Arc Angel Gabriel came to Mary and Joseph and said, And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. – Luke 1:31 (NKJ).
I believe Dr. Michael Brown’s quote is spot on - "The original Hebrew-Aramaic name of Jesus is Yeshua, which is short for Yehoshua." Did you know that if you travelled to Israel today, they use the name Yeshua, and they will correct you if you use the name of Jesus. I believe His name, Yeshua, is the correct name for all to call on. I also believe the true name of God, and his Son are very important. This is a very meaningful topic, contrary to what some may believe.
For many Christians alike, biblical names have very deep implications. I would expect the examination of biblical names in the old and new testament will continue for many more generations. But at the end of the day, the final outcome will always be God's Will in revealing truth to His children. We will only discover His truth when we seek His Kingdom first, above man's beliefs and/or traditions.
Blessings until next week,
Debra Pauli Unstoppable Believer
Article Quote: Posted Jan 3, 2013 by Dr. Michael L. Brown - What Is The Original Hebrew Name For Jesus?
Scripture Quotes: Holy Bible – New King James Version (NKJ)
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