SIGNIFICANCE OF NAMES

SIGNIFICANCE OF NAMES

We don’t always understand that names in the Bible were given for a reason. People understood the meaning when they named something or someone. They didn’t just give a name because it sounded good. The names were often descriptive and/or prophetic.

ADAM: Man, mankind, (red) earth, (ruddy) skin colour - First man created from the dust of the earth.

EVE: Life, living, lifegiver - Mother of the living.

CAIN: Kenite, smith or fabricator, metalworker, possessed, - Cain was “a tiller of the land”. Cain turned out to be disobedient to God and the first murder. I assume he was demon possessed.

ABEL: Breath, morning mist, vanity, puff of air, fading away to nothingness - Abel’s life disappeared quickly like the morning mist since he was killed by his jealous brother Cain. Abel was a righteous man, full of God’s breath or Spirit.

SETH: Determined, granted, restitution, compensation, substituted, appointed - Seth had to compensate for the death of Abel. God brought restitution through Seth and eventually Jesus would be born from this bloodline.

ENOSH: Man, mortal man,

KENAN/CAINAN: One who laments (over death or dying), possession, composer, networker - it might refer to weaving, trade or commerce.

MAHALALEL/MAHALEEL: Praise of God (El), splendor of El

JARED: Descend/ing - Those were the days when angels descended from Heaven and encouraged people to sin - Genesis 6.

ENOCH: He teaches, he initiates, dedicated one, follower - Enoch dedicated his life to God and supernaturally left the earth at age 365.

METHUSALEH: Man of the javelin/spear/dart, send or let go, when he is dead it shall be sent, his death will bring - The year the oldest man died at the age of 969, the flood came. Some believe Methusaleh died 7 days before the flood; the same day Noah entered the ark.

LAMECH: Powerful, strong man, for humiliation, wild man - There is no Hebrew name like this, but it might be of Semitic or Arabic origin.

NOAH: Relief, comfort, rest - Noah, his family and a group of animals were resting in the ark during the flood.

SHEM: Name, fame - Shem was a righteous man and his name was mentioned in Jesus’ genealogy.

JUDAH: Praised, celebrated,

JOSEPH: Jehovah has added, let Him add,

MANASSEH: Causing to forget
EPHRAIM: Double ash-heap, I shall be doubly fruitful - Ephraim and Manasseh received a blessing from Jacob. 
Genesis 41:51-52 TPT
Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh, saying, “God has made me forget all my troubles and my parental home.” [52] The second he named Ephraim, saying, “God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering.”

MOSES: Drawn, drawing out (of the water), rescued,

DAVID: Beloved

DEBORAH: Bee

PETER: Rock

JOHN: Jehovah is a gracious giver, God has favoured, the grace of God

God sometimes changed people’s names to fit their destiny.

ABRAM: Exalted father
ABRAHAM: Father of a multitude

SARAI: Princess
SARAH: Noble woman

JACOB: Heel holder, supplanter,  deceitful - Jacob was holding onto Esau’s heel at birth.
ISRAEL: God prevails - One who struggled with God and prevails, may God (El) preserve, prince with God.
Genesis 32:27-28 MEV
So He said to him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Jacob." [28] Then the man said, "Your name will no more be called Jacob, but Israel. For you have fought with God and with men, and have prevailed."

ESAU: Hairy - He was covered with red hair at birth. 
EDOM: Red - Esau sold his birthright for red lentil stew. The Edomites descended from Esau.

Israel was unfaithful to God. Hosea married an unfaithful woman and God named his children according to Israel’s destiny.
Hosea 1:4,6,9-10 MEV
The LORD said to him: "Call his name Jezreel, for in a little while, I will punish the house of Jehu for the blood of Jezreel, and will bring to an end the kingdom of the house of Israel. [6] Then Gomer conceived again, and bore a daughter. And the LORD said to Hosea: "Call her name Lo-Ruhamah, for I will no longer have mercy upon the house of Israel but will utterly sweep them away. [9] Then the LORD said: "Call his name Lo-Ammi, for you are not My people, and I am not your God." [10] Yet the number of the children of Israel will be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered. And in the place where it was said to them, "You are not My people," there it will be said to them, "You are the children of the living God."

The names of all the angels and Israel ends with the Hebrew name of God -El.
MICHAEL: Who is like God - He is the chief angel and an archangel.
GABRIEL: Warrior of God, man of God - He is a messenger archangel.
HILEL: Praise - He was a covering and praise angel until he fell.

Place names also have meaning.

BETH: House, it is also the name of the second letter of the Hebrew alphabet
BETHEL: House of God - Jacob named the place Beth-El after he had the dream where angels ascend and decent a ladder and God spoke to him from the top of the ladder - Genesis 28. 
BETHLEHEM: House of bread - The Bread of Life (Jesus) was born here.
BETHPHAGE: House of stables (Aramaic) or house of unripe figs (Greek) - This is the place where the disciples found the young colt on which Jesus rode into Jerusalem - Mark 11:1.
BETHANY: House of figs, house of dates, house of misery- This is the place where Jesus cursed the fig tree - Mark 11:12.
BETHSAIDA: House of fish -  It was a small fishing village on the other side of Lake Gennesaret. Jesus walked on the water here - Mark 6:45.
BETHESDA: House of mercy or flowing water, house of loving kindness - Jesus healed the lame man here - John 5:2. It was close to the Sheep Gate where sacrificial animals were brought through. The Lamb of God showed us mercy, love and kindness.
BETH - HAKKAREM: House of vines - Nehemiah 3:14, Jeremiah 6:1.

JESUS: Jehovah is salvation, God saves
The most important name is the name of Jesus. He is the name above all names, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord - Philipians 2:9-11. Everything we do should be done in the name of Jesus - Colossians 3:17. If you ask anything in Jesus name He will do it and the Father will be glorified - John 14:13-14.

Matthew 1:21,23 MEV
She will bear a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins." [23] "A virgin shall be with child, and will bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is interpreted, "God with us."

We get a better understanding of The Bible when we know the meaning of names. I hope this encourages you to research the meaning of names. We should also be careful what we name our children because it can become a part of their destiny.

SOURCES:
BDB Lexicon
Nave’s Topical Bible Reference
Strong’s Concordance
The Passion Translation of The Bible