Back إسرائيل (لقب) Arabic İsrail (ad) Azerbaijani Israel (Name) German Israel (nombre) Spanish اسرائیل (نام) Persian Israel (nimi) Finnish ישראל (שם) HE Etimologija Izraela Croatian イスラエル (人名) Japanese Israel (nomen) Latin
| Pronunciation | In English: In Hebrew:
|
|---|---|
| Gender | Male |
| Origin | |
| Word/name | Hebrew |
| Meaning | God Contended[1] Contends with God[2] Triumphant with God[3] |
| Region of origin | Near East |
| Other names | |
| Related names | Izzy (nickname) |
Israel (Hebrew: יִשְׂרָאֵל, Modern: Yīsraʾel, Tiberian: Yīsrāʾēl) is a Hebrew-language masculine given name. According to the Book of Genesis, the name was bestowed upon Jacob after the incident in which he wrestled with the angel (Genesis 32:28 and 35:10). The given name is already attested in Eblaite (𒅖𒊏𒅋 Išrail) and Ugaritic (𐎊𐎌𐎗𐎛𐎍 Yšrʾil).[4]: 195 Commentators differ on the original literal interpretation. The text of the Book of Genesis etymologizes the name with the verb śarah (שָׂרָה, "to rule, contend, have power, prevail over"):[5] שָׂרִיתָ עִם־אֱלֹהִים (KJV: "a prince hast thou power with God") Modern scholars read the el as the subject, for a translation of "El (Mighty One) persists/rules/shines forth/contends,"[6] or "El fights/struggles", and less often, readings with the adjective "just, right", "El (God) heals", "El judges" or "May El judge".[7]
Referring to a foreign people, the name appears on the Merneptah Stele (Egyptian: 𓇌𓊃𓏤𓏤𓂋𓇋𓄿𓂋𓏤 Ysrỉꜣr), probably referring to the Israelites.
In Jewish texts during the Second Temple period and beyond, as well as in Christian Greco-Egyptian texts, Israel was understood to mean "a man seeing God": from ʾyš (man) rʾh (to see) ʾel (God).[8]
Per the Bible, Jacob's descendants (the Twelve Tribes of Israel) formed a national ethos and collectively established the Kingdom of Israel, whence came the name of the modern-day State of Israel.
- ^ Campbell, Mike. "Meaning, origin and history of the name Israel". Behind the Name.
- ^ "Israel Definition and Meaning - Bible Dictionary". Bible Study Tools.
- ^ James P. Boyd, Bible dictionary, Ottenheimer Publishers, 1958
- ^ Michael G. Hasel, Domination and Resistance: Egyptian Military Activity in the Southern Levant, Brill, 1998
- ^ שָׂרָה śarah "to contend, have power, contend with, persist, exert oneself, persevere" (Strong's Concordance H8323) שָׂרַר śarar "to be or act as prince, rule, contend, have power, prevail over, reign, govern" (Strong's Concordance 8280)
- ^ Hayward, Robert (2005). Interpretations of the name Israel in ancient Judaism and some early Christian writings: from victorious athlete to heavenly champion. Oxford ; New York: Oxford University Press. p. 27. ISBN 978-0-19-924237-5. OCLC 58054328.
- ^ Wenham, Gordon (1994). Word Biblical Commentary. Vol. 2: Genesis 16–50. Dallas, Texas: Word Books. pp. 296–97.
- ^ The Old Testament pseudepigrapha, Volume 2. Charlesworth, James H. London: Darton, Longman & Todd. 1983–1985. p. 703. ISBN 0232516278. OCLC 14814462.
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