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Apr 11, 2016 · Luke was a Gentile whose command of Hebrew and/or Aramaic is unknown, but in any case we are not given a Semitic name. John As noted above for Mark's Semitic name, Ioannes is a Greek adaptation of the Hebrew name יוֹחָנָן yôḥānān ("Yahweh has shown grace"). Because this was a common name among Greek-speaking Jews (see above), John ...
The Hebrew word shem, name, comprises the central letters of the word neshamah, soul. This etymological connection teaches us that our names relate to who we are in our essence, providing a window into our soul; or, in the words of the Biblical Abigail, speaking to King David: As his name, so he is. 1. In fact, the Talmud 2 takes this notion of ...
- Mendel Kalmenson
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Adi 1 עֲדִי f & m Hebrew. Means "jewel, ornament" in Hebrew. Adina 1 עֲדִינָה m & f Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek, Hebrew. From Hebrew עֲדִינָא ('adina') meaning "delicate". This name is borne by a soldier in the Old Testament. It is also used in modern Hebrew as a feminine name, typically spelled עֲדִינָה.
- Sheep
- Lion
- Gazelle/Deer
- Wolf
- Fish
- Bear
- Bird
- Dog
- Bee
- Ibex
Rachel, which means “ewe,” is the name of Jacob’s second (and most beloved) wife. There is also the Yiddish male name Shepsl, which literally means “lamb,” but may very well be a diminutive form of Shabtai, which means “[born on] Shabbat” and has nothing do with sheep.
When Jacob blessed his sons, he compared several of them to animals. Judah is likened to a lion. For this reason, Yehudah (Judah) is commonly paired with Aryeh (Hebrew for lion) and Leib (Yiddish for lion). Another common combination is David Aryeh Leib since King Davidwas a descendant of Judah and the first of a long line of Judean kings. This nam...
Jacob blessed his son Naphtali to be like the ayalah sheluchah, the swift gazelle, also called a tzvi. Naphtali Tzvi is often followed by Hirsh (or Hersh or Hertz, depending on dialect), which is Yiddish for “deer.” Although not technically accurate, this reflects the historical use of the word tzvi, which slowly drifted from meaning gazelle to dee...
Jacob compares his youngest son, Benjamin, to a hungry wolf. Ze’ev is Hebrew for wolf, and volf is Yiddish. Put it all together and you get BinyaminZe’ev Volf, or Velvel (or Volva) in the diminutive.
Unique among Jacob’s grandchildren were Joseph’s sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, upon whom Jacob conferred the status of sons. In his blessing to the duo, he expressed his wish that they “multiply like fish.” Thus, we have the name Ephraim Fishel (Yiddish for “little fish”), but not Manasseh Fishel. (It’s also interesting to note that Joshua, a scion o...
The bear’s place in Jewish tradition is somewhat less than glorious. In Hosea 13:8, G‑d says that He will punish those who forgot Him “like a bereaving bear,” and two bears were the agents through which the 42 youths who tormented Elisha met their end. In interpreting a mystical vision, “And behold a second beast, similar to a bear” (Daniel 7:5), R...
Tzipporah was the wife of Moses. Her name means “bird.” The commentaries explain that just as the blood of a bird purifies a home that is covered in leprosy, Tzipporah cleansed her father’s home from idols. Alternatively, just as a bird is admired for its beauty, so was Tzipporah admired for her loveliness. This name is often shortened to Tzipah (i...
Among the 12 scouts Moses dispatched to the Holy Land, Caleb and Joshua were the only two who remained faithful and refused to speak harshly of the land that G‑d promised their ancestors. Although pronounced differently, it is striking that Caleb is spelled exactly the same as kelev, Hebrew for “dog.”
Deborah is Hebrew for “bee.” It’s also the name of two great women mentioned in the Torah. The first was the nursemaid of our matriarch Rebecca. The more famous Deborah, however, was Deborah the Prophetess, who judged and taught the Jewish nation for 40 years and bravely led them in battle against their Canaanite oppressors.
The victory that Deborah predicted over the Cananites came about through the wise and cunning actions of Yael (Jael), who invited the enemy general Siserainto her home and then killed him with a tent peg while he slept. Yael means “ibex.”
From the Hebrew name עֲדָיָה ('Adayah) meaning " Yahweh has adorned". This is the name of numerous Old Testament characters, including the father of Jedidah. Adalia m Biblical. Meaning unknown, possibly of Persian origin. In Book of Esther in the Old Testament this is the name of a son of Haman the Agagite.
Aug 29, 2022 · Peter (also known by his Aramaic name, Kephas and his Hebrew name, Simon) Paul (also known by his Hebrew name Saul). Paul, depending on how it is spelled can be both Latin (Paulus) and Greek (Paulos). Stephen; Philip; Andrew; Justus (a Latin name) also known by his Hebrew name, Joseph and his Aramaic name Barsabbas (Acts 1:23) Dorcas (also ...
Take, for example, the quintessentially Jewish name Esther, which is Persian in origin and shares its root with the fertility goddess, Ishtar. When the state of Israel was founded, in 1948, scores of new Hebrew names were invented and many old ones reclaimed. Your rabbi should be able to provide you with guidance, lists, even suggestions.
