Origin of the Name “Jesus”

Posted on February 2, 2008 by KG in Hebrew Lesson.
Updated on February 2, 2009

Q: Where did the name “Jesus” come from if his real name is Yeshua?

A: The Bible was not written in English. What we read in English today are translations from other languages. The "New Testament" was written in Greek. Hence, the name "Jesus" is found nowhere in the Scriptures—it is a translation of the Greek name "Iesous" (pronounced "[ee]yeh-sooce").  "Iesous" came over into the Latin "Jesu" (pronounced "yehsoo") and finally into English as "Jesus."  So in the most technical sense, saying "Jesus" is saying a twice-removed translation of the name we find in the "New Testament" Scriptures. (more…)

Yeshua vs. Yahshua

Posted on February 2, 2008 by KG in Hebrew Lesson.
Updated on February 2, 2009

Q: Why “Yeshua” and not “Yahshua”?

A: This is really quite a simple exercise. The name יֵשׁוּעַ (Yeshua) appears multiple times in Ezra and Nehemiah and once in each of the books of Chronicles. In the English, you can usually find it as “Jeshua”. To arrive at the correct pronunciation, however, you have to accept the Masoretic vowel pointings. Those who are insistent upon the “YAHshua” pronunciation reject the traditional Masoretic vowel pointings when it does not suit their beliefs. (more…)