Biblical Names and Their Meanings

Did you know the Bible contains more than 3,000 names, including names of God, people, places, and nations or people groups? That’s a lot of names! Often a person’s name describes their characteristics. For example, the name Esau sounds like a Hebrew word meaning “hair” or “hairy.” Other times, a person’s name may describe circumstances surrounding their birth or hopes for their destiny.

Bibles sometimes have footnotes indicating the meaning of names, but what if you could access a comprehensive list of this information at your fingertips? Rose Publishing’s newest reference pamphlet, Biblical Names and Their Meanings, offers exactly that. Covering the Old and New Testaments, readers will enjoy learning the meaning and significance of several biblical names. Each entry includes the name in the original biblical language, the pronunciation, the Scripture reference, and a short description. Sample entry:

Jacob
יַעֲקֹב (yah-ak-ove'')
Gen. 25:26

“He grabs by the heel.” Jacob was born grasping his twin brother Esau’s heel. Taken in a nonliteral sense, this phrase means “supplanter” or “deceiver.” This description fits Jacob’s actions later in his life.