word meaning · kjv
Yeshua Meaning
Yeshua meaning — the Hebrew name of Jesus. From Yehoshua (YHWH saves), combining the divine name and the verb yasha (to save). Matthew 1:21.
Yeshua: The Hebrew Name of Jesus
Yeshua (יֵשׁוּעַ) is the Hebrew and Aramaic name that the English name "Jesus" comes from. The path was:
Hebrew יֵשׁוּעַ (Yeshua) → Greek Ἰησοῦς (Iēsous) → Latin Iesus → English Jesus
Greek has no "sh" sound and adds a final "s" to masculine names, which transformed Yeshua into Iēsous. Latin and then English dropped the "I/J" distinction gradually — until the 17th century, Jesus was often printed as "Iesus" in early English Bibles including the 1611 KJV.
What Does Yeshua Mean?
Yeshua is a shortened form of Yehoshua (יְהוֹשֻׁעַ, Y'hoshua, Strong's H3091), which combines:
- Yeho- (יְהוֹ) — an abbreviated form of the divine name YHWH (יהוה)
- -shua (שׁוּעַ) — from the verb yasha (יָשַׁע, H3467), "to save, deliver"
The combined meaning is literally "YHWH saves" or "YHWH is salvation." This is what Matthew 1:21 explicitly points out when the angel tells Joseph: "thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins."
Yeshua in the Old Testament
Yeshua was a common Hebrew name. The Old Testament contains several people named Yeshua or Yehoshua:
- Joshua son of Nun — Moses's successor; KJV "Joshua" in the book of Joshua. His name appears in Hebrew as Yehoshua throughout the Torah, then shortened to Yeshua in Nehemiah 8:17.
- Joshua the High Priest (Zechariah 3, Haggai 1:1) — post-exilic
- Jeshua (KJV spelling) — a common name among post-exilic returnees (Ezra 2:2, Nehemiah 3:19)
How Jesus Would Have Been Addressed
In first-century Galilee, Jesus would have been called Yeshua in Hebrew and Aramaic — the everyday languages of Jewish Galileans. The Greek form Iēsous would have been used in written correspondence and by non-Jews. The full Aramaic form of his name with patronymic was Yeshua bar Yosef ("Jesus son of Joseph") — reflected in passages like John 1:45 and John 6:42.
What does Yeshua mean in Hebrew?
The Bible addresses yeshua meaning with deep compassion and clarity. From the Psalms to the words of Jesus, Scripture meets you in this exact feeling and offers comfort, strength, and direction. Here are the most powerful verses — each chosen because they speak directly to what you're going through.
Most Powerful Verses
Matthew 1:21
“And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.”
— Bible
Matthew 1:23
“Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”
— Bible
Luke 1:31
“And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.”
— Bible
Acts 4:12
“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”
— Bible
Philippians 2:9
“Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:”
— Bible
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Philippians 2:10
“That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;”
Nehemiah 8:17
“And all the congregation of them that were come again out of the captivity made booths, and sat under the booths: for since the days of Jeshua the son of Nun unto that day had not the children of Isra...”
John 1:45
“Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
Hebrews 4:8
“For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.”
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