Just a Heel Grabber
The meaning of Hebrew names is completely lost in translation. Let us take the figure of the third Patriarch, Jacob. In English, Jacob is just a name. But in Hebrew, Jacob is יַעֲקֹב Yaakov which comes from the root עקב AKB which means “to follow.” This is because, in the womb, Jacob grabbed onto his twin brother Esau’s heel (עָקֵב - akev) but ultimately was born second (Gen. 25:26).
Overpowering an Angel
So, the name Jacob is hardly flattering; it means “follower” or “second-best.” No wonder the Lord later gives Jacob a name change. In Genesis 32, Jacob wrestles with an angel of the Lord and is granted the new name ישראל Yisrael, comprised of two words: Yisra (“prevailed”) and El (“God”). No longer does Jacob need to grab at his brother’s heel. Israel is Jacob’s triumphant new title representing his redemption.
Bolster Your Biblical Knowledge
The name Israel will go on to have a long and exalted legacy. Jacob’s twelve sons called themselves Israelites (and not “Jacobites”) and when the Jewish people came together in the 20th century to form a country, they called it the State of Israel. Only when you possess a knowledge of Hebrew, can you truly understand the spiritual power of the Bible. Enroll in our online Biblical Hebrew course today.