Four Sacred Hebrew Names

Joshua, Elisha, Isaiah, and Jesus

It was a trick question! The answer is that all four of these names means “God saves.” Let’s learn to pronounce these names in Hebrew:

Notice anything they all have in common? All four contain the name of the One God (El/Yah) plus the root Yesha (ישע) meaning “to save.”

Four Periods of Deliverance

This is hardly coincidental because each of these men served as God’s instrument for salvation at one point in history. Many believe that through Joshua, the Lord saved the Israelites in their conquest of the Land of Canaan; through Elisha, the Lord saved the Kingdom of Israel from the Moabites; through Isaiah, the Lord saved the Kingdom of Judah from the Assyrian invasion; and through Jesus, the Lord saves all of humanity.

Grasp the True Connections

The amazing thing is that these four names do not seem at all related when we say them in English. But if we go back to the original Hebrew, we find a deep spiritual connection which enhances our understanding of Scripture. Enroll in our live, online Biblical Hebrew course so that you, too, can grasp the Bible in its most authentic form.