Israel (Hebrew: יִשְׂרָאֵל, Modern: Yīsraʾel, Tiberian: Yīsrāʾēl) is a Hebrew-language masculine given name. According to the Book of Genesis, the name was bestowed upon Jacob after the incident in which he wrestled with the angel (Genesis 32:28 and 35:10). The given name is already attested in Eblaite (𒅖𒊏𒅋 Išrail) and Ugaritic (𐎊𐎌𐎗𐎛𐎍 Yšrʾil).[4][pages needed] Commentators differ on the original literal interpretation. The text of the Book of Genesis etymologizes the name with the root śarah (שָׂרָה, "to rule, contend, have power, prevail over"):[5] שָׂרִיתָ עִם־אֱלֹהִים (KJV: "a prince hast thou power with God"), but modern suggestions read the el as the subject, for a translation of "El rules/judges/struggles"[citation needed] or "El fights/struggles"[citation needed] The Jewish Study Bible of Oxford University Press says on page 68 "The scientific etymology of Israel is uncertain, a good guess being '[The God] El rules.'"[6] implying God through the word for the supreme deity of the Canaanite religion.
Pronunciation | In English:
In Hebrew:
|
---|---|
Gender | Male |
Origin | |
Word/name | Hebrew |
Meaning | God Contended[1] Wrestles with God[2] Triumphant with God[3] |
Region of origin | Near East |
Other names | |
Related names | Izzy (nickname) |
Referring to a foreign people, the name appears on the Merneptah Stele (Egyptian: 𓇌𓊃𓏤𓏤𓂋𓇋𓄿𓂋𓏤 Ysrỉꜣr), probably referring to the Israelites.
In Jewish texts during the Second Temple period and beyond, as well as in Christian Greco-Egyptian texts, Israel was understood to mean "a man seeing God": from ʾyš (man) rʾh (to see) ʾel (God).[7]
Per the Bible, Jacob's descendants (the Twelve Tribes of Israel) formed a national ethos and collectively established the Kingdom of Israel, whence came the name of the modern-day State of Israel.
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