Name Changes in the Book of Genesis - Essay Example

Name Changes in the Book of Genesis Introduction: The original name of Abraham was Abram, and he is believed to be the father of the Jews. Abram is one of the first three patriarchs of Israel, the other two being Isaac and Jacob. Chapter’s number 11 to 25 of the book of Genesis tells of the story of Abraham. God called Abraham to leave the house of his father Terah, a native of Mesopotamia. In return, God promised to give Abraham a new family, and land in Canaan. The wife of Abraham was called Sarai, but God later changed her name to Sarah (Genesis, 17: 15), meaning mother of many nations. Sarah was a half sister to Abraham, and the bible describes her as beautiful (Genesis 12). For example, when Abraham and Sarah went to Egypt, the Egyptians saw her as beautiful, and they praised her beauty to the house hold of Pharaoh (Genesis 12:14). However, God was not happy with Pharaoh, and He did strike the house hold of Pharaoh with plagues (Genesis 12: 14-17). That is when Pharaoh discovered that Sarai was Abrahams wife, and he demanded that Abraham should leave Egypt immediately (Genesis 12: 18-20). Abraham died at the age of 175, and he was buried by Isaac and Ishmael, his sons. Jacob was a grandson of Abraham through Isaac. God also changed his name to Israel, meaning may God prevail (Genesis 32: 28-29). This paper analyzes how the changes in Abraham, Sarah and Jacob’s names shaped their characters. Abram to Abraham: In Genesis chapter 17 verses 4 to 6, God enters into a covenant with Abram. God made a promise to him, that he will become a father of many nations, and his name shall not be called Abram any more, but Abraham. God also promised to make Abraham fruitful, and from him Kings would descend. God’s conversation with Abraham began in Genesis Chapter 12 verses 2. In this verse, God promises Abram that he will make him into a great nation, and will bless him. He also promised to make his name great. There is a difference between these two chapters. In chapter 12, verse 2, God does not change the name of Abram to Abraham, and God only promises to make him a father of a great nation. However, in Chapter 17, verses 4 to 6, God now introduces many nations, and not just a great nation, and hence there was a need of changing his name from Abram, to Abraham. The name Abram refers to the exalted one and this is a name that his father Terah gave it to him. However, this name was an embarrassment to Abraham, and this is because he was unable to get children. This is despite Abraham possessing great wealth (Shooter's bible, 18). From the scriptures, we can denote that Abraham had other sons apart from Isaac and Ishmael. These children were born of him through his wife Keturah. Keturah gave Abraham six sons, and through these children, God was able to fulfill his prophecy of making Abraham a father to many nations. For example Ishmael formed the generation of the Ishmaelite, while Isaac formed the generation of the Israelites. This is through his son Jacob, whom God renamed Israel. It is important to denote that the Abraham lived a blessed life, as a result of God’s blessings to his life. We find that Abraham, true to the words of God became a great man, and he had enormous wealth. Genesis chapter 17 verses 23 to 27 denote that Abraham had possessions, and this included male servants, born of his house hold, and those that he bought by his own money. This was a symbol of wealth, and it is because poor people cannot afford to have servants within their households. After a change to this name, we find that Abraham began to have angelic visitors. For instance, in Genesis chapter 18 verses 1 to 2, we find that Abraham was visited by three angelic visitors. Because of the stature of Abraham before Gods eyes, God revealed to him what He was about to do to Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18: 16-19). This is because God had chosen Abraham to become a father to many nations, and on this basis, he also allowed him to intercede for Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18: 22-24). The change from Abrams name to Abraham marked a significant change of the status of Abraham. Today, Abraham is quoted by many religious faiths that include Christianity and Islam as the father of faith. In fact, according to Christians, Abraham is considered as a spiritual father to all Christians. This is because Christianity is based on the premises of faith, and Abraham is considered as a foundation of belief in God. On this basis, Abraham is the biological father of the Jews, and he is the spiritual father of Christians. Thus, the prophecies of God concerning Abraham came into fulfillment. He is the father of many nations. Sarai to Sarah: The original name of Sarah was Sarai (Genesis 17: 15), and it meant a princess. This change in name occurred because of the stature of Sarah, after Abrahams covenant with God. Sarah was to become a mother of many nations, and the covenant promise God gave to Abraham was to be fulfilled through her, and not Hagar (Genesis 21: 12). The main idea contained in the name of Sarah is to rule. This name is therefore represents a seal that God of God’s promise to Abraham. That is kings will come from her. This name symbolized power, and we can see the manner in which Sarah was able to influence people around her. For example, she was able to convince Abraham into sending Ishmael and Hagar away (Genesis 21: 12). This is despite Ishmael being Abraham’s first son. From Sarah, there will emerge a line of descendant who will become powerful, and be ruled by a succession of kings. On this basis, she was connected to the covenant promise of Abraham, as his wife (Shooter's bible, 42). Jacob to Israel: In Genesis 35:10, God changed the name of Jacob to Israel, which is a Hebrew word that refers to “may God prevail”. The origin of this name starts from Genesis 32: 24 when Jacob wrestled with an Angel of God from the evening till morning. It is after realizing that it was an Angel of God that Jacob insisted on receiving blessings from God. This name symbolizes the character of Jacob as a fighter. For instance, he did cling on the Angels robe, until he received a blessing (Genesis 32:24-28). Jacob’s aggressive nature is seen in the manner in which he did take of his brothers first born blessings. Through the advice of the mother, Jacob pretended to be Esau, and thereafter taking Esau’s blessings from Isaac. From this scripture, we can denote that the wrestling between Jacob and the angel lasted until midnight. This is significance because it denotes Jacob’s perseverance and persistence (Shooter's bible, 13). It is important to identify the background of this scripture. Jacob feared for his life, because of Esau, and he had prayed to God for help. His persistent prayers were fruitful, and God answered him by sending an angel to him. Conclusion: In conclusion, Abraham was the main person whom God made a covenant with. It is through Abraham that Sarah was blessed, and the same is said of Jacob. Abraham covenant with God was for him to be a father of many nations. Abraham is the biological father of the Jews, but the spiritual father of the Christians. On this basis, God managed to fulfill his covenant with Abraham. Jacob on the other hand is the grandson of Abraham, through his son Isaac. Jacob is regarded as a persistent individual, and thus the name of Israel. This is because he was able to wrestle with God, from the night, until day break. When realizing that he was wrestling with an angel, he persisted for a blessing from God. Works Cited: Shooter's bible. 104th ed. New York, NY: Skyhorse Pub., 2012. Print. Read More