Tag: Israel

Categories
Bible Terms

Bible Term: Israelite

israelite

In the Bible, the Israelites were the descendants of the twelve sons of Israel (that is, the twelve tribes of Israel).

The man Israel, originally called Jacob, was Abraham’s grandson and Isaac’s son.

Israelites, then are people from the nation of Israel. However, today, Israelis is used instead of Israelites.

Also see Israel.

Key verse about Israelite: Now the Israelites settled in Egypt in the region of Goshen. They acquired property there and were fruitful and increased greatly in number (Genesis 47:27, NIV).

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

Categories
Bible Terms

Bible Term: Israel

israel

In the Bible, Israel refers to a person, a people, a nation, and a place.

The person Israel (originally called Jacob, Genesis 32:28) was Abraham’s grandson (Isaac’s son) .

Jacob/Israel had twelve sons, which eventually became the twelve tribes of Israel (Matthew 19:28), the people of Israel, and later the nation of Israel. In the Bible, they were called the Israelites; nowadays, they are called Israelis.

The land in which they eventually settled was also called Israel.

Key verse about Israel: God said to him, “Your name is Jacob, but you will no longer be called Jacob; your name will be Israel.” So he named him Israel (Genesis 35:10, NIV)

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

Categories
Bible

Three People Given a New Name by God

In the book of Genesis, God gives new names to three people.

In doing so, God is effectively saying, I’m giving you a new identity. You may see yourself according to your old name, but I see you differently. I’m giving you a new name and a new future.

  • Abram becomes Abraham
  • Sarai becomes Sarah
  • Jacob becomes Israel

The Amplified Bible tells us the meaning for five of these names:

Abram means “high, exalted father,” whereas Abraham means “father of a multitude” (Genesis 17:5).

The meaning of Sarai is not given, but Sarah means “Princess” (Genesis 17:15).

Jacob means “supplanter” (one who usurps or replaces another), whereas Israel means “contender with God” (Genesis 32:28).

Would you like God to give you a new name? Just ask.

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.