20141211 Thursday, December 11 2014
Psalm 020: What Was Jacob's Name?

by Wayne Blank
See also 1 Year Holy Bible Reading Plan

"We will rejoice in thy salvation, and in the Name of our God we will set up our banners: the LORD fulfil all thy petitions"

It's ironic that most of the famous people of Bible history would not recognize themselves by the names in other languages from which they are known to hundreds of millions of people. Examples from English translations:

Noah in the actual Hebrew is pronounced noe-awkh

Moses in the actual Hebrew is pronounced moe-sheh

Abraham in the actual Hebrew is pronounced awv-raw-hawm

Isaac in the actual Hebrew is pronounced yitz-tsawk

Jacob in the actual Hebrew is pronounced yaw-aw-kobe

Israel in the actual Hebrew is pronounced yis-raw-ale

Mary in the actual Hebrew is pronounced meer-yawm (i.e. Miriam; see also What Does The Bible Really Say About Mary?)

Each of the renderings of the actual Hebrew names are further varied by the many tongues (i.e. languages; see the Fact Finder question below to understand the purpose of "speaking in tongues") into which the Holy Scriptures have been translated. Just a few examples (many other variants are used), using the Roman alphabet (keeping in mind that Greek, Arabic etc. have their own alphabets) for "Jacob" alone:

Jacob in English (Jacob itself is a variant of James)

Iacobus in Latin

Iakobos in Greek

Jakob in Dutch

Yakub in Arabic

Hakob in Armenian

Jaakko in Finnish

Jaak in Flemish

Jacques in French

Shamus in Irish

Giacomo in Italian

Yakov in Russian

Jacobo in Spanish

Yakup in Turkish

Yakiv in Ukrainian

Iago in Welsh

Many have also laid claim to the Name of God, in their own languages - as though the language that they happen to speak is the language that God spoke to humanity. But the LORD ("LORD" is an English rendering of the Sacred Name, of which we have only the four letters YHVH - from which many people have presumed many guesses as to how it was pronounced, from "Yahweh" to "Jehovah") is not limited to those who claim Him merely by His Name. Judgment is based upon behavior - in any language (see Why Call Me, Lord, Lord, and Do Not The Things Which I Say?).

"20:1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.

The LORD hear thee in the day of trouble; the name of the God of Jacob defend thee; 20:2 Send thee help from the sanctuary, and strengthen thee out of Zion; 20:3 Remember all thy offerings, and accept thy burnt sacrifice; Selah.

20:4 Grant thee according to thine own heart, and fulfil all thy counsel. 20:5 We will rejoice in thy salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners: the LORD fulfil all thy petitions.

20:6 Now know I that the LORD saveth his anointed; he will hear him from his holy heaven with the saving strength of his right hand. 20:7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God. 20:8 They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright.

20:9 Save, LORD: let the king hear us when we call." (Psalm 20:1-9 KJV)

Fact Finder: What does "speaking in tongues" really mean? When did it originate?
See The Word Of God In The Tongues Of Man and The Original Tongues; see also The Syrian Tongue Of Jesus