ESTUDIO DE LA PALABRA GRIEGA
Iēsoûs (G2424) — Jesus, Meaning & Use in the Bible
Ἰησοῦς (Iēsoûs) is the Greek rendering of the Hebrew name Joshua/Jehoshua, used in the New Testament chiefly for the Lord Jesus Christ and for one or two other Israelites named Jesus.
Significado de la palabra
In Greek Ἰησοῦς corresponds to the Hebrew יְהוֹשׁוּעַ (Yəhôšûaʿ), often rendered in English as Jehoshua or Joshua. The lexicon entry defines it as 'Jesus (i.e. Jehoshua), the name of our Lord and two (three) other Israelites.' It is a proper name rather than a common noun, so its 'meaning' is essentially the meaning of the underlying Hebrew name: 'Yahweh is salvation' or 'the Lord saves.'
Because it is a personal name, the Greek word itself does not carry a technical theological definition. Its significance comes from the person who bears it in the New Testament. When Matthew opens with 'the book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham' (Matthew 1:1), the name identifies the Messiah whose genealogy and birth narrative the Gospel will unfold.
Uso en las Escrituras
Ἰησοῦς appears about 810 times in 761 distinct verses of the New Testament. The overwhelming majority of these occurrences refer to Jesus of Nazareth, son of Mary. Matthew's infancy and baptism narratives use the name repeatedly: 'the birth of Jesus Christ' (Matthew 1:18), the angel's command to Joseph regarding 'Jesus' (Matthew 1:20, 24), 'when Jesus was born in Bethlehem' (Matthew 2:1), and 'cometh Jesus from Galilee to the Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him' (Matthew 3:13). In these early passages the name is paired with narrative titles such as 'Christ' and 'son of David,' signalling messianic identity.
The name also marks key moments of Jesus' public ministry. After his baptism (Matthew 3:15–16) and during the temptation, Matthew writes that 'Jesus' was 'led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil' (Matthew 4:1) and that 'Jesus said unto him… Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve' (Matthew 4:10). Here the bare personal name carries the full weight of obedient Messiah confronting Satan. The lexicon also notes two or three other Israelites who bore the same Greek name (such as 'Joses,' mentioned in connection with Mary at the cross), showing that the form Ἰησοῦς was not unique to the Lord.
La palabra en detalle
- G2424 Ἰησοῦς (Iēsoûs) is defined in the lexicon as 'Jesus (i.e. Jehoshua), the name of our Lord and two (three) other Israelites.' It is the Greek form of the Hebrew יְהוֹשׁוּעַ, and so the etymology implicit in the name is 'Yahweh is salvation.' As a proper name it has no lexical 'definition' beyond identifying the bearer; in the New Testament it overwhelmingly designates Jesus of Nazareth, with a small number of references to other men who shared the name.
Versículos de ejemplo
- Matthew 1:1 The very first occurrence of Ἰησοῦς in the New Testament pairs the name with 'Christ' and 'son of David, son of Abraham,' framing the entire Gospel around the messianic identity that the name Jesus carries.
- Matthew 1:18 Here Ἰησοῦς introduces the virgin birth narrative: 'the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise… found with child of the Holy Spirit.' The bare name marks the one whose conception is the hinge of salvation history.
- Matthew 3:13 At his baptism 'cometh Jesus from Galilee to the Jordan unto John.' The name identifies the obedient Son who will 'fulfil all righteousness' (Matthew 3:15), a key moment linking Jesus to John's prophetic mission.
Preguntas frecuentes
Is Ἰησοῦς a common noun or a proper name?
It is a proper name. The Greek word itself only identifies the bearer; the meaningful content comes from the Hebrew name behind it (Yəhôšûaʿ, 'Yahweh saves') and from the person who carries it in each context.
Does Ἰησοῦς refer only to the Lord Jesus?
No. The lexicon notes that the name was borne by two or three other Israelites as well (for example, a 'Joses' connected with Mary at the crucifixion). In the New Testament the great majority of occurrences, however, do refer to Jesus of Nazareth.
How does the Greek form relate to the Old Testament Joshua?
Ἰησοῦς is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew יְהוֹשׁוּעַ, which the Septuagint and English tradition also render 'Jesus' in earlier passages such as Acts 7:45 and Hebrews 4:8. In the New Testament the same Greek spelling is reused for Jesus of Nazareth, highlighting the continuity of the name 'the Lord saves.'