ESTUDIO DE LA PALABRA HEBREA
Yisra'el (Israel) — Meaning & Usage in the Bible
Yisra'el (יִשְ�רָאֵל, H3478) is a symbolic name for Jacob and, more commonly, for his posterity throughout the Old Testament.
Significado de la palabra
In the lexicon entry, Yisra'el (H3478) is defined simply as 'a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity.' It functions both as a personal name for the patriarch Jacob and as the collective name for the people descended from him.
The headword appears 806 times across 756 distinct verses, making it one of the most frequent proper names in the Hebrew Bible. Its standard KJV rendering is 'Israel.' The entry notes that Jacob's other names were Isaac and Rebekah's son, brother of Esau, husband of Rachel, Leah, Zilpah, and Bilhah, and father of the twelve sons who became the twelve tribes.
The name marks a transition in identity: the same individual called Jacob is also called Israel, and the collective 'sons of Israel' or 'children of Israel' refers to the family and nation that descended from him.
Uso en las Escrituras
The example verses cluster in Genesis 25–42, the patriarchal narratives. Genesis 35:10 is pivotal: 'Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and he called his name Israel.' This verse makes the name-change explicit within the supplied text.
From the same block, the name is used of the patriarch himself ('Israel loved Joseph,' Gen 37:3; 'Israel said unto Joseph,' Gen 37:13; 'Israel journeyed,' Gen 35:21) and of his descendants ('the sons of Israel came to buy,' Gen 42:5; 'the children of Israel,' Gen 36:31). Genesis 34:7 uses 'in Israel' as a territorial/communal phrase after the Dinah incident, and Genesis 33:20 attaches the name to an altar ('El-Elohe-Israel').
La palabra en detalle
- H3478 H3478, יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisra'el). Lexicon: 'Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity.' KJV usage: 'Israel.'
Versículos de ejemplo
- Genesis 35:10 The explicit renaming verse within the supplied set: 'but Israel shall be thy name.'
- Genesis 37:3 Uses 'Israel' of the patriarch personally, parallel to 'Jacob.'
- Genesis 42:5 Uses 'sons of Israel' for Jacob's descendants going to Egypt.
- Genesis 36:31 Uses 'children of Israel' as a collective national phrase before any king reigned over them.
Preguntas frecuentes
Is יִשְׂרָאֵל a personal name or a national name?
Both. The lexicon defines it as a symbolic name of Jacob and, typically, of his posterity. Genesis 37:3 calls the patriarch 'Israel,' while Genesis 42:5 calls his descendants 'sons of Israel.'
How is the word rendered in English Bibles?
The KJV usage listed for H3478 is simply 'Israel.'
Where in the supplied verses does the name-change from Jacob to Israel appear?
Genesis 35:10: 'Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name.'