What was Jesus' real name in Hebrew?

Q: What was Jesus' real name in Hebrew?

Jesus' name in Hebrew was Yehoshua (later shortened to Yeshua), meaning 'YHWH is salvation.' 'Jesus' comes from the Greek spelling Iesous — the same name as Joshua in the Old Testament.

The name "Jesus" is the English form of the Greek Iēsous (G2424), which is itself the Greek spelling of the Hebrew name Yehoshua (H3091) — the very same name as Joshua, the successor of Moses. In everyday first-century speech it was shortened to Yeshua. The name means "YHWH is salvation."

That meaning is exactly why the angel chose it. Notice the wordplay: he shall be called Salvation, "for he shall save his people":

“And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.”Matthew 1:21 (KJV)

The KJV even shows the two names colliding. In two passages "Jesus" refers not to Christ but to Joshua the son of Nun, because the Greek text uses the identical name:

“Which also our fathers that came after brought in with Jesus into the possession of the Gentiles, whom God drave out before the face of our fathers, unto the days of David;”Acts 7:45 (KJV)

“For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.”Hebrews 4:8 (KJV)

So "Jesus," "Joshua," "Yehoshua," and "Yeshua" are one name in four dresses. Trace it yourself: the Concordance lists every verse where G2424 appears, and links it back to its Hebrew root.

See every occurrence of G2424 (Jesus) →

What was Jesus' real name in Hebrew?

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