Yeshua
/ˈjɛʃuːə/
proper noun
Origin
Hebrew
י-שׁ-ע — to save, deliver
Overview
Meaning Now
- A Hebrew name, a shortened form of Yehoshua, meaning 'salvation' or 'he saves'.
- The Aramaic/Hebrew name of Jesus of Nazareth.
Literal older meaning
He saves
Language path
Hebrew → Aramaic → English
Earliest form
יֵשׁוּעַ
Earliest period
Post-Exilic period (approx. 5th century BCE)
Journey
The name Yeshua became prominent during the Second Temple period as a variant of the earlier Yehoshua. It is the form most likely spoken by Jesus of Nazareth, as Aramaic was the common lingua franca of Judea at the time. The name gained massive cultural significance in Western history through the Greek and Latin translations of the New Testament, which eventually yielded the name 'Jesus' in English.
Evolution
- Biblical Hebrew (c. 6th century BCE)
יְהוֹשֻׁעַ (Yehoshua)
“Yahweh is salvation”
Full form of the name.
- Post-Exilic Hebrew (c. 5th century BCE)
יֵשׁוּעַ (Yeshua)
“He saves”
Contraction of Yehoshua common after the Babylonian exile.
- Koine Greek (1st century CE)
Ἰησοῦς (Iesous)
“Jesus”
Transliteration of Yeshua into Greek.
- Latin (Late Antiquity)
Iesus
“Jesus”
Latinization of the Greek form.
- Middle English (13th century)
Jesu / Jesus
“Jesus”
Adoption into the English language.
Connections
Word parts
Ye-
prefix
hypocoristic or verbal prefix related to Yahweh
-shua
root
salvation
Related across languages
Aramaic
ישוע
Yeshua / salvation
Greek
Ἰησοῦς
Iesous
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External references use DefinedTerm semantics.