Yeshua

[JonC]

Ok......

"Yeshua" is short for yehōshu'a. In English this Hebrew name (ישוע) is Joshua and in Greek it is Iēsous (which, in English, is "Jesus").

My assumption (it is an assumption) is we use "Jesus" because the NT was written in Greek.

Growing up we just used the name "Jesus", but more and more I see people using "Yeshua" (Yēšūă‘ . . . I.e, Joshua....was a popular name).
Messianic Jews use "Yesshua".

Then again, the Syriac name is ʿIsho.


So why don't we use "Joshua"? Is my assumption right (because the NT was written in Greek)?

 

[Deacon]

There is no “J” sound in Hebrew, Greek or Latin.

The “J” comes to us through old German, and was pronounced as an “I” back then.

Rob

 

[JonC]

There is no “J” sound in Hebrew or Greek.

Rob

We could pronounce it with a "h" (like Jesus Rodriguez).

I guess my question is why we use Iēsous (Jesus) rather than Yeshua (Joshua).

 

[37818]

https://grammarhow.com/when-was-the-letter-j-invented/

 

[Deacon]

I guess my question is why we use Iēsous (Jesus) rather than Yeshua (Joshua).

"Iesous"
Because that's what his mother (and the Apostles) called him.

Luke 2:21 (NA28)
Καὶ ὅτε ἐπλήσθησαν ἡμέραι ὀκτὼ τοῦ περιτεμεῖν αὐτὸν καὶ ἐκλήθη τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦς, τὸ κληθὲν ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀγγέλου πρὸ τοῦ συλλημφθῆναι αὐτὸν ἐν τῇ κοιλίᾳ.

Rob

 

[JonC]

"Iesous"
Because that's what his mother (and the Apostles) called him.

Luke 2:21 (NA28)
Καὶ ὅτε ἐπλήσθησαν ἡμέραι ὀκτὼ τοῦ περιτεμεῖν αὐτὸν καὶ ἐκλήθη τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦς, τὸ κληθὲν ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀγγέλου πρὸ τοῦ συλλημφθῆναι αὐτὸν ἐν τῇ κοιλίᾳ.

Rob

If they spoke Greek as their common language.

I suspect they used Yēšūă (if Hebrew was a common form of the name) or maybe ʿIsho as they would have spoke a Galilean dialect of Aramaic. Or.....maybe the Greek Iēsous.

People tend to write more formally (read "gooder") than they speak.

I just thought it interesting and wondered. Sometimes it's good to think about less important, and devisive, things.

Obviously, unlike interchanging "Allah" and "God" (technically the same name...but not both God), we are just talking about names for the same Person.

 

[Deacon]

I suspect they used Yēšūă (if Hebrew was a common form of the name) or maybe ʿIsho as they would have spoke a Galilean dialect of Aramaic. Or.....maybe the Greek Iēsous.

Matthew 1:1 (NA28)
Βίβλος γενέσεως Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ υἱοῦ Δαυὶδ υἱοῦ Ἀβραάμ.

 

[Deacon]

Exodus 17:9–10 (LLXXI)
εἶπεν δὲ Μωυσῆς τῷ Ἰησοῦ Ἐπίλεξον σεαυτῷ ἄνδρας δυνατοὺς καὶ ἐξελθὼν παράταξαι τῷ Αμαληκ αὔριον, καὶ ἰδοὺἐγὼ ἕστηκα ἐπὶ τῆς κορυφῆςτοῦ βουνοῦ, καὶ ἡ ῥάβδος τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν τῇ χειρί μου.

καὶ ἐποίησεν Ἰησοῦς ...

-Joshua-

Acts 7:45 (AV 1873)
Which also our fathers that came after brought in with Jesus [Joshua] into the possession of the Gentiles, whom God drave out before the face of our fathers, unto the days of David;

Also see Hebrews 4:8

Rob

 

[JonC]

Exodus 17:9–10 (LLXXI)
εἶπεν δὲ Μωυσῆς τῷ Ἰησοῦ Ἐπίλεξον σεαυτῷ ἄνδρας δυνατοὺς καὶ ἐξελθὼν παράταξαι τῷ Αμαληκ αὔριον, καὶ ἰδοὺἐγὼ ἕστηκα ἐπὶ τῆς κορυφῆςτοῦ βουνοῦ, καὶ ἡ ῥάβδος τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν τῇ χειρί μου.

καὶ ἐποίησεν Ἰησοῦς ...

-Joshua-

I just find it interesting. The English name Jesus is a translation of the Greek name Ἰησοῦς which is a translation of the Hebrew name ישוע which translated from Hebrew to English is Joshua.

I am waiting to attend a church and they pray "in the name of Joshua".

 

[Conan]

There is no “J” sound in Hebrew, Greek or Latin.

The “J” comes to us through old German, and was pronounced as an “I” back then.

Rob

"i" was used for i, y and j sound . although spelled with an i, the word Journey was spelled iourney but had the j sound according to Walter Skeat. Unfortunetly I can't remember the other 2 examples he gave of j sounding words, spelt with i.

 

[Deacon]

From The Bay Psalm Book of 1640, the first book printed in America.

Psalme 3 (Bay Psalter)

A psalme of David when he fled from the face of Absalom his Sonne.​

O Lord, how many are my foes?
how many up against me stand?​

Many say to my soule noe helpe
in God for him at any hand.​

But thou Lord art my shield, my glory
and the-uplifter of my head,​

with voice to God I cal'd, who from
his holy hill me answered.​

I layd me downe, I slept, I wakt,
for Iehovah did me up beare:

People that set against me round,
ten thousand of them I'le not feare.

Arise O Lord, save me my God,
for all mine enimies thou hast stroke

upon the cheek-bone: & the teeth
of the ungodly thou hast broke.

This, and all such salvation,
belongeth vnto Iehovah;

thy blessing is, aud let it be
upon thine owne people. Selah.​

 

[JonC]

From The Bay Psalm Book of 1640, the first book printed in America.

Psalme 3 (Bay Psalter)

A psalme of David when he fled from the face of Absalom his Sonne.​

O Lord, how many are my foes?
how many up against me stand?​

Many say to my soule noe helpe
in God for him at any hand.​

But thou Lord art my shield, my glory
and the-uplifter of my head,​

with voice to God I cal'd, who from
his holy hill me answered.​

I layd me downe, I slept, I wakt,
for Iehovah did me up beare:

People that set against me round,
ten thousand of them I'le not feare.

Arise O Lord, save me my God,
for all mine enimies thou hast stroke

upon the cheek-bone: & the teeth
of the ungodly thou hast broke.

This, and all such salvation,
belongeth vnto Iehovah;

thy blessing is, aud let it be
upon thine owne people. Selah.​

I remember this from the Indiana Jones with Sean Connery.