Ark of the Testimony – Journeys (1)

The “Ark of the Testimony” (seen in Ex.25:16, Jsh.4:16, e.g.) was the most important object in God’s portable tabernacle which Moses/Israelites constructed.  The Hebrew term for “ark” is aróne, Strongs h727; “testimony” is aydúth h5715.  The Ark was also known as the “Ark of the Covenant” (h1285, Nu.10:33, e.g.), the “Ark of the Lord” (h3068, Jsh.3:13), and the “Ark of God” (h430, 1Sm.3:3).

Christ was the God and good Shepherd of ancient Israel.  His glory dwelt above the Ark, upon the mercy seat between the cherubim (cf. Ex.25:22, Ps.80:1, Jn.10:11.  see the topic “Jesus Was the Old Testament God”.)  The Ark represented the Lord’s Presence and Name!  2Sm.6:2 “The ark of God which is called by the Name, the very name of the Lord of hosts who is enthroned above the cherubim.”

This two-part topic traces the journeys of the Ark of the Testimony/Covenant through the history of ancient Israel.  Part 1 covers the time from its construction in the aftermath of Israel’s exodus from Egypt…until the capture of the Ark by the enemy Philistines circa (c) 1100 BC.

Using Rev. Martin Anstey’s The Romance of Bible Chronology, v.2, Israel’s exodus from Egypt occurred c 1612 BC and the sacred tabernacle tent & sanctuary was erected c 1611 BC.

Ex.19:1 “In the third month after the sons of Israel went out from Egypt, they came to the wilderness of Sinai.”  While Moses was up on Mt Sinai for 40 days (Ex.24:18), the Lord gave him instructions for the tabernacle (mishkán h4908), its furnishings, and the Ark.  (also see “God Tabernacles With Humans”.)

Ex.25:1, 10-21 “The Lord spoke to Moses, ‘They [Israelites] shall construct an ark of acacia wood. Overlay it with pure gold. You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold, and two cherubim of gold at the two ends of the mercy seat, their wings spread upward. You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the testimony which I shall give you.”

The dimensions of the Ark were about 45 in. wide, 27 in. deep, 27 in. high.  It was a gilded rectangular chest.  The Ark had rings on the sides through which two long poles were inserted to carry it from site to site.  (The Lord said the descendants of Levi’s son Koháth were to carry it, Nu.4:4-6 & 7:9).

Continuing with Ex.25:22, “There I will meet with you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony”.  The Lord Christ would seat Himself atop the mercy seat, from where He would command Moses and Israel’s high priests of His principles & ways.

It was called the “Ark of the Testimony” because God’s own testimony of moral principles against sin, written on tablets, was placed inside.  Gill Exposition Ex.25:16 “This was put into the ark…which may signify the law was in the heart of Christ.”  The law reflected the character of Christ, ‘seated’ above.

Ex.31:18 “When He [the Lord] finished speaking with him [Moses], He gave Moses the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, inscribed with the finger of God.”  These principles were the Ten Words (h1697 dabarim), called the Ten Commandments, the Decalogue.

Moses recounted in De.10:4 LXX NETS, “He wrote on the tablets the Ten Words (g3056 lógos, Greek), which the Lord spoke to you in the mountain out of the midst of the fire [Ex.20:1-18], and the Lord gave them to me”.  Also cf. De.4:13 LXX, where the Greek term for “words” is g4487 rhéma.  The Decalogue was both logos and rhema.  In addition…a jar of manna (Ex.16:32-34), Aaron’s rod (Nu.17:10), and later God’s book of the law (De.31:26, 2Ch.34:14-15) were placed in or by the Ark.

The Ark with the mercy seat resided in the Holy of Holies room of the tabernacle (Ex.26:34).  Aaron the high priest was authorized to enter that compartment only once each year, on the Day of Atonement.  There he would sprinkle blood on the mercy seat of the Ark, to atone for Israel’s sins (Le.16:2, 14-17).  The Ark with the mercy seat signified God’s judgment and mercy.

Ex.30:26 initially Moses was to mix holy anointing oil and “anoint the tabernacle and the ark of the testimony”.  Ex.40:17-21 the Ark was brought into the completed tabernacle at Sinai 11 ½ months out of Egypt.  v.34-35 the Holy Spirit glory cloud filled the tabernacle on the occasion!  v.36-38 “In all their journeys, whenever the cloud was taken up, the sons of Israel would set out.”  They weren’t to leave a site until the Shekínah glory lifted; Nu.9:21-22 “Whether it was after two days, a month, or a year.”

For much of ancient Israel’s BC history (subsequent to Egypt), the Ark and the tabernacle were together at the same site/location.  But they weren’t together during all that period of time, as we’ll see.

Nu.10:11-13, 33 in the 2^nd month of the 2^nd year, they departed Sinai with the ark for a 3-days’ journey to the Parán Wilderness.  Nu.11:3, 34-35 their first stops after Sinai were Taberáh/Kibróth-hattaváh and Hazeróth.  De.1:1-3, 19 it was an 11-day march by way of Mt Seir from Horéb/Sinai to the Kadésh-barnéa spring/oasis in Paran (Ge.14:6-7 spring of judgment, Nu.12:16, 13:3, 26, 32:8).  De.1:46 “They remained in Kadesh many days.”  Nu.14:33-34 they won’t enter the Promised Land until the 40^th year!

Nu.20:1-2, 13-14, 27:14, 33:36 in the 40^th year, they camped at Meribáh Kadésh (not an oasis!) in the Wilderness of Zin.  Nu.33 lists in order their 40–45 encampments made during the 40-year journey to the promised Land of Canáan.  Moses died just before they entered-in (De.34:5).

Jsh.3:3-ff after 40 years, priests with the Ark went before Israel as they finally crossed the Jordan River, c 1572 BC.  Jsh.4:19 “The people came up from the Jordan and camped at Gilgál on the eastern edge of Jericho.”  The Ark is at Gilgal in the Promised Land.  Jsh.6:1-20 in their conquest of Jericho, Israelite warriors marched behind the Ark, circling Jericho for 7 days.  Jsh.14:6 Joshua’s HQ location is Gilgal.

Then Jsh.18:1, “The sons of Israel assembled at Shilóh and set up the tent of meeting there.”  God’s tent of meeting/tabernacle and Ark were moved from Gilgal to Shiloh.  Centuries later the Lord recounted in Je.7:12, “…My place which was in Shiloh, where I made My Name dwell at the first”.  Christ ‘dwelled’ atop the Ark at Shiloh.  Jsh.22:9 Israel had “gathered together at Shiloh.”  (Jsh.24:1, 25 the LXX and Arabic versions have “Shiloh”.)  Joshua’s HQ became Shiloh; it means ‘place of rest’.

Jg.2:6-9 Joshua died c 1547 BC.  (see “Chronology – the Exodus to Samuel”.)  Jg.2:1 LXX “The angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal…to Bethél, to the house of Israel.”  Jg.2:5 Israel sacrificed there (Bethel/‘Bochím’, where they ‘wept’).  The Divine Captain of God’s host had earlier appeared to Joshua while Israel was camped at Gilgal (Jsh.5:10-15), prior to Shiloh.  Shortly before Joshua’s death, the Ark and tabernacle where sacrifices were made were moved from Shiloh to nearby Bethel (the Luz of Ge.28:19, Jg.1:23).  Cambridge Bible Jg.2:1 “A transference of the sanctuary [to Bethel] (Jdg 2:5b).”

{Sidelight: Jg.17–21 these ending chapters of Judges are a flashback to side events which occurred earlier in the book, but weren’t inserted then (to not interrupt the timeflow).  Henry Commentary Jg.17:1 “What is related in…the rest of the chapters to the end of this book, was done soon after the death of Joshua.”  Pulpit Commentary “Two detached histories [Jg.17–21], which fill up the rest of the book, are long prior to Samson [Jg.13–16].”  In Jg.20:28, Aaron’s grandson Phineás the high priest is still alive (cf. Nu.25:7)!  Gill Exposition Jg.17:1 and Barnes Notes connect Jg.17:1 & Jg.18:1-2 “Dan” to Jg.1:34 “Dan”.  Josephus Antiquities of the Jews 5:2-3 places Jg.17–21 before Othniél’s early judgeship of Jg.3.  Jg.3:8-11 the warrior Othniel judged Israel 40 years, c 1524 BC – 1484 BC.  Caleb’s nephew Othniel acceded a few years after the time of the “elders who outlived Joshua” (Jg.2:7), c 1547 – 1532 BC.}

Jg.18:31 echoes the tabernacle had been at Shiloh earlier.  Jg.20:18 LXX “They went to Bethel and inquired of God.”  Not long after Joshua’s death, the Ark was at Bethel.  Pulpit Commentary Jg.20:18 “At this time the ark of God, with the tabernacle, was at Bethel, only 7–8 miles from Shiloh.”

Jg.20:27 “The sons of Israel inquired of the Lord, for the ark of the covenant of God was there [Bethel] in those days.”  Ellicott Commentary Jg.20:27 “At Bethel.”  Again, Bethel was near to Shiloh.  Jg.21:19 an annual pilgrim feast was held at Shiloh, “on the north side of Bethel”.  Situated in the tribal territory of Ephráim, Shiloh-Bethel became the Ark & tabernacle location (after Gilgal).  350 years elapse….

Jg.16:30-31 Samson the warrior-judge died, c 1142 BC.  Eli and Samuel then conclude the long period of the judges.  1Sm.1:1-3 Elkanáh (Samuel’s father) annually went to Shiloh to sacrifice to the Lord.

The Ark is again at Shiloh.  Ellicott Commentary 1Sm.1:3 “Shiloh was the religious center of Israel during the whole period of the judges. On rare occasions the sacred tent, and the holy furniture, seems to have been temporarily moved to such places as Mizpáh and Bethel, but its regular home was Shiloh.”  1Sm.3:3, 21 the Ark is at Shiloh, where the Lord revealed Himself to young Samuel.

In the latter years of Eli the high priest & judge, Israel had become very backslidden.  1Sm.4:1-5 the Ark is carried into the battle of Ebenézer against the Philistines, c 1102 BC.  v.17-18 the heathen Philistines sack Shiloh, and capture the Ark.  Eli dies when he hears the news.  v.22 “The glory is departed from Israel, for the ark of God is taken.”

The Ark would never return to Moses’ tabernacle!

Cambridge Bible 1Sm.1:3 “It [Shiloh] ceased to be the national sanctuary. Samuel sacrificed at Mizpeh, at Ramáh, at Gilgal, never, so far as we read, at Shiloh.”  Barnes Notes Ps.78:60 “The place of worship was finally and forever removed from the tribe of Ephraim, within whose limits Shiloh was.”

The Ark had resided in the Holy of Holies innermost room (Ex.26:34) of Moses’ tabernacle for 500 years!  From c 1611 BC – 1102 BC (except when it was in transport or taken into battle.  cf. Nu.10:35 “Rise up, O Lord! And let Thy enemies be scattered.”)

The Ark now will reside elsewhere, apart from God’s tabernacle, for 110 years (til c 991 BC).  During these 110 years, the Holy of Holies compartment of Moses’ tabernacle was entirely empty!

1Sm.5:1-7 the Philistines took the captured Ark of God from Ebenezer to their city of Ashdód, to the temple of their pagan god Dagón.  But the idol of Dagon was then found fallen down before the Ark…and broken!  The Lord afflicted the Ashdodites with tumors and mice (LXX).  v.8-9 so the Philistines took the Ark to their city of Gath.  But the Lord afflicted them there with tumors.  v.10-12 so they took the Ark to Ekrón.  The hand of God was heavy upon them in Ekron; many men died or were smitten with tumors.  At that point the Philistines didn’t know what to do with the Ark, they cried out to heaven!

This topic is continued and concluded in “Ark of the Testimony – Journeys (2)”.

 

 

 

Chronology: the Exodus to Samuel

In this topic, Bible chronology is traced from the exodus out of Egypt until the judgeship of Samuel.  Earlier chronology is addressed in “Chronology: Abraham to the Exodus” and “Chronology: Septuagint versus Masoretic Text”.  My basic position is the so-called maximalist view, that Bible history is correct unless archaeology clearly proves it wrong.

However, exact dating cannot be done for Israel’s exodus, or for the years of the many judges which followed in the Land.  Also there’s no consensus among Bible historians regarding the dates when Saul, David, and Solomon were kings.  Their years cannot be pinpointed by dates from ancient histories.  (There’s no ‘BC’ or ‘BCE’ dates written in scripture.)  The dates in this topic are approximate.

A date of 1612 BC for the exodus of Israelites & the mixed multitude from Egypt was taken from Dr. Martin Anstey’s The Romance of Bible Chronology, v.2.  I use that date, 1612 BC.

Moses was born around (circa or c) 1692 BC.  Moses is the son of Amrám and the grandson of Koháth (who’d gone to Egypt with Jacob c 1827 BC, Ge.46:8, 11).  Moses’ father Amram was born in Egypt, while Joseph was still alive.  see “Levites and the Exodus Multitude (1)”.

Moses fled to Midian at age 40 (Ex.2:15, Ac.7:22-29), c 1652 BC.

Caleb was born in Egypt c 1651 BC.  (cf. Nu.13:25-30, the 2^nd year of the exodus…with Jsh.14:6-10.)

Moses is 80 when he returns to Egypt from Midian (Ac.7:30-34), c 1612 BC.  Ex.7:7 “Moses was 80 years old, and Aaron 83, at the time they spoke to Pharaoh.”  The exodus occurred then (Ex.12:39-41).

When they exited Egypt c 1612 BC, Joshua is a young man, compared to Moses (Ex.33:11, Nu.11:28).  Joshua is 44 or so.  Caleb is 39 (born c 1651 BC).

The Israelites left Egypt, and then had to spend 40 years in the wilderness (Nu.32:13), until c 1572 BC.

{Sidelight: Ge.41:51 Joseph fathered Manasséh.  Ge.50:23 Manasseh fathered Machír.  Machir’s son Gileád was the same generation as Moses/Aaron.  Joshua’s father Nun was the same generation as Gilead & Moses/Aaron.  Zelophehád, Hépher’s son, was Gilead’s grandson (1Ch.7:14-27, Nu.26:28-37, 27:1, Jsh.17:3).  Zelophehad’s daughters are seen in the 40^th year of the exodus (Nu.27:1-ff, 36:1-ff).}

Nu.21:23-26 & De.3:12 in the 40^th year Israel took Heshbón and Aroér, and began to dwell in that area east of the Jordan River.  (Nu.25:7 Phineás’ bold action occurred in the 40^th year in the wilderness.)

The Israelites entered the Promised Land c 1572 BC.  De.34:7-9 Moses died that year at age 120.

Jsh.11:15-19 Joshua then waged war with the kings in the Land for 5 years at least, and defeated them.

Jsh.13:1 Joshua is old, near 90.  Cambridge Bible Note Jsh.13:1 “The Hebrew leader was now about 90 years of age.”  Josephus Antiquities of the Jews 5:1:19 “The 5^th year was now past, and not one of the Canaanites remained.”  Josephus implied there were 5 years of conquest.  The supposed Book of Jasher 89:54, “For 5 years did Joshua carry on the war with these kings…the land became tranquil”.  The land of Canáan became relatively tranquil for a while.

Jsh.14:6-11 indicates there were 5 years of conquest.  Caleb says he’s 85.  45 years have passed since he was age 40 in the 2^nd year of the exodus (c 1611 BC), when he and Joshua spied out the Land.  Ellicott Commentary Jsh.14:7 “Caleb would be 40+38=78 years old when they crossed the Jordan. He was 85 when they began to divide the country.”  Joshua allotted the Land among the tribes of Israel c 1566 BC.

Jsh.23:1, 14 “a long time” (19-20 years) after the Land division, Joshua knows it’s his time to die.  Jsh.24:29 Joshua dies at age 110, c 1546 BC.  (Joseph previously also had died at age 110, Ge.50:26.)

Joshua was in the Land for around 25-28 years: 6-7 years of conquest/settlement, 19-20 years of ‘rule’.

Josephus op. cit. 5:1:29 “Joshua…became their commander after his [Moses’] death for 25 years.”  Jasher 90:32 indicates that Joshua died 28 years after crossing the Jordan, 68 years after leaving Egypt.  Eusebius Chronicles, p.111 “The Hebrews say that he [Joshua] was leader for 27 years, as so he was 43 years old when Moses went out of Egypt.”  Elihu Schatz “The traditional interpretation assumes that Joshua ruled for 28 years (Seder Olam Rabbah, ch. 12), which means that he was 83 when he began to rule, since he lived to be 110 years old (Jsh.24:29).”  Again, Joshua was 4 or 5 years older than Caleb.

Jsh.24:31 & Jg.2:7-10 the elders who outlived Joshua continued to serve the Lord…for several years.

Josephus op.cit. 6:5:4 “After the death of Joshua, for 18 years in all the multitude had no settled form of government, but were an anarchy; after which they then permitting themselves to be judged by…the best warrior…the Judges.”  The magistrate was usually a champion who delivered them from enemies.

bible.ca/archeology/chronology-of-judges “The 8 year oppression of Arám-naharáim (Jg.3:8) began…15 years after Joshua died.”  Jasher 91:12 “The elders judged Israel after the death of Joshua for 17 years.”

So Joshua and the elders who outlived him led the Israelites for 40 years or so in the Land, prior to the series of judges.  (6+19+15=40)  From c 1572 BC until c 1532 BC.

Jg.2:16 “Then the Lord raised up judges [shaphát Strongs h8199, Hebrew] who delivered them from those who plundered them.”  These judges were warriors, military leaders, or ad hoc rulers in the early loose confederation of Israel.  Succeeding Joshua, there are no ruling judges before this verse.  Barnes Notes Jg.2:16 “This is the first introduction of the term judge, which gives its name to the book.”

How long did the judges lead Israel (prior to the people asking Samuel for a king to rule them, 1Sm.8:4-5)?  Before we identify those judges, a pertinent passage was spoken by the apostle Paul in retrospect:

Ac.13:16-21 “The God of Israel chose our fathers…with a mighty arm He led them out from it [Egypt]; for 40 years He put up with them in the wilderness. When He had destroyed seven nations in the Land of Canaan, He divided by lot to them their Land, about 450 years. After this He gave them judges until Samuel the prophet. Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul…for 40 years.”  Our translations of the passage differ.  Barnes Notes “This is a most difficult passage, and has exercised all the ingenuity of chronologists.”  To what centuries was Paul referring?

Most commentaries interpret the 450-year period as…from when God chose the “fathers” until Joshua divided the Land.  The Land was divided in c 1566 BC.  Isaac the son of promise was born c 2017 BC.  That’s 451 years earlier.  Abram was called at age 75, c 2042 BC.  That’s 476 years earlier, perhaps still close enough to the “about 450 years” Paul indicated. (see “Chronology: Abraham to the Exodus”.)

Ellicott Commentary Ac.13:20 “The 450 years in this case referred to the interval between the choice of ‘our fathers’, which may be reckoned from the birth of Isaac.”  Benson Commentary Ac.13:19 “The apostle is not to be understood as signifying how long God gave them judges, but when he gave them….computed from the birth of Isaac….it will be 448 years.”

But some commentaries interpret the 450-year period as…from when the judges began until the days of Samuel.  Joshua and the elders had died by c 1532 BC.  Samuel was living 450 years later, c 1082 BC.

Meyer’s NT Commentary Ac.13:20 “Until the end of the series of judges.”  Eclectic Notes Ac.13:20 “Judges characterized the period of 450 years.”

I’ll leave it to the reader to decide which of the above two interpretations better fits the history.

Let’s now look at the period of the several judges/deliverers, until Samuel the prophet-judge.

After the deaths of Joshua and the elders who outlived him, c 1532 BC, the Israelites began to do evil.  Jg.2:10 “There arose another generation after them [Joshua and the elders] who did not know the Lord.”  Jg.3:7 they served heathen gods and angered the Lord.  So He allowed an oppressor to subjugate them.

Jg.3:8 the first oppressor was Cushán-rishatháim of Aram-naharaim for 8 years, until c 1524 BC.

Jg.3:9-11 the people cried out to the Lord.  He was merciful and raised up Othniél (Caleb’s nephew, the son of his younger brother Kenáz, Jsh.15:17) as warrior-judge.  Othniel prevailed, and the Land had rest 40 years, from c 1524 BC to c 1484 BC.

A pattern will repeat throughout the time of the judges:  Israel would disobey the Lord, come under foreign domination, the people will cry out to God, God mercifully raises up a judge to defeat the oppressor, the Land has peace.  Then the people disobey again, God allows them to be subjugated, they cry out to God, He sends a deliverer, the Land has rest again, etc.  The same cycle, over and over again.

Jg.3:12-14 Israel does evil.  So they must serve Eglón king of Moab for 18 years, c 1484 BC – c 1466 BC.  Jg.3:15-30 Ehúd of Benjamin subdues Moab, and the Land has rest 80 years, until c 1386 BC.

Jg.3:31 Shamgár saved Israel from Philistines.  Josephus op.cit. 5:4:3 said Shamgar died in his 1^st year.

Jg.4:1-3 Jabín of Canaan oppresses Israel for 20 years, c 1386 BC – c 1366 BC.  Barák, Deboráh and Jaél defeat Jabin and his general Siserá (Jg.4:4–5:31), and the Land has peace 40 years, until c 1326 BC.

Jg.6:1-ff Israel does evil again, so the Lord gives them over to the Midianites for 7 years, until c 1319 BC.  Gideon is called; he defeats Midian.  Jg.8:28 the Land has peace 40 years, until c 1279 BC.

Jg.9:1-22 Abimélech, Gideon’s son, rules over Israel 3 years, until c 1276 BC.  After Abimelech dies, Tolá of Issachár judges Israel 23 years (Jg.10:1-2), until c 1253 BC.  After Tola, Jaír the Gileadite judges Israel 22 years (Jg.10:3-5), until c 1231 BC.

Jg.10:6-8 Israel does evil, so God gave them over to the Philistines and Ammonites for 18 years, from c 1231 BC – c 1213 BC.  Jg.11:8-11 Jephtháh the Gileadite warrior became Israel’s deliverer.  Jg.11:12-28 the king of Ammón wanted back old Amorite land east of the Jordan River, which Israel had taken possession of over 300 years previously.  It seems that land had belonged to the Ammonites before it became the Amorites’.  The Israelites had taken possession of that land from Sihón king of the Amorites at the end of the 40 years in the wilderness (again Nu.21:23-26 & De.3:12, also Jsh.12:1-2), c 1572 BC.

Jephthah’s messengers said to the king of Ammon in Jg.11:26-27, “While Israel lived in Heshbon and in Aroer and in the towns that are on the banks of the Arnón [LXX Jordan], 300 years, why didn’t you recover them within that time? I therefore have not sinned against you, but you are doing me wrong by warring against me.”  However, 340 years had elapsed from c 1572 BC to the oppression of c 1231 BC.

Matthew Poole Commentary Jg.11:26 “300 years; not precisely, but about that time.”  ESV Study Bible “300 years’ may be a round number giving an approximate date.”

Also, some judgeships possibly had overlapped since Joshua divided the Promised Land of Canaan, or were concurrent in different tribal areas of the Land.

Jg.12:7 having ended the Ammonite war in c 1213 BC, Jephthah judged Israel 6 years, until c 1207 BC.

Jg.12:8-10 Ibzán of Bethlehem succeeds Jephthah as judge, for 7 years, until c 1200 BC.  After Ibzan, Elón the Zebulunite judges Israel 10 years (Jg.12:11-12), until c 1190 BC.  Then Abdón judges Israel 8 years (Jg.12:13-15), until c 1182 BC.

Jg.13:1 “Israel again did evil, so the Lord gave them into the hands of the Philistines 40 years.”  Actually, the Philistines warred against Israel on & off for hundreds of years (2Ki.18:1 even 8 years in King Hezekiah’s day).  This 40-year period of Philistine oppression was from c 1182 BC – c 1142 BC.

Jg.13–16 is the account of Samson fighting against the Philistines during this time.  Jg.16:30-31 Samson sacrifices his life, having judged Israel for 20 years.  This ended Philistine oppression temporarily.

Jg.15:20 “He [Samson] judged Israel 20 years in the days of the Philistines.”  It is thought by some that Samson’s heroic judgeship was during the latter 20 years, c 1162 BC – c 1142 BC, of that 40-year Philistine oppression.  Anstey op. cit., p.18 “The judgeship of Samson, 20 years, is included in the 40 years of the 6^th servitude under the Philistines.”

James Jordan Puzzling Out the Era of the Judges “The Philistine oppression lasted 40 years (Jg.13:1). Samson was born about this time. Samson judged for 20 years, and in his death killed all five Philistine kings as well as a large number of the Philistine nobility and priesthood (Jg.15:20; 16:27). It is unlikely, if not impossible, in the light of Nu.1:3, that Samson began judging before he was 20. Thus, his 40 years seem to be the same as those of the Philistine oppression.”  Samson died at age 40, c 1142 BC.

{{Sidelight: Jg.17–21 these ending chapters of Judges are a flashback to events which occurred earlier in the book, but weren’t inserted then (to not interrupt the timeline).  Henry Commentary Jg.17:1 “What is related in…the rest of the chapters to the end of this book, was done soon after the death of Joshua.”  Pulpit Commentary “Two detached histories [Jg.17–21], which fill up the rest of the book…are long prior to Samson.”  Josephus op. cit. 5:2-3 places them before Othniel’s early judgeship of Jg.3.}}

Again, it is possible that some judgeships were contemporaneous, or they began within the years listed as foreign servitude (such as Samson’s judgeship).

Generally the book of Judges was a period of less restraining authority.  The final verse in the book is Jg.21:25. “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”  The syndrome was ‘I did it my way’, not God’s way.  Israelites didn’t want to be governed by the Lord or His laws.  It was a time when self-will ruled, for the most part.  But Pr.28:26 says, “He who trusts in his own heart is a fool”.  Benson Commentary Jg.21:25 “There was no supreme governor, such as Moses and Joshua were…none that had power sufficient to punish public wrongs…and thereby check the progress of vice and profaneness, and keep the people in order. ”  Most didn’t have the Holy Spirit.  Wrong covetousness was the norm.  This is a lesson we can glean from the book of Judges.

1Sm.4:15-18 Eli judges Israel for 40 years til age 98, c 1142 BC – c 1102 BC.  Samuel is judge after Eli.

Recap: The exodus from Egypt was c 1612 BC.  After 40 years of wilderness wandering under Moses, the Israelites entered the Promised Land under Joshua c 1572 BC.  After Joshua’s wars of conquest, the Land was divided to the tribes of Israel by lot c 1566 BC.  That was approximately 450 years after the birth of Isaac in c 2017 BC, and 464 years before the time Samuel succeeds Eli as judge c 1102 BC.

My other topics in the timeline are “Chronology: Samuel to Rehoboam”, “Chronology: Abraham to the Exodus”, “Chronology: Septuagint versus Masoretic Text”.

 

Lying – Ananias & Sapphira

An adage or maxim expresses a general truth.  Such as: Honesty is the best policy.  You reap what you sow (Ga.6:7).  What goes around comes around.  Your sin will find you out (Nu.32:23).

Actions and sins do have consequences.  Thankfully, it seems God is willing to hide some sins of a repentant heart.

Under stress or otherwise, we’ve all lied on occasion.  Paul admonished Christians in Col.3:9 (from Le.19:11), “Don’t lie to one another”.  Ps.119:163 “I hate and abhor lying, but Thy law do I love”

Lying takes various forms.  Maybe we wrongly coveted or stole something, and lied as a cover-up?  Or we boasted falsely of a gift or ability (Pr.25:14).  Maybe we then even tried to lie to God about it!  But that’s futile.  He.4:13 “There is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to Him.”  God knows the intent of our heart.  2Ki.5:20-27 Elisha’s assistant Gehazí lied to greedily get some things from the Syrian general Naamán…but he got Naaman’s leprosy!  God knew Gehazi’s heart.

Lying can take the form of slander, misrepresentation of truth, exaggeration, deception, hypocrisy.  One lie may lead to another…and another…and another.  Becoming entangled in a growing web of lies.

God commanded Moses and ancient Israel in Ex.20:16. “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”  This primarily refers to lying in court…a lying witness.  “In the mouth of two or three witnesses let every fact be established.” (De.19:15, Mt.18:16)  Pr.6:16-19 “There are six things the Lord hates, a lying tongue…hands that shed innocent blood, a false witness who utters lies….”  Not all lying is “false witness”.  They can differ.  Pr.14:5 “A faithful witness will not lie, but a false witness speaks lies.”  Ps.15:1, 4 here God was with that person who legally testified honestly to his own detriment.

Pr.19:5 “A false witness will not go unpunished.”  God even decreed that a false witness be punished as the accused would’ve been punished if found guilty, according to De.19:16-20. “If the witness has accused his brother falsely, then you will do to him just as he had intended to do to his brother. Thus you shall purge the evil from among you.”  The false witness shall suffer the penalty for the crime (instead of the accused).  This could even be death for a capital crime!  Later, the ruling of King Darius the Mede stretched this penalty.  Da.6:3-13, 24 “The king then gave orders, and they brought those men who had maliciously accused Daniel, and cast them, their children, and their wives into the lion’s den.”

Lying may or may not be a false testimony in court.  If a man lied about property in Moses’ day, the offender was required to make restitution to the victim, plus pay a fine of 20% of the property value (Le.6:1-7).  In addition, a trespass offering was required.  By this process, the offender’s sin was atoned for and he was forgiven.  If the offender didn’t confess and repay a theft before legal steps were taken, then Ex.22:1-ff stipulated he must pay back double the value or more, when convicted.

What if there’s extenuating circumstances?  Sarah was married to Abraham.  Abraham & Sarah withheld truth of this from Pharaoh (Ge.12:12-13) and king Abimélech (Ge.20:2).  Back then, adultery was considered worse than murder…those rulers greatly feared committing adultery!  If Abraham hadn’t said Sarah was just his sister, those rulers might have murdered Abraham…and still taken Sarah for a wife!  This is a case of ‘lying’ to protect a person from serious harm or death (Abraham).

And as a result of telling a half-truth…Abraham was blessed!  Ge.12:16 Pharaoh gave him many livestock plus male and female servants.  Similarly in Ge.20:14-16, “Abimelech took sheep and oxen and male and female servants and gave them to Abraham, and restored his wife Sarah to him”.

Jsh.2:3-6 Raháb lied to her king in Jericho to protect the Israelite spies’ whereabouts and further God’s purposes.  Consequently, Rahab was saved alive (Jsh.6:25) when God destroyed Jericho!  Abraham, Sarah and Rahab are all three noted in the ‘faith chapter’, in He.11:8, 11, 31, 39.  Also, in Ex.1:15-20 the midwives didn’t participate in Pharaoh’s infanticide of male Israelite newborns, and told a half-truth to Pharaoh.  God then blessed the midwives!

So it seems that a person’s ‘lie’ spoken outside of court to evil people or to non-believers actually could be spoken in faith.  Again, Moses and Paul instructed ancient Israelites and Christians accordingly to refrain from lying to one another.

Yet there is a scriptural account in Ac.4:32–5:11 where God put a husband & wife both to death after they lied (and it wasn’t false witness in court).  The Holy Spirit isn’t harsh or capricious, and doesn’t act on the whim of the moment.  Therefore why, or by what legal right, did God put Ananías & Sapphíra to death that very day…for lying to the Holy Spirit/God (Ac.5:3-4) about their property?!  And without trespass offerings as an option for them at the temple there in Jerusalem.

Perhaps God’s reaction against Ananias & Sapphira is disturbing or somewhat frightening to Christian readers because…we too have lied!  But their sin involved more than lying.

In Old Testament Israel there were 15–20 transgressions which (theoretically) got the death penalty.  Lying normally wasn’t punishable by death.  But sacrilegious irreverence to God brought death.

Le.10:1-2 for example. “Nadáb and Abihú [two sons of Aaron the priest] offered strange fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them. And fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them.”  Also 2Sm.6:6-7, “Uzzáh reached out and touched the ark of God. And the anger of the Lord burned against Uzzah, and God struck him down there for his irreverence, and he died.”  In Ex.25:14 and Nu.7:9, God had given instructions about transporting the ark of God.  Nu.4:15 “That they not touch the holy objects and die.”  The Lord’s holiness and holy things weren’t to be treated as insignificant or commonplace!  Nadab & Abihu and Uzzah weren’t given opportunity to repent either.

Then there’s the matter of Achán at Jericho.  The lie of Ananias & Sapphira was a form of Achanism.  God commanded in De.7:25-26 that no one harbor value of/from an accursed thing which was devoted to destruction.  It was anáthema or under a ban, without hope of being redeemed.  Le.27:28-29 “Anything devoted to destruction [chérem Strongs h2764, Hebrew] is most holy to the Lord.”

The late Chief Rabbi of the British Empire, Dr. J.H. Hertz, identified three types of such devotions or bans…private, justice, war.  The ban on Jericho was the war type.  That city was anathema, devoted to God for destruction.

Ex.23:19 firstfruits of the Land belonged exclusively to God.  Jsh.5:10-13 Jericho was the first city the Israelites encountered in the Land.  De.13:12-18 were instructions regarding a city that became devoted to God, banned for utter destruction. De.13:17 “And nothing from that which is devoted [under the ban] shall cling to your hand.”  Then Jsh.6:17-21 “The city shall be devoted [accursed]. Only Rahab and those in her house shall live. Keep yourselves from the things under the ban, lest you covet them.”  v.24 they burned Jericho with fire.  Except its precious metals they put into God’s treasury.  It was devoted.

Jsh.7:1 LXX NETS “The sons of Israel committed a major offense and appropriated for themselves [Strongs g3557, Greek] part of what was devoted. And Achan took from what was devoted.”  v.10-26 Achan of the tribe of Judah kept valuables from a devoted city that was to be destroyed.  (Whereas later in Jsh.8:1-2 the booty from the city of Ái was shared.  Ai wasn’t the firstfruits of Canáan and not devoted to God.)  Jsh.7:25 so Achan was put to death for sacrilege (as Nadab & Abihu, and Uzzah).

The Greek term nosphízomai (g3557) was uncommon, used only in Jsh.7:1 LXX, Ac.5:2-3 (Ananias), Ti.2:10, 2Mc.4:32.  It meant to misappropriate or set apart for one’s own use.  Dr. Spiros Zódiates said the term was “applied by Greek writers to public treasures”.  e.g. Athénaeus: Pilfering gold to the god Apollo.  2Mc.4:32 (ca 175 BC) “Meneláus pilfered [g3557] some of the gold vessels from the Temple.”

So Achan and his family were put to death, as ordered by the Lord (Jsh.7:15).

The sin of Ananias & Sapphira was analogous to Achan’s sin.  Barnes Notes Jsh.7:1 “The accursed thing, that which had been devoted. Achan in diverting any of these devoted things to his own purposes, committed the sin of sacrilege, that of Ananias & Sapphira.”  How might Achan’s transgression typify that of Ananias & Sapphira?

Mal.4:4-6 Malachi prophesied that Elijah would come…and if their hearts didn’t turn to the Lord, then a ban of destruction (h2764) for the Land.

Lk.1:13, 17 John the Baptizer came as the prophesied Elijah, to return the peoples’ hearts to God.  Jesus said of John the Baptist in Mt.11:13-14, “This is Elijah, who was to come”.  (see the topic “Rebirth to Physical Life”.)  But most hearts in Jerusalem & Judea didn’t return or repent to their God!

Consequently, the devoted city came under the ban, as prophesied in Malachi!

Jesus lamented in Mt.23:37-38, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets. Your house is being left desolate.”  Jesus continued in Mt.24:1-2, saying the temple buildings would be destroyed.  Furthermore, in Lk.19:41-44 Jesus wept over Jerusalem and said it would be razed to the ground, because they didn’t recognize His visitation!  As a matter of historical record (e.g. Josephus), that ban of destruction upon Jerusalem occurred in 70 AD!  And the site was indeed leveled to a plain (by 135 AD), as Jesus said!

In Mt.19:21-22, Jesus told the rich young ruler in Judea, “Sell your possessions and give to the poor”.  The man owned much property.  That land would later have little value to them in the siege of Jerusalem.  Ac.2:44-46 Jewish Christians in Jerusalem “Began selling their property and possessions, sharing them with all”.  They believed Jesus’ prophecy…destruction was coming!  Peter then said in Ac.3:6, “I don’t possess silver and gold”.  Regarding the believers in Ac.4:32-37, “All who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sale to the apostles”.  This sell-off occurred in the area of Jerusalem/Judea…doomed to destruction, according to Jesus.

Lk.21:20-22 “Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.”  Traditionally the Jerusalem saints made the flight to Pella in 66 AD, taking with them the spoils of doomed Jerusalem.  This is reminiscent of Ex.12:36, when Moses and their ancestors left with the spoils of the destroyed Egypt.

After the Jewish leaders blasphemed and murdered the Son of God, Jerusalem was devoted to destruction (cf. De.13:13-18).

Again, Ananias & Sapphira wrongly coveted and lied about property.  This normally wasn’t punishable by death, according to God’s law.  Yet the Lord had said to Joshua & Israel in Jsh.7:12, “I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy the accursed from among you”.

Ananias & Sapphira likewise must die, as Achan must die (Jsh.7:25).  The sold property of Ananias & Sapphira in Jerusalem was devoted to God.

God’s character is just!  His law is just!  God doesn’t violate His own word and put someone to death for a non-capital offense!

Were Ananias & Sapphira (secretly) Judaizers who disbelieved the words of Jesus and Malachi, that the Land would be destroyed if the people didn’t repent?  Or perhaps Ananias & Sapphira thought they could re-purchase Jerusalem property later in a windfall-type deal?  Whatever, they greedily retained value which was devoted to God for the royal priesthood (Ac.5:2, 1Pe.2:9).  Similarly, Achan retained value which should have gone into God’s treasury (Jsh.6:19).  The Lord didn’t just impulsively smite them in a fit of anger because they told one lie about the proceeds of a piece of property they’d owned!

I’m not defending lying.  Jn.8:44 Jesus said the devil is the father of lies in general.  The serpent lied to Eve in Ge.3:4. “You shall not surely die.”  De.18:20 lying prophets and those who prophesied in the name of other gods were to be put to death.  Pr.19:9, Re.21:8 habitual liars (including the devil, Re.20:10) go into the lake of fire!  This is the ultimate consequence of lying (unrepented)!

In contrast is He.6:18. “It is impossible for God to lie.”  Also Paul said in Ti.1:2, “God cannot lie”.  Lying isn’t in God’s character.  And in Ep.4:25, Paul said of us in the church (quoting the Old Greek/LXX Zec.8:16), “Speak truth each of you with his neighbor”.

However, extraordinary circumstances of not telling the whole truth or telling a half-truth to heathens or evil men or enemies…may protect someone from needless harm or can advance God’s will!

The Lord commanded ancient Israel to exterminate the seven totally corrupt enemy “nations” of the Land of Canaan in De.7:1-ff.  Yet Jesus said to love your neighbor and your enemies (Mt.5:43-44).  And to treat Samaritans as their neighbor (Lk.10:29-37).

Nevertheless, for example, to divulge (under duress) the identity of a Christian brother/neighbor to radical Muslims who will kill him isn’t showing love to either the neighbor or those Muslims!  Better to tell a half-truth or lie to help keep our neighbor/brother alive…as did Abraham, Rahab, the midwives of Ex.1.  (Military ethics for Christians who may kill national enemies is beyond the scope of this topic. see “War & Killing and the Bible Christian”.)

To bring this closer to home…we need God’s continual mercy (e.g. in areas where we may be weak).  Though we’ve wrongly lied occasionally, don’t let lying become habitual.  We’re to repent and confess.  1Jn.1:9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins.”

The account of Achan and Ananias & Sapphira shows that the Lord surely isn’t to be trifled with!  We should have a right fear of God, fearing to disobey Him.  It’s not a dread…but more a reverence, an awe!  Ps.25:11-14 “Pardon my iniquity. Who is the man who fears the Lord? He will instruct him in the way he should choose. His soul will abide in good. The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him.”  And Ps.33:18 “The eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His mercy.”

Finally, a curse was to be upon the man who rebuilt Jericho (Jsh.6:26, 1Ki.16:34).  But unlike Jericho…Zec.14:10-11 “Jerusalem will rise. And people will live in it, and there will be no more curse [h2764], for Jerusalem will dwell in security.”  Jerusalem will be no longer devoted to destruction!

And unlike Achan and Ananias & Sapphira who wrongly coveted, stole devoted forbidden things, and lied…Ps.84:11 “No good thing will God withhold from them that walk uprightly.”  Thank You, Lord!

Savior’s Name in Bible Languages

God’s Divine Name is spelled YHVH or YHWH (Strongs h3068, Hebrew).  This four-letter théonym is known as the Tetragrámmaton.  In Wars of the Jews 5:5:7, the 1^st century Jewish historian Josephus said of the Divine Name, “it consists of four vowels”.  The letters are yod–hey–vav–hey (read from right to left).  These ancient Hebrew letters have also been called semi-vowels.

Today the exact pronunciation of God’s Divine Name is uncertain.  The most common transliteration is Yáhweh, also Yáhuah and Yehuah.  Phonetically, perhaps the Name sounded something like…ee-áh-oo-aye (pronounced rapidly).  also see the topic, “God’s Name & Titles in Scripture”.

My topic here is specifically the Name of the Savior.  What’s in a name?  The meaning of the Savior’s Name in Hebrew also provides etymológical evidence that Jesus of Nazaréth is the Savior.

Mt.1:20-21 in our English Bibles, an angel of the Lord told Joseph in a dream that he & Mary/Miriám were to call the name of the Child she was carrying…Jesus.  And in v.25, “He called His name Jesus”.

Throughout the New Testament (NT), the spelling J-e-s-u-s is used in modern English for the koine Greek name Iesóus (g2424 masc noun), pronounced Yay-sóos.

Why didn’t Father God want His Son to be named Aaron or Abe or Sam or…?  After all, Abraham and Samuel were good Hebrews!  Why call the Son Jesus?  This study of names should provide the answer.

According to the Greek Dictionary of the New Testament, the Greek Iesous g2424 represents the Old Testament (OT) Hebrew name Yehoshúa (h3091 masc noun).  The name Yehoshua is rendered Joshua in most English Bibles.  For example Ex.17:9, “Moses said to Joshua [Yehoshua h3091]”.

This Joshua/Yehoshua was the son of Nun.  But we read in Nu.13:8, “From the tribe of Ephráim, Hoshéa [h1954 masc ‘salvation’] the son of Nῡn”.  (A later Hosea h1954 wrote the first of the 12 so-called ‘minor’ prophet books.)  Yet in Nu.13:16, “Moses called Hoshea [h1954] the son of Nun, Joshua [Yehoshua h3091]”.  Hebrew names in the Bible have meaning.  Moses altered the son of Nun’s name from Hoshea or ‘he saves’ to Joshua/Yehoshua or ‘YHVH saves’ (or ‘YHVH is salvation’).

And later in the Greek Septúagint/LXX: Ex.17:9, Nu.13:16, throughout the Pentateuch, in the books of Joshua & Judges, Haggai & Zechariah, etc…the Greek name for Joshua/Yehoshua is Iesous (g2424)!  In ancient Bible language, Joshua the son of Nun was given the same name as Jesus of Nazareth!

Moses prophesied to Israel in De.18:15. “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you.”  Moses’ successor was Joshua (Iesous in Greek) the son of Nun.  But the ultimate fulfillment of Moses’ prophecy is Jesus of Nazareth.  Jews were saying in the 1^st century AD, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee” (Mt.21:11).  In Ac.3:20-23, Peter identified this Jesus as that prophet Moses had said would be like Moses himself.  One similarity…while Moses and Jesus were infants, their respective rulers (Pharaoh and Herod) wanted them put to death (Ex.1:22 and Mt.2:16).  Another similarity, Moses and Jesus both fasted for 40 days (Ex.34:28 and Mt.4:2).

Again, the transliterated Greek name of Moses’ OT successor Joshua and the Savior Jesus of Nazareth is…Iesous (g2424).

In Ac.7:44-45 of the NT, Stephen the Greek-speaking Jew recounted that God had directed Moses to make the ancient tabernacle, and then “our fathers brought it in with Iesous” (in NT Greek).  In v.45, many English Bibles rightly identify this Iesous as “Joshua” who followed Moses.  But a few Bibles (including the KJV) have translated the NT Greek Iesous as “Jesus” in this verse.  Although they both had the same name in Greek, the Bibles which read “Jesus” here give the wrong impression of who Stephen had in mind.  Stephen was referring to the OT Joshua.

A similar situation occurs in He.4:8, where the Greek name again is Iesous and Moses’ immediate successor Joshua is meant.  Although many English Bibles here render the Greek Iesous as “Joshua”, a few Bibles (e.g. KJV) render Iesous as “Jesus” (giving the wrong impression of who the writer of Hebrews had in mind).  Since they both had the same name, the context reveals which one is meant.

The Jewish translators of the Old Greek version (which became the LXX) used this same name Iesous for the title of the book of Joshua!  And interestingly, Moses’ successor Joshua and our Savior Jesus of Nazareth were the son of Nun or none (when we pronounce ‘Nun’ and ‘none’ similarly in modern English)!  Mary’s husband Joseph was Jesus’ legal father, but not His biological father.  The Savior Jesus of Nazareth had no human father in a biological sense.  (see the topic, “Jesus’ Virgin Birth”.)

Again, the counterpart of the Greek Iesous in ancient Paleo-Hebrew was Yehoshua, ‘YHVH saves’.  Mary’s husband Joseph was commanded to name the baby “Iesous”/Jesus because…her baby Jesus was the Word of God who is also very God/YHVH (Jn.1:1, 14).  And prior to Jesus’ human birth, Joseph was told in Mt.1:21, “It is He who will save His people from their sins”.  So we see that Jesus’ given Name even meant ‘Savior’!  God delivered ancient Israel from their enemies through Joshua the son of Nun, and God delivers us from the ultimate consequences of sin through Jesus of Nazareth’s sacrifice.

In the 1^st century AD, by what name did Jesus’ disciples and others call this Son of Joseph and Mary?  According to most Bible historians, (Western) Aramaic had become the common tongue in the Holy Land.  But many people would have spoken Greek in “Galilee of the Gentiles” (Mt.4:15), where the family and His disciples lived.  In that area, Joseph and Jesus perhaps had business clients who were Greek-speakers.  Stephen was a Hellenist Jew even living in Jerusalem (Ac.6:1-8).  Of note, when the NT writers quoted the OT, their quotes most often were from the Old Greek version which became the LXX (not from the more recent Hebrew Masorétic text)!

But prior to Aramaic becoming the language of the common people, the ancient Paleo-Hebrew of the Toráh had undergone changes.  Languages and dialects change over the centuries.  The Hebrew name Yehoshua h3091 had become obsolete as such.  The Divine Name was embedded in the name Yehoshua.  (A theophóric embeds or contains the name of God.)  The Jews had begun to consider it blasphemy to pronounce the name of God, even within a personal name!

By the time the books of Ezra and Nehemiah were written, the Hebrew name Yehoshua had been shortened to Yeshúa (h3442 masc noun).  The theophoric was removed.  The Divine Name isn’t embedded in the form “Yeshua”, although the names Yehoshua and Yeshua both mean to save/deliver.  Ne.8:17 “From the days of Joshua [Yeshua h3442] the son of Nun.”  In Nehemiah, the name of Moses’ successor is Yeshua, shortened from Yehoshua h3091 (cf. Ex.17:9).  Ne.12:26 and Ezr.3:2 are two other examples where the abbreviated Hebrew form Yeshua was used, instead of Yehoshua.  In the OT, this name Yeshua h3442 occurs 29 times; only in Ezra, Nehemiah and Chronicles!  Conversely, the name Yehoshua h3091 never appears in the books of Ezra or Nehemiah (it does appear in 1Ch.7:27).

After the Babylonian captivity, Aramaic (not Hebrew) became spoken by the Jewish common people.  This occurred prior to the emergence of the Grecian Empire.  Correspondingly, there are a few chapters of the OT which were originally written in Aramaic, not Hebrew.  (see “Aramaic in the Bible”.)

Ezra 4:8–6:18 was written in Aramaic.  Ezr.5:2 “Then Zerubbabél the son of Shealtiél and Yeshúa [h3443 masc noun] the son of Jozadák arose and began to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem.”  In this verse, the name Yeshua is in Aramaic (its only OT occurrence in Aramaic).  The Aramaic equivalent Yeshua h3443 was pronounced almost identical to the Hebrew Yeshua h3442.

Again, when Jesus of Nazareth walked the earth, a dialect of Aramaic remained the language most often spoken in the Holy Land.  Yeshua was a popular Aramaic name for babies.  It’s been quipped…‘the Aramaic name on Jesus’ drivers license would have been Yeshua bar Yosef’ (Yeshua the son of Joseph)!  The Savior’s spoken name was Yeshua or Iesous (Greek), in the languages of His day.

In the OT there are 245 total occurrences of the: Hebrew names Yehoshua h3091 & Yeshua h3442, Aramaic Yeshua h3443.  In the Greek LXX, all these 245 occurrences are rendered Iesous g2424!

Approximately 200 years before Messiah Jesus’ human birth, how did the translators of the Jewish Old Greek version get from Ye–sh–u–a in the Hebrew/Aramaic scriptures to Ie–s–ou–s in the Greek scriptures?  Greek was the commercial language of the empire at the time.  (Again, in the LXX this same Greek name Iesous was used by the Jewish translators for the title of the book of Joshua.)

Translating the OT Hebrew into Greek enabled the Greek-speaking Jews in the diáspora (dispersion) who no longer knew Hebrew to understand the scriptures.  But the koine Greek language didn’t contain the same sounds as the ancient Hebrew language, so the transliteration of names wasn’t easy.  Following is the step-by-step transliteration of the name Yeshua into Greek:

The yod or ‘Ye’ of Ye-sh-u-a was transliterated iota-eta or ‘Ie’ in the koine Greek dialect.  The shin or ‘sh’ in Ye-sh-u-a couldn’t be sounded in Greek, because there was no ‘sh’ sound in the middle of Greek words.  So the Jewish translators just used a sigma ‘s’ to represent the Hebrew ‘sh’.  For the vav or ‘u’ in Ye-sh-u-a, they used omicron-upsilon or ‘ou’ in Greek.  Concerning the áyin or ‘a’ in Ye-sh-u-a, Greek grammar rules required this sound be dropped.  Then to distinguish a name in Greek as masculine, it was necessary to place a final sigma ‘s’ at the end of the name.  (For example Mt.27:21, Barabbá(s) was an Aramaic name transliterated into Greek with an ‘s’ added at the end to indicate masculine.)  Thus Ye-sh-u-a in Hebrew/Aramaic became Ie-s-ou-s in koine Greek.

Then how did the Greek “Iesous” become “Jesus” in modern English?  (It’s also “Jesus” in today’s Spanish, pronounced Hay–sóus.)

The Greek Iesous was rendered “Iesus” in Latin, yet still retaining the Yay-sóos pronunciation as the Greek.  The Old English then used the Latin form Iesus, pronouncing it Ye-sus.  Later the English form came to be spelled with a beginning ‘J’, but that ‘J’ was still sounded like a ‘Y’.  After that, the ‘J’ began to take on a harder sound…and His Name became pronounced “Jesus” (Jée-zus), as today.

So we see that the ancient Hebrew name has gone through a reasonable and common-sense transliteration process over the centuries, as languages developed and changed.

There are a relatively few who erroneously think the name “Jesus” derives from heathendom.  Although names and syllables may have phonetic similarities across dialects, the modern form “Jesus” wasn’t derived from the name of a pagan god such as Zeus!

Regardless of the exact spelling or pronunciation of Savior Jesus’ name throughout the languages and cultures of the world, His is the only Name by which we’re saved!  As Peter said in Ac.4:10-12, “Jesus Christ [Iesous Christós] the Nazarene….there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name by which we must be saved.”  Praise the God who saves!

Furthermore, the name of King Messiah (in the order of Melchisedek) was prophesied in the book of Zechariah to be…Iesous/Yeshua (the shortened form of Yehoshua).

Returning once more to Mt.1:20-ff (Matthew quoted much from the Old Greek), Mary’s husband Joseph was told the given name of Isaiah’s prophesied Emmanuél was to be Iesous (Jesus)/Yeshua.  In Zec.3:8, circa 500 BC a Jewish high priest named Iesous (LXX)/Yehoshua h3091 is identified as a symbol for the Messiah or “Branch” (ref Je.23:5-6).  Zec.6:11-13 that high priest’s name Iesous (or Jesus)/Yehoshua will also be the name of the Branch/Messiah!  v.12 “Behold, a man whose name is the Branch.”  And He will occupy the two offices of priest and king in the order of Melchisedek (cf. Ge.14:18).  This is amazing…500 years before Iesous (NT Greek)/Jesus/Yeshua was born in Bethlehem, Zechariah prophesied the given name of the Branch/Messiah would specifically be Iesous (Jesus)/Yehoshua (Yeshua)!  His name wouldn’t be Aaron, Abe or Sam!  Zechariah’s prophecy came to pass…God knew the end from the beginning!  (also see “Jesus Is the Messiah”.)

Lastly, God/YHVH identified Himself to Moses as the eternal I Am/He Is.  The Lord said in Ex.3:14-15, “I AM who I AM”…or “I will become what I will become.”  The Septuagint/LXX reads, “I AM The Being”.  God/YHVH the Self-Existent, Ever-Living Being!  He Is the Name above all names!  Jesus said in Jn.8:56-59, “Before Abraham was, I AM”.  And in Jn.18:4-8, even Jesus’ antagonists understood His divine I AM implication, and they fell to the ground (v.6)!

Our Savior’s name Yeshua/Iesous/Jesus, given by God, links back to the Divine Name theonym of Father God.  (Again, cf. Ex.17:9, Ne.8:17, Ezr.5:2 Aramaic, LXX & NT Iesous.)  Jesus said in Jn.5:43, “I have come in My Father’s name”.  A Son bears His Father’s family Name.