These two names are found in the Hebrew scripture, Yeshua and Yehoshua, used by different people in different places. The man ..

Submitted by messianicrabbi on Sat, 09/05/2009 - 15:37

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RABBI JOSEPH KRESEFSKY answers

Yeshua means “He will save” - Yehoshua means “Jehovah-saved”

RABBI NEAL SURASKY answers

Indeed, there are two different names. The man who accepted the leadership of the children of Israel was named Hoshea, which is i-DWoh in the Hebrew. His name was changed by Moses in Numbers 13:16. He was called Yehoshua, or Joshua, which is i-DTohy$, similar but not exactly the same. Then there is another name, Yeshua, which could also be translated as Joshua, but spelled i-VDy$, again similar, but not the same.

Names in Hebrew all had a meaning. Israel is a great example. Jacob had his name changed to Israel because he struggled with the Lord. And that is what the word Yisrael means in Hebrew. The three names we are discussing are all forms of the verb that means to save. Hoshea means “save.” Yehoshua is “God saves.” And Yeshua is the masculine singular noun, meaning “salvation.”

This is significant in light of the passage from Matthew 1:21b, “and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” This makes no sense in English. But when you look at it from a Hebrew perspective, this would say, “and you shall call His name salvation, for He will save His people from their sins.” This makes a lot of sense.

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