The evolution of the name Jesus represents a complex linguistic journey that is unparalleled, especially when the transliteration and translation anomalies are factored in. There is no other name in the Bible that has undergone such a radical transformation.
Although many theories and debates surround this topic, the evolution of the name Jesus is believed to be the result of a natural process of language adaptation.
Below are several widely accepted beliefs about how the name Jesus has evolved:
Yehoshua (Hebrew)→ Yeshua (Hebrew) → Iēsous (Greek) → Iesus (Latin) → Jesus (English).
The pronunciation of Yeshua differs significantly from that of Jesus due to multiple stages of transliteration and language evolution.
Hebrew to Greek:
The Greek name Iēsous is derived from Yeshua, a shortened form of the Hebrew name Yehoshua, which means “Yahweh is salvation.”
The Greek alphabet, unlike Hebrew, has distinct letters for vowels and consonants, which significantly altered the name’s written structure. For example, the Greek language does not have a “sh” sound, so a phonetic adaptation was necessary, and an “s” was added to the end of the name to conform to Greek grammatical rules.
Greek to Latin: The next morphological change was less significant. When the Greek scriptures were translated into Latin, Iēsous was transliterated as Iesvs, which later evolved into Iesus.
Latin to English: The English language adopted the Latin name Iesus, and the final transformation occurred when the letter “J” and its corresponding sound were finally introduced.
Is the evolution of the name Jesus a Reality?
The evolution of the Hebrew name Yehoshua into the English name Jesus required the shortening or changing of Yehoshua to Yeshua.
This process also involved the creation of two distinct names from a single name; Joshua and Jesus are both said to be translations of Iēsous.
Despite these names being different, they are somehow regarded as the same name.
Some theologians also maintain that the Greek name Iēsous is the actual transliteration of the Hebrew name Yehoshua.
I propose the following Biblically based response to the aforementioned theories; the mental gymnastics required to justify these thought processes are extraordinary, and are easily disproven both scripturally and through the rules of transliteration and translation.
There is no other name in the entire Bible that has been translated into two distinct names assigned to two different individuals, one of whom is the Savior of the World.
This teaching alone, that is contrary to common sense, proves that the evolution of the name Jesus is in fact not a Reality?
To provide context, let’s examine the transliteration of another name found in the New Testament.
The Greek transliteration of Ἰωσήφ (G2501) is iōsēph, which is pronounced “ee-o-safe” and translated as Joseph. This name has a Hebrew origin (H3130) and is transliterated as yôsēp̄ in the Old Testament, where it’s pronounced “yo-safe.”
In contrast, the Greek transliteration of Ἰησοῦς (G2424) is Iēsoûs, pronounced “ee-ay-sooce,” and translated as both Joshua and Jesus.
Clearly “ee-ay-sooce” does not sound anything like the transliteration of Yehoshua (H3091), which is pronounced “yeh-ho-shoo’-ah.”
However, the pronunciation “ee-o-safe” is very similar to the transliteration of Iōsēph.
Iēsous is not a transliteration of Yehoshua
It is clear that Iēsous is not a transliteration of the name Yehoshua, as there is no etymological connection between the two names. While the original transliteration of Yehoshua in the Old Testament was incorrectly translated as Joshua, Yeshua” was not given as a secondary translation.
Yeshua is often described as a shortened version of Yehoshua, but it is important to note that it is not an actual transliteration. This name was developed by the translators of the Old Testament scriptures, and without it, the evolution of the name Jesus would not have occurred.
Claiming that the Hebrew name for Jesus is a shortened form of the Hebrew name for Yehoshua is nonsensical. Additionally, Yehoshua was a common name in ancient Israel, given to more than one individual.
Common sense suggests that the etymology of the name Jesus, described as “being above every name” could not be derived from the name that belonged to Yehoshua.
This teaching is also nonsensical, demonstrating that the evolution of the name “Jesus” is not grounded in reality.
Transliterating proper names involves converting sounds from one writing system to another to maintain the original pronunciation.
The name of Yahweh does not sound anything like the word Lord, and Yehoshua does not sound like the name Jesus (who is also called the Lord).
Refer to the following revolutionary study guide below for an in-depth analysis of the Lords of the Old and New Testaments.
It’s also crucial to understand that translation implies conveying the meaning of words or phrases from one language to another. Proper names, however, are not translated; names such as Joshua and Joseph are merely rendered as translations for readability purposes.
Linguistic rules governing Biblical transliterations and translations have been altered in an attempt to validate the authenticity of the name Jesus.
This bears repeating: in the Old Testament, Yehoshua is always translated as Joshua. However, in the New Testament, Yehoshua is transliterated as Iēsous and then translated as both Joshua and Jesus.
Interestingly, the name Jesus does not appear in the Old Testament, and Joshua is absent in the New Testament.
Are Jesus and Yahweh both Saviors?
Perhaps one of the greatest claims related to the evolution of the name Jesus is that he is the only one with the power to save us from our sins.
In Isaiah 45:21, Yahweh declared that there is no other God apart from Him. He alone is both God and Savior; there is none other besides Him.
We know that the Messiah (who is called the Son of God) is the manifestation of Yahweh in human form, but are we to believe that the name of Jesus evolved as a replacement for Yahweh’s Holy Name?
The titles “Father” and “Son” do not represent two persons. Rather, the Son is the actual image of the Father in the flesh. This is evidenced in 2 Corinthians 4:4, Colossians 1:15, and Hebrews 1:3.
Can Yahweh who is the only Savior in the Old Testament be replaced by a different Savior in the New Testament?
Our Messiah is Yahweh, otherwise, He cannot be our Savior (John 8:58, 1 Timothy 3:16, Colossians 1:15-17).
We read in Romans 10:9, That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Acts 2:21 references Joel 2:31-32, indicating that at the end of this age, when Yahweh returns, those who call upon His name shall be saved.
Is Jesus also the Lord God
Even if we were instructed to call upon the name of the Lord, that would require “the Lord” to have a name; the Lord’s name could not be “the Lord.”
”If you’re thinking that’s just too many Lords,” you are absolutely correct, and therein lies the problem.
Remove the phrase “the Lord” that has been incorrectly inserted into the scriptures, and the doctrine of the trinity will vanish like the early morning mist. The following study guide expounds upon this essential truth.
The Doctrine of the Trinity – Fact or Fiction
When Yahweh’s name is restored in Acts 2:21, Romans 10:13, Joel 2:32, and Isaiah 43:11—replacing the misleading title of “the Lord”—it becomes evident that Romans 10:9 contradicts the accurate translation of Romans 10:13, thus invalidating it as a path to salvation, according to Yahweh.
To reiterate, “the Lord” is not a name we can call upon.
Joel 2:32, which is referenced in Romans 10:13, states: “For whosoever shall call upon the name of Yahweh shall be saved.”
Is the name Jesus above all others?
The teaching that God has many names or titles, and that the name is not as important as the person behind the name is contrary to what the scriptures declare.
One of the pillars of the doctrine of the trinity states that the Son is God, and according to what has been written into Acts 4:10-12, Jesus is the only Savior. In the New Testament scriptures, there is a unique authority associated with the name of Jesus.
Infact mankind is divided into two groups according to John 3:18: those who believe in the name of the only begotten Son of God are not condemned, but the non believers are condemned already.
The Old and New Testament scriptures must be harmonious and consistent rather than contradictory.
According to Philippians 2:9-10, God highly exalted Jesus, and gave him a name which is above all others, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth.
However, these passages contradict Psalm 148:13, Luke 2:21, and Isaiah 45:22-23.
Psalm 148:13 states: “Let them praise the name of Yahweh, for his name alone is excellent; his glory is above the earth and heaven.”
In Luke 2:21, it is written, “And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcision of the child, his name was called Jesus, which was so named by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.”
Additionally, Isaiah 45:22-23 asserts, “Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is none else. I have sworn by myself; the word has gone out of my mouth in righteousness and shall not return, that unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall confess.”
Isaiah 7:14 states: “Therefore, Yahweh himself shall give you a sign: Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Immanuel.”
Matthew 1:23 reinforces this by saying: “Behold, a virgin shall be with child and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel,” which, when interpreted, means “God with us.”
The undeniable connection is evident; “God with us” can be interpreted as “Yahweh with us,” as God’s name is Yahweh. This reinforces the true identity of the one who is called Immanuel, the Messiah.
Messiah can only be the Savior if He is Yahweh
In closing, Yahweh proclaimed in Hosea 13:4: “You shall know no god but me; there is no savior beside me.”
Isaiah 43:11 states, “I am Yahweh, and besides me, there is no Savior.”
Yahweh is the only Savior mentioned in the Old Testament.
However, in the New Testament, there are references to two Lords and saviors, as noted in Titus 2:13 and 1 Timothy 1:1. One savior is referred to as Jesus, while the other remains unnamed.
There cannot be two Lords who are presented as Saviors. Yahweh does not allow for this to be a possibility.
For the Holy Scriptures to remain consistent, the Messiah can only be our Savior if He is indeed Yahweh, as indicated in Isaiah 44:6, 45:21, John 12:45, and 14:7-11.
Our Messiah affirmed in Luke 4:8, “You shall worship Yahweh your God, and Him only shall you serve.”
Matthew 14:33 states, “Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, Truly you are the Son of God.”
The only reason the Messiah could accept worship from others is that He personifies Yahweh in the flesh (as documented in Matthew 2:2, 2:11, 9:18, 15:25, 28:9).
In Matthew 23:39, the Savior of the world said, “For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of Yahweh.”