Hebrew Names and the Unbroken Memory of God

Introduction

Did the children of Israel remember the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob during their harsh years of slavery in Egypt throughout their generations?

We know that Jacob and his sons certainly did when they went down to Egypt to sojourn there, during the years of famine while Joseph ruled. Joseph commanded his brothers before his passing:

“And Joseph said to his brethren, ‘I am dying; but God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land to the land of which He swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.’ Then Joseph took an oath from the children of Israel, saying, ‘God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.’” (Genesis 50:24)

However, did this collective memory and relationship with the God of their fathers continue throughout the harsh years of slavery?

Let’s take a look at the following passage from the beginning of the book of Numbers. The verses below list the names of the princes of the tribes of Israel that left Egypt during the Exodus:

“‘These are the names of the men who shall stand with you: from Reuben, Elizur the son of Shedeur; from Simeon, Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai; from Judah, Nahshon the son of Amminadab; from Issachar, Nethanel the son of Zuar; from Zebulun, Eliab the son of Helon; from the sons of Joseph: from Ephraim, Elishama the son of Ammihud; from Manasseh, Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur; from Benjamin, Abidan the son of Gideoni; from Dan, Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai; from Asher, Pagiel the son of Ocran; from Gad, Eliasaph the son of Deuel; from Naphtali, Ahira the son of Enan.’ These were chosen from the congregation, leaders of their fathers’ tribes, heads of the divisions in Israel.” (Numbers 1:5-16)

A first glance at these verses might not reveal anything special or insightful. However, we gain a deeper understanding when we examine the names of the princes of Israel and their fathers in the original Hebrew language. Unlike many names in modern times (and in certain languages, like English), in biblical times every Hebrew name had a clear meaning and purpose, and sometimes even a prophecy.

In the times of the Bible, people named their children based on their vision, principles, values, professions, events surrounding the birth or that generation and what mattered most to them—names were a reflection of their identity and aspirations.

Analyzing the names of these princes of Israel reveals that the children of Israel preserved the collective memory of the God of their fathers even until the time of the Exodus. Additionally, this was an intergenerational pattern and practice.

For now, we will not go into a deep analysis of each and every name, but will highlight the meanings of those that are most important.

The Hebrew Names

First, among the descendants of Reuben we have Elizur (אליצור), whose name means “My God is a Rock.” He is the son of Shedeur (שׁדיאור), “The Almighty is light.”

Then, among the sons of Simeon: Shelumiel (שׁלמיאל), “God is my peace,” the son of Zurishaddai (צורישׁדי), “The Almighty is my Rock.”

Next in line, from Judah: Nahshon (נחשׁון), whose name is possibly derived from the word “Snake,” and whose father was Amminadab (עמינדב), “My people are charitable/noble.”

From Issachar: Nethanel (נתנאל), which literally means, “God gave.” When given as a name, the intended meaning is that this child is given by God and therefore a gift of God. Nethanel was the son of Zuar (צוער).

From Zebulun: Eliab (אליאב), “My God is Father,” the son of Helon (חלן). There are multiple ways to understand the word Helon, one of them is “Soldier,” if so, Eliab would be the son of a soldier.

From Ephraim: Elishama (אלישׁמע), “My God heard/listened,” the son of Ammihud (עמיהוד), “My People’s Glory.”

From Manasseh: Gamaliel (גמליאל), “God has shown me favor,” the son of Pedahzur (פדהצור), “Rock of Redemption.”

From Benjamin: Abidan (אבידן), “My Father is the Judge” the son of Gideoni (גדעני), “My warrior” or “My one who cuts down.”

From Dan: Ahiezer (אחיעזר), “My brother’s helper,” the son of Ammishaddai (עמישׁדי), whose literally means, “My people almighty” but is understood as “My people’s Almighty One.” ‘Ammi’ (עמי) means “My people” and ‘Shadai’ (שדי) is a name for God, “Almighty One” or “Most High.”

From Asher: Pagiel (פגעיאל), which can be translated as “God met me,” the son of Ocran (עכרן).

Gad: Eliasaph (אליסף), “My God gathered,” the son of Deuel (דעואל), “Know God!”

Lastly, Naphtali’s descendants' names were less positive and rather not exciting: Ahira (אחירע) means “My brother is bad/evil” and he was the son of Enan (עינן) whose name can have a variety of meanings, such as “Big-eyed.”

Looking at the big picture, we see something very amazing — many Israelite parents embedded in the names of their sons aspects of God's character, nature, or one of His very names with which He revealed Himself to the patriarchs.

What does this signify?

While the children of Israel were enslaved in Egypt, they did not lose sight of who their God was, what He represented, and His significance in their lives. Despite the hardships of slavery and the pagan idol-worshipping surroundings in Egypt, they preserved His memory and retained their understanding of His nature, reflected in the names they carried.

Now, this does not mean that the children of Israel were perfect or exhibited the desired or appropriate trust neither during their time in Egypt nor during the wanderings in the wilderness following the Exodus. However, these special name meanings reveal that the people understood and remembered the God of their fathers and continued to have a relationship with Him during the time of their slavery in Egypt, despite them not being ‘exclusively’ faithful to Him. (See Joshua 24:14)

“Now it happened in the process of time that the king of Egypt died. Then the children of Israel groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry came up to God because of the bondage. So God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God acknowledged them.” (Exodus 2:23-25)