August 9, 2009

• Names in the Bible – by Heather Marsten

  This Friday I was teaching on the last few chapters of Nehemiah and many of these chapters had long lists of names – genealogies.  And as is my current Bible study practice I have been looking up the meanings of the names – taking the easy route of Holman’s Bible Dictionary.  When a lead seems promising I then go to Strong’s to get the most out of a name. What I have been finding is that God often hides a salvation message in the midst of the lists of names and there is one.  Check out Nehemiah 11:7-8  and you can, if you think about Jesus see him mentioned in the meanings – including tax collector (Matthew) and redeemed one (Peter). 

   

  Then I started thinking that, while these names seem foreign to us, the Israelites of that time would have known what the meaning is.  When they said Judah they would be thinking praise.  The same way that those who can speak a foreign language come to a point where a word is said and the meaning is already in your mind without having to translate.  Then I read the list just as the translations say.  Praise, Yahweh has announced His exalted nature, Yahweh is righteous, Yahweh is mighty, etc.  and a lightbulb came on in my head.  Those lists of genealogies when recited by the Israelites were also a way to PRAISE GOD AND REMEMBER HIS ATTRIBUTES!!!!!  How awesome.  Because I compiled the list for those I was teaching on Friday, I am sharing it with you (see below).  I won’t think of the genealogies the same way from now on.

   

  Have a blessed Sunday.  Today, after church, my daughter and I are going to upstate NY to look at a few colleges.  Hard to believe that after next year all three of my children will be in college.

   

  Heather

   

  ^^^^^

   

  Meaning of Names in Nehemiah 11

   

  Verse 3

  Nethinim – Those given to priests and Levites.  Persons of foreign extraction who performed menial tasks in the Temple.  Moses gave Midionites Num 31:23, Joshua the Gibeonites who were water bearers – Josh 9:27, David war prisoners – Ezra 8:20.  These could not intermarry with Israelites and they resided in Ophel near the water gate – Neh. 3:26

  Verse 4: 

  Judah – Praise

  Athaiah –Yahweh has announced His exalted nature, Yahweh is righteous
  son of Uzziah – Yahweh is mighty
  son of Zechariah –Yah remembered
  son of Amariah –Yahweh has spoken
  son of Shephatiah –Yahweh has created justice
  son of Mahalalel – God shines forth
  of the children of Perez – Breech – Perez was one of the two children born of Tamar & Judah.

  Verse 5:

  Maaseiah – Work of Yahweh

  son of Baruch – Praise God – Jeremiah’s scribe

  son of Col-Hozeh – He sees everything, everyone a seer

  son of Hazaiah – Yahweh sees

  son of Adaiah – Yahweh has adorned

  son of Joiarib – Yah establishes justice

  son of Zechariah – Yah remembered

  son of Shiloni – Tranquil, secure.

  Verse 7:

  Benjamin – Son of the right hand

  Sallu –The restored one

  son of Meshullam – Allied, given as a replacement

  son of Joed – Yah is witness

  son of Pedaiah – Yah redeems

  son of Kolaiah – Voice of Yah

  son of Maaseiah – work of Yahweh

  son of Ithiel – with me is God

  son of Jeshaiah – Yahweh delivered

  Verse 8:

  Gabbai – tax collector

  Sallai – the restored one

  Verse 9:

  Joel – Yah is God

  son of Zichri  - rembrance, mindful

  Judah – praise

  son of Senuahwas – pointed

   

  Verse 10 – priests

  Jedaiah – darling, beloved

  son of Joiarib –Yah establishes justice

  Jachin – Yah established  (part of priestly family connected to David’s organization)

  Verse 11

  Seraiah –Yah has proved Himself ruler

  son of Hilkiah – Yah’s portion

  son of Meshullam –allied, given as a replacement

  son of Zadok – righteous, the Lord is righteous

  son of Meraioth –obstinate, rebellious

  son of Ahitub (was the leader of the house of God) my brother is good

  Verse 12

   brethren who did the work of the house

  Adaiah – Yahweh has adorned

  son of Jeroham – he found mercy

  son of Pelaliah –Yahweh intercedes

  son of Amzi – my strong one

  son of Zechariah –Yah remembered

  Pashhur – son of the god horus – (forebearer of priestly family who returned from Exile and later gave up their foreign wives)

  son of Malchijah – My king is Yahweh

  Verse 13

  Amashai –burdensom, to load, impose a burden

  son of Azarel – God is my help

  son of Ahzai – property

  son of Meshillemoth – reconciliation

  son of Immer – lamb

  Verse 14

  Mighty men of valor
  Zabdiel –God gives gifts, my gift is God

  Verse 15
  Levites

  Shemaiah –Yahweh heard

  son of Hasshub – one to whom He has imputed or reckoned

  son of Azrikam – my help stood up

  son of Hashabiah – Yahweh has imputed or reckoned

  son of Bunni – built

  Verse 16

  Heads of Levites –oversight of business outside house of God.

   Shabbethai – belonging to the sabbath

  Jozabad – Yah gave

  Verse 17

  Mattaniah – Gift of Yah

  son of Micha – who is like Yahweh

  son of Zabdi – Yah gives

  son of Asaph, the leader who began the thanksgiving with prayer – He collected

  Bakbukiah – Yahweh’s bottle

  Abda – servant

  son of Shammua – one who has heard

  son of Galal – roll, turtle

  son of Jeduthun – praise

  Verse 19

  Gatekeepers
  Akkub – protector

  Talmon – brightness

  Verse 21

  Nethinim dwelt in Ophel

  Ziha (the face of hours) and Gishpa (?) were over the Nethinim

  Verse 22

  Overseer of Levites

  Uzzi  Yahweh is my strength

  son of Bani – built

  son of Hashabiah – Yahweh has reckoned or imputed

  son of Mattaniah – gift of Yah

  son of Micha – who is like Yah

  sons of Asaph (he collected) – the singers in charge of the service of the house of God

  Verse 24

  King’s deputy in all matters concerning the people

  Pethahiah – Yahweh opens

  son of Meshezabel – God delivers

  of the children of Zerah – sunrise

  son of Judah – praise

  The People Dwelling Outside Jerusalem

  VILLAGE NAMES:

  CHILDREN OF JUDAH: 
  Verse 25
  Kirjath Arba – City of four
  Dibon –Pining away, fence of tubes
  Jekabzeel- God assembled
  Verse 26
  Jeshua – Yahweh is salvation
  Moladah – generation
  Beth Pelet – House of deliverance
  Verse 27
  Hazar Shual – Encampment of the foxes
  Beersheba – well of oathVerse 28
  Ziklag – ??
  Meconah –standing
  
  

  Verse 29
  En Rimmon – spring of the pomegranate
  Zorah – wasps, hornets
  Jarmuth – height, swelling in the ground
  Verse 30
  Zanoah – broken district, stinking
  Adullam – sealed off place
  Lachish -obstinate
  Azekah –cultivated ground
  They dwelt from Beersheba (well of oath) to the Valley of Hinnom (baal & molech worship – burning)

  CHILDREN OF BENJAMIN
  Verse 31
  Geba - hill
  Michmash – hidden place
  Aija – Ai – ruin
  Bethel – House of god
  Verse 32
  Anathoth – eye, pay heed, attention, respond
  Nob – fruit
  Ananiah – Yahweh heard me
  Verse 33
  Hazor – enclosed settlement
  Ramah – high
  Gittaim – two winepresses
  Verse 34
  Hadid – sharpened
  Zeboim – he yearns, wild place
  Neballat – blessed with life
  Lod – ???
  Ono – grief
  Valley of Craftsmen – Geharashim – Valley of Craftsmen

  NEHEMIAH 12

  Priests & Levites came with Zerubbabel.

  Verse 1
  Zerubbabel – discernment of Babel, confusion

  son of Shealtiel – I have asked of God
  Jeshua – Yahweh is salvation
  Seraiah – Yah has proved himself ruler
  Jeremiah – may Yahweh lift up, throw, found
  Ezra – Yahweh helps
  
  Verse 2
  Amariah – Yahweh has spoken
  Malluch – being king
  Hattush – ???

  Verse 3
  Shechaniah – Yahweh has taken up dwelling
  Rehum – Merciful, compassionate
  Meremoth – heights
  Verse 4
  Iddo – Yahweh adorns Himself
  Ginnethoi – hedge about
  Abijah – My Father is Yahweh
  Mijamin – lucky, from the right hand
  Maadiah – Yah assembles
  Bilgah – brightness
  Verse 6
  Shemaiah – Yahweh heard
  Joiarib – Yah establishes justice
  Jedaiah – Yah is darling
  Verse 7
  Sallu – the restored one
  Amok – deep
  Hilkiah – Yah’s portion
  Jedaiah. – Yah is darling
  These were the heads of the priests and their brethren in the days of Jeshua.

   

  LEVITES
  Verse 8
  Jeshua – Yah’s salvation
  Binnui – built
  Kadmiel – God is of old, God goes before
  Sherebiah – Yah, understands, Yah gave a new generation, Yah made it hot
  Judah – praise
  Mattaniah (gift of Yah) who led the thanksgiving psalms, he and his brethren.
  Verse 9

  Bakbukiah – Yahweh’s bottle
  Unni – afflicted, answered
  Verse 10
  Jeshua (Yah’s salvation) begot Joiakim (Yah has established, set up, delivered)
  Joiakim begot Eliashib (God repays or leads back)
  Eliashib begot Joiada (Yah knows)
  Verse 11

  Joiada begot Jonathan (Yahweh gave)
  Jonathan begot Jaddua. (well, knowing)
  
  

  Verse 12
  Joiakim – Yah has established, set up delivered

  priests, the heads of the fathers’ houses were
  Seraiah – Yah has proved himself ruler
  Meraiah – Yah has promised
  Jeremiah – may Yah lift up, throw, found
  Hananiah – Yahweh is gracious

  Verse 13
  Ezra – Yahweh helps
  Meshullam – allied, given as a replacement
  Amariah – Yahweh has spoken
  Jehohanan – Yahweh is gracious

  Verse 14
  Melichu – being king
  Jonathan – Yahweh gave
  Shebaniah – Yahweh has spoken
  Joseph – adding
  Verse 15
  Harim – dedicated
  Adna – joy of living
  Meraioth – obstinate, rebellious
  Helkai – my portion
  Verse 16
  Iddo – Yahweh adorns Himself
  Zechariah – Yah remembered
  Ginnethon – hedge about
  Meshullam – Allied, given as a replacement
  Verse 17
  Abijah – my Father is Yahweh
  Zichri – mindful, remembrance
  son of Minjamin – lucky, son of my right hand
  Moadiah – Yah promised, Yah’s ornament
  Piltai – Yah is my deliverance
  Verse 18
  Bilgah – brightness
  Shammua – one who was heard
  Shemaiah – Yahweh heard
  Jehonathan – Yahweh gave

  Verse 19
  Joiarib – Yah establishes justice
  Mattenai –my gift
  Jedaiah – praise Yah, Yah has performed a merciful deed
  Uzzi – Yahweh is my strength
  Verse 20
  Sallai – the restored one
  Kallai – swift, light
  Amok -deep
  Eber –the opposite side
  Verse 21
  Hilkiah – Yah’s portion
  Hashabiah –Yahweh has reckoned or imputed
  Jedaiah – Praise of Yah
  Nethanel – given by God

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