Biblical Names & Their Meanings

Did you know the Bible contains more than 3,000 names, including names of God, people, places, and nations or people groups? That’s a lot of names! Often a person’s name describes their characteristics. For example, the name Esau sounds like a Hebrew word meaning “hair” or “hairy.” Other times, a person’s name may describe circumstances surrounding their birth or hopes for their destiny.

Bibles sometimes have footnotes indicating the meaning of names, but what if you could access a comprehensive list of this information at your fingertips? Rose Publishing’s newest reference pamphlet, Biblical Names and Their Meanings, offers exactly that. Covering the Old and New Testaments, readers will enjoy learning the meaning and significance of 100 biblical names. Each entry includes the name in the original biblical language, the meaning, the pronunciation, a short description, and Scripture references. Sample entry:

Eve (Life-giver)

חַַוָּהָ khah-VAH

Adam gave his wife a name that reflected her destiny as the mother of all people who would live on earth. Its root (khayah) means “to live.” Gen. 3:20–4:2, 25