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Discover the meanings of thousands of Biblical names in Abarim Publications' Biblical Name Vault: Joshua

Joshua meaning

Joshua in Biblical Hebrew
יהושע
יהושוע
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Source: https://www.abarim-publications.com/Meaning/Joshua.html

🔼The name Joshua: Summary

Meaning
Yah Saves, Yah Will Save, Yah Is Salvation
Etymology
From (1) יה (yah), the name of the Lord, and (2) the verb ישע (yasha'), to save.
Related names
• Via יה (yah): See the 'browse by form' menu for a long list of yah-names.
• Via ישע (yasha'): Abishua, Bar-Jesus, Bath-shua, Chemosh, Elisha, Elishah, Elishua, Hosanna, Hosea, Hoshaiah, Isaiah, Ishi, Jason, Jeshua, Jesus, Malchi-shua, Mesha, Shuah

🔼The name Joshua in the Bible

There are four different individuals named Joshua in the Bible (not counting those with the name Jesus). Most famous is the judge Joshua the Ephraimite, the successor of Moses and the one who leads Israel into the Promised Land. The original name of this Joshua is Hosea (הושע) but Moses names him Joshua (Numbers 13:16). His name is spelled יהושוע in Deuteronomy 3:21 and Judges 2:7 only.

Other Joshua's are:

  • The owner of a field in Beth-shemesh, where the Ark returns to Israel (1 Samuel 6:14);
  • A governor of Jerusalem (2 Kings 23:8).
  • A famous, post-exilic high priest (Haggai 1:1).

Joshua is also the original Hebrew form of the Greek name Jesus. A shortened form of Joshua is the name Jeshua (ישוע).

🔼Etymology of the name Joshua

The name Joshua is a compilation of two elements, the first one being the appellative יה (Yah) = יהו (Yahu) = יו (Yu), which in turn are abbreviated forms of the Tetragrammaton; the name of the Lord: YHWH.

The second element of the name Joshua/Jesus comes from the verb ישע (yasha'), meaning to save or deliver:

Excerpted from: Abarim Publications' Biblical Dictionary
שוע  ישע

The verb ישע (yasha') means to be unrestricted and thus to be free and thus to be saved (from restriction, from oppression and thus from ultimate demise). A doer of this verb is a savior. Nouns ישועה (yeshua), ישע (yesha') and תשועה (teshua) mean salvation. Adjective שוע (shoa') means (financially) independent, freed in an economic sense.

Verb שוע (shawa') means to cry out (for salvation). Nouns שוע (shua'), שוע (shoa') and שועה (shawa) mean a cry (for salvation).

The noun תשע (tesha'), nine, looks like תושע (tohasha'), he or it will cause to save: the third person masculine singular Hiphil of the verb ישע (yasha'), to save. See our article on the Greek word for nine, εννεα (ennea).

— See the full Dictionary article —

🔼Joshua meaning

BDB Theological Dictionary lists יהושע under יהוה and reads Yah Is Salvation. NOBSE Study Bible Name List reads Yahweh Is Salvation.

The name Joshua is the precise reversal of the name Isaiah (ישעיה).