Does the name Jesus actually mean Hail, Zeus?
The claim that "Jesus" is a disguised way of saying "Hail, Zeus" rests on how the name sounds in English, not on where it came from. The writers in this collection trace the name back through Greek to Hebrew, and they show that its meaning was fixed in advance by the angel's own explanation of it.
A Hebrew Name in Greek Dress
The starting point is simple: "Jesus" is not a Greek invention but a Greek spelling of a Hebrew name. One writer points to the letter to the Hebrews, where the same Greek word is used for Israel's leader Joshua:
Edward DennettAs may be seen from Hebrews 4:8, Jesus is the Greek form of Joshua, or Jehoshua, which means "Jehovah is salvation," or "whose salvation is Jehovah." There is therefore ample justification for the common observation that the name Jesus means Jehovah the Saviour.
An Ordinary Jewish Name
Far from being borrowed from the temples of Greek gods, the name was worn by Jewish men long before Mary's Son was born. It shows up in the Old Testament story of Israel entering the land:
The Bible TreasuryThe meaning of the name of "Jesus" is deep — "Jehovah a Saviour," and faith takes hold of those glories as being His: personally JEHOVAH — in action, the SAVIOUR. Yet the name (as we see in Acts 7:45 and Hebrews 4:8) was not uncommon among the Jews, but rather one of their national names — "Joshua."
The same point is made about Moses' successor, whose name is spelled "Jesus" in Greek: under him "Israel experienced the salvation of the Lord from all their enemies in the land of promise" (Leslie M. Grant).
The Meaning Given by Heaven
No one has to guess the meaning, because the messenger who announced the name attached a reason to it. Joseph was told what the Child would do, and the name matched the work:
Numerical Bible NotesHis name, Jesus, or Joshua ("Jehovah the Saviour") is declared to be no mere name, and not the sign of some abstract truth or of some principle to be worked out in the course of His history. No — Jehovah's people are His people, and He therefore is Jehovah and Saviour. He is the full reality of His name: "He shall save His people from their sins."
Jehovah Inside the Name
The first half of the name carries the covenant name of Israel's God. That is why the announcement to Joseph says so much about who the Child is:
J. N. DarbyHis name is called Jesus — Jehoshua, that is, Jehovah the Saviour, for He shall save His people. Who is this, and whose people, given the explanation of such a name? Christ is the Jehovah of the Old Testament.
Because the name holds Jehovah within it, everything the Old Testament attached to that name is gathered up in it:
An Outline of Sound WordsIn the Old Testament the name of Jehovah is always before us, but there are special mentions of it, such as "Jehovah-jireh" in Genesis 22:14, telling us that the Lord will provide. Other Scriptures give us Jehovah-nissi, Jehovah-rapha, Jehovah-shalom, Jehovah-tsidkenu and Jehovah-shammah, each one giving some special feature of the name of the Lord. Every one of these precious names is enfolded for us in the name of Jesus.
A Name of Lowliness, Not of Idolatry
The name was never a title of honour among the powerful. It belonged to a poor family, and it was the word His enemies nailed above His head:
J T MawsonThis name is of infinite preciousness to us because it is His personal, human name: the name that tells us of His grace and tenderness, His lowly life, His sorrow, and His death. Yet this name also carries divine glory, for it means JEHOVAH THE SAVIOUR. Yes, the very name of His humiliation, the one written in mockery on His cross, declares to us the greatness of His person and the love of His heart.
Why the Question Matters
The name is not a piece of trivia to argue over. Salvation is tied to it, and to no other:
A J PollockThe apostle Peter had a grand sense of how final our Lord is when he declared so powerfully to the Sanhedrin, who had so recently played their wicked part in crucifying the Lord of glory: "there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).
Summary
- Root — "Jesus" is the Greek form of the Hebrew Jehoshua, the same name as Joshua, meaning "Jehovah is salvation."
- Ordinary — It was a common Jewish name, seen in Acts 7:45 and Hebrews 4:8, not a word imported from Greek religion.
- Explained — The angel gave the meaning along with the name: He will save His people from their sins.
- Full — Jehovah is inside the name, so every Old Testament title of Jehovah — provider, banner, healer, peace, righteousness, presence — is gathered into it.
- Final — It is the name written in mockery on a cross and the only name under heaven by which we are saved.