Why Are the Names in the Old Testament Different from Those in the New Testament?
Unlocking the Puzzle of Bible Names
Even the most casual reader of the Bible senses vast differences in the types of materials included in the Old and New Testaments. One obvious example of these differences appears in common personal names. This linguistic shift, which explains why Bible Name Differences appear, stems primarily from the different original languages of the texts.
In the Old Testament, we become familiar with names like Jacob, Joshua, Miriam, Hannah, and Elijah. In the New Testament, we read regularly of James, Jesus, Mary, Anna, and Elias. In actuality, those New Testament names are the English equivalents of the Greek and Hebrew names in the Bible.The case is much like the names of Paul and Paulo. They are the same name, but one is English and the other is Italian.
The Impact of Original Languages: Hebrew vs. Greek
Image Source: Midjourney
The primary reason for the variation in names is simple: the Testaments were recorded in different root languages. The Old Testament has come down to us primarily in Hebrew, with a few Aramaic sections, and the New Testament comes to us in Greek.
This linguistic difference naturally affects the transliteration process into English. For example, the New Testament name Jesus Greek Iēsuos is based on the Hebrew Yēshua (meaning “salvation”; see it in use in Isaiah 12:2, last word). Joshua (Hebrew Yehoshua, meaning “Jehovah saves”) and Yeshua are linguistically related but are not the same name.
Greek and Roman Influence on New Testament Nomenclature
Furthermore, some New Testament names have no Old Testament equivalents, as Greek and Latin names had been introduced into Jewish nomenclature by the beginning of the first century. This influx of foreign names was a direct result of the Hellenistic (Greek) and Roman empires dominating the Mediterranean world.
For example, Andreas (Andrew) and Philippos (Phillip) are both Greek names. Marcus (Mark) and Paulus (Paul) are Latin names. As we would expect, when the gospel message spread throughout the Mediterranean basin, Paul encountered an increasing number of people who bore Greek and Roman names that had no relationship to the names of the Old Testament.
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Aramaic Names Preserved Through Transliteration
Interestingly, some names found in the New Testament are of Jewish origin but do not appear in the Old Testament. For example, Martha and Cephas are Aramaic names.
The New Testament preserves several Aramaic names through transliteration, with the transliterated name in Greek, followed by a translation of the Aramaic into Greek. For example, Mark preserves the Aramaic name of the blind man Jesus Christ met in Jericho and then translated it for his audience as “Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus” (Mark 10:46).
In some cases, the author did not provide a translation of the name. For instance, Acts 1:23 says, “And they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was surnamed Justus.” Barsabas derives from the two Aramaic words bar and sabas. The passage could be rendered, “Joseph, the son of the elder, whose surname was Justus.” Justus is Latin.
Comparing Name Equivalents in the Bible
The English form of a name can sometimes obscure the original link. In one example, the English form of a name (James) is used in the New Testament even though the Greek provides the transliteration lakōbos of the Hebrew name Yakobo. In contrast, the Old Testament and the New Testament preserve the same name of Joseph.
The following list attempts to approximate the possible etymological origins of several prominent names in the four Gospel narratives (the Hebrew Old Testament name and the New Testament equivalent). In each case, the name has been transliterated into English:
- Eleazar (Lazarus)
- Elisheba (Elizabeth)
- Elijah (Elias)
- Hannah (Anna)
- Miriam (Mary)
- Noah (Noe)
- Simeon (Simon)
- Jonah (Jonas/Jona)
- Isaiah (Isaias)
- Judah (Judas/Jude).
