Name

nām (שׁם, shēm; ὄνομα, ónoma; Latin nomen (2 Esdras 4:1); verbs ὀνομάζω, onomázo; Latin nomino (2 Esdras 5:26)): A “name” is that by which a person, place or thing is marked and known. In Scripture, names were generally descriptive of the person, of his position, of some circumstance affecting him, hope entertained concerning him, etc., so that “the name” often came to stand for the person. In Acts 1:15; Revelation 3:4, ónoma stands for “persons”; compare Numbers 26:53, 26:55.

The word for “name” in the Old Testament is shēm (also the name of one of the sons of Noah). The etymology is uncertain, although it may be from shāmāh (obs.), “To set a mark”; shum is the Aramaic form. For the name as descriptive of the person see NAMES. Besides designating persons, the name also stands for fame, renown, reputation, character gained or expressed, etc. (Genesis 6:4; 2 Samuel 7:9, 7:23, etc.); it might be an “evil name” (Deuteronomy 22:14, 22:19); the “name” is also equivalent to a “people” or “nation” (which might be “blotted out,” i.e. destroyed (Deuteronomy 7:24, etc.)); to speak or write “in the name” signified authority (Exodus 5:23; 1 Kings 21:8, etc.); to “call one’s name” over a place or people indicated possession or ownership (2 Samuel 12:28; Amos 9:12, etc.); to act “in the name” was to represent Deuteronomy 25:6; to be called or known “by name” indicated special individual notice (Exodus 31:2; Isaiah 43:1; 45:3-4). Genesis 2:19-20 even displays a conception of identity between the name and the thing.

“To name” is sometimes ‘āmar, “to say” (1 Samuel 16:3); dābhar, “to speak” (Genesis 23:16); nāḳabh, “to mark out” Numbers 1:17; ḳārā', “to call” Genesis 48:16; Isaiah 61:6.

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Author: International Std. Bible Encyclopedia

Keywords: Name, Representative, reputation, good name, Coming in the name, Comining in one's name, Coming in the name of the Lord, Name of God, YHWH, Yahweh, comes in the name of the lord, Divine name, memorial name

Bible reference(s): Exo 3:13-15, Exo 15:3, Genesis 12:2, Genesis 17:5, Genesis 32:27, Genesis 32:28, Genesis 32:29, Genesis 35:10, Exodus 5:23, Deuteronomy 18:5, Deuteronomy 18:7, Deuteronomy 18:20, Deuteronomy 18:22, Deuteronomy 21:5, Deuteronomy 25:6, Judges 13:17, 1 Samuel 17:45, 1 Samuel 20:42, 1 Samuel 25:9, 2 Samuel 6:18, 2 Samuel 7:26, 2 Samuel 22:50, 1 Kings 1:47, 1 Kings 8:33, 1 Kings 8:35, 1 Kings 8:43, 1 Kings 8:44, 1 Kings 8:48, 1 Kings 18:31, 1 Kings 18:32, 1 Kings 22:16, 2 Kings 2:24, 1 Chronicles 16:2, 1 Chronicles 17:24, 1 Chronicles 21:19, 2 Chronicles 6:20, 2 Chronicles 6:24, 2 Chronicles 6:26, 2 Chronicles 6:33, 2 Chronicles 6:34, 2 Chronicles 6:38, 2 Chronicles 14:11, 2 Chronicles 18:15, 2 Chronicles 20:8, 2 Chronicles 20:9, 2 Chronicles 33:18, Ezra 5:1, Nehemiah 1:11, Esther 3:12, Psalms 5:11, Psalms 8:1, Psalms 8:9, Psalms 9:2, Psalms 9:10, Psalms 18:49, Psalms 20:5, Psalms 22:22, Psalms 44:5, Psalms 44:8, Psalms 45:17, Psalms 48:10, Psalms 52:9, Psalms 54:1, Psalms 54:6, Psalms 61:5, Psalms 61:8, Psalms 63:4, Psalms 66:4, Psalms 74:7, Psalms 74:10, Psalms 74:18, Psalms 74:21, Psalms 75:1, Psalms 79:6, Psalms 79:9, Psalms 80:18, Psalms 83:16, Psalms 86:9, Psalms 86:11, Psalms 86:12, Psalms 89:12, Psalms 89:16, Psalms 92:1, Psalms 115:1, Psalms 118:10, Psalms 118:11, Psalms 118:12, Psalms 118:26, Psalms 119:55, Psalms 119:132, Psalms 124:8, Psalms 129:8, Psalms 135:13, Psalms 138:2, Psalms 139:20, Psalms 140:13, Psalms 142:7, Psalms 145:1, Psalms 145:2, Song of Solomon 1:3, Isaiah 4:1, Isaiah 25:1, Isaiah 26:8, Isaiah 26:13, Isaiah 43:1, Isaiah 45:3, Isaiah 45:4, Isaiah 50:10, Isaiah 63:16, Isaiah 63:19, Isaiah 64:2, Isaiah 64:7, Jeremiah 10:6, Jeremiah 10:25, Jeremiah 11:16, Jeremiah 11:21, Jeremiah 14:9, Jeremiah 15:16, Jeremiah 20:3, Jeremiah 26:9, Jeremiah 26:16, Jeremiah 26:20, Jeremiah 29:25, Jeremiah 44:16, Lamentations 3:55, Daniel 9:6, Daniel 9:18, Daniel 9:19, Micah 4:5, Micah 6:9, Nahum 1:14, Zephaniah 3:12, Zechariah 13:3, Malachi 1:6, Matthew 6:9, Matthew 7:22, Matthew 10:41, Matthew 10:42, Matthew 21:9, Matthew 23:39, Matthew 28:19, Mark 5:9, Mark 9:38, Mark 11:9, Mark 11:10, Luke 8:30, Luke 9:49, Luke 10:17, Luke 11:2, Luke 13:35, Luke 19:38, John 3:18, John 12:13, John 12:28, John 17:6, John 17:12, John 17:26, Acts 2:38, Acts 3:6, Acts 4:18, Acts 5:40, Acts 8:16, Acts 9:14, Acts 9:27, Acts 9:29, Acts 10:48, Acts 16:18, Acts 19:5, Romans 15:9, 1 Corinthians 1:13, 1 Corinthians 5:4, 1 Corinthians 6:11, Ephesians 5:20, Colossians 3:17, 2 Thessalonians 3:6, Hebrews 2:12, James 5:10, James 5:14, Revelation 11:18, Revelation 15:4, Tobit 11:14, Judith 9:7, Judith 14:7, Sirach/Ecclesiasticus 36:12, Sirach/Ecclesiasticus 36:15, Sirach/Ecclesiasticus 41:12, Sirach/Ecclesiasticus 47:16, Sirach/Ecclesiasticus 51:1, Sirach/Ecclesiasticus 51:3, Sirach/Ecclesiasticus 51:11, Baruch 2:15, Baruch 2:26, Baruch 3:5, Baruch 3:7, Baruch 5:4, Song of the Three Young Men 1:3, Song of the Three Young Men 1:20, 1 Maccabees 4:33, 1 Maccabees 7:37, 1 Esdras 6:1, 2 Esdras 3:24, 2 Esdras 3:34, Additions to Esther 13:17

Source: James Orr (editor), The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, 5 volume set.

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