BIBLE GREEK WORD STUDY
Iesous (Jesus) — Meaning & Usage in the Bible
Iesous is the Greek New Testament form of the Hebrew name Joshua/Jehoshua, used most prominently for Jesus Christ.
Meaning of the word
Iesous (Ἰησοῦς, Strong's G2424) is the Greek transliteration of the Hebrew Yehoshua (יְהוֹשׁוּעַ), meaning 'Yahweh saves' or 'Yahweh is salvation.' The name identifies Jesus of Nazareth, the central figure of the New Testament, as the fulfillment of that meaning: God Himself bringing salvation.
The lexicon entry for G2424 defines the name as 'Jesus (i.e. Jehoshua), the name of our Lord and two (three) other Israelites.' Beyond the Lord Jesus, the name is borne by a few other biblical figures (such as Jesus son of Sirach and Justus in Colossians 4:11), but the overwhelming weight of New Testament usage points to Christ.
Usage in Scripture
Across the Gospels, Iesous appears as the active subject of teaching, healing, and confrontation. In Matthew 7:28 the crowds are astonished at 'his teaching' after Jesus finishes the Sermon on the Mount, and John 1–3 shows the name in rapid succession: John 1:29 declares 'Behold, the Lamb of God,' while John 3:3 opens the Nicodemus discourse with 'Jesus answered and said unto him.'
The name also functions as a relational marker, identifying disciples' encounters with the Lord—'What seek ye?' in John 1:38, the calling of Philip in John 1:43, and Nathanael's confession that 'We have found him… Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph' (John 1:45). In every case the person identified is the same Jesus Christ, while the grammatical case of the name (Ἰησοῦ, Ἰησοῦν, Ἰησοῦς) shifts with its syntactic role.
The word in detail
- G2424 Iesous (Ἰησοῦς) is the Greek form of the Hebrew Jehoshua ('Yahweh saves'). In the New Testament it primarily names Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son, though the lexicon notes two or three other Israelites also bore the name.
Example verses
- Matthew 7:28 Closes the Sermon on the Mount: 'when Jesus had finished these words, the multitudes were astonished at his teaching.' Iesous is the subject of authoritative teaching.
- John 1:29 John the Baptist's declaration 'Behold, the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world!' identifies Jesus by name as the atoning sacrifice.
- John 3:3 Opens the Nicodemus discourse: 'Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except one be born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God.' Iesous is the authoritative speaker.
- John 1:45 Philip's confession: 'We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.' Iesous is identified as the fulfillment of Old Testament witness.
Common questions
What does Iesous mean?
It is the Greek form of the Hebrew Jehoshua (יְהוֹשׁוּעַ), meaning 'Yahweh saves' or 'Yahweh is salvation.' The name identifies Jesus of Nazareth as the one in whom God brings salvation.
Are there other people named Iesous in the Bible?
Yes. The lexicon for G2424 notes that the name belongs to the Lord and to two or three other Israelites, such as Justus (Colossians 4:11) and Joshua son of Sirach.
Why does the spelling change (Iesous, Iesou, Iesoun)?
These are different grammatical cases of the same noun: nominative Ἰησοῦς, genitive/dative Ἰησοῦ, and accusative Ἰησοῦν. The form changes to fit the word's role in the sentence, but the name itself is the same.