About ISRAEL

Hebrew Name

יִשְׂרָאֵל

English Name

ISRAEL

Phonetic Spelling

YIS-RAH-EL

Prayer,At,The,Western,Wall,A,Religious,Man,Prays,At

What does ISRAEL mean?

Yisrael, Hebrew for Israel, literally means “to wrestle with God.”

וְאֵלֶּה שְׁמוֹת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הַבָּאִים מִצְרָיְמָה אֵת יַעֲקֹב אִישׁ וּבֵיתוֹ בָּאוּ׃
These are the names of the sons of Yisrael who came to Egypt with Yaakov, each coming with his household:
v'-AY-leh sh'-MOT b'-NAY yis-ra-AYL ha-ba-EEM mitz-RA-y'-mah AYT ya-a-KOV EESH u'-vay-TO BA-u
Exodus 1:1

וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה מִלְאוּ יֶדְכֶם הַיּוֹם לַיהֹוָה כִּי אִישׁ בִּבְנוֹ וּבְאָחִיו וְלָתֵת עֲלֵיכֶם הַיּוֹם בְּרָכָה׃
And Moshe said, “Dedicate yourselves to Hashem this day—for each of you has been against son and brother—that He may bestow a blessing upon you today.”
Exodus 32:29

Description about ISRAEL

Yisrael, Hebrew for Israel, literally means “to wrestle with God.” Jacob was given this new name after he wrestled with and overcame an angel of God while returning to the holy land. The Jewish people were originally called Bnei Yisrael, the “Children of Israel,” for they all descended from one man – Israel, or Jacob. In Biblical thought, a nation’s name is very significant, for it describes the nation’s collective character and destiny. Israel’s life was full of struggles, from clashes with his brother Esau and his father-in-law Laban to losing his son Joseph and believing he was dead for over twenty years. Nevertheless, Israel never despaired, and his suffering only made him stronger. Israel’s character and destiny were passed on to his descendants, the people of Israel, a nation that has faced many terrible struggles throughout its long history yet has managed to not only survive, but thrive. Though we strive for pure faith in God, the Bible also invites us to “wrestle with God” and to develop a personal and intimate relationship with our Creator that makes space for our questions and our desire to better understand His will in the world. The greatest leaders of Israel “wrestled” with God, including Abraham, who continuously asked God to reconsider his decision to overturn the city of Sodom, and Moses, who told God to erase him from His book if He destroys the nation of Israel because of their sins. The word Yisrael can also be pronounced yashar li’El, meaning “straight to God.” The struggles we experience in life are meant to bring us closer to God, just as Israel’s great struggles and suffering brought him closer to God.

Attribute of ISRAEL

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