TIP OF THE DAY 13: Name.related-names > Substitute

MJ. Smith
MJ. Smith MVP Posts: 53,407
edited November 20 in English Forum

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TOPIC: Name.substitute

QUESTION: Besides proper nouns, what are used as names for people?

ANSWER: titular, descriptive, metaphorical, nickname, pet name, and situational name. Some of these categories apply to a person’s proper names as well.Deities often have many descriptive and metaphorical names which are captured in resources such as these. Note that the names often have devotional uses:

  • Evans, Tony. Praying through the Names of God. Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers, 2014.
  • Horton, T.C., and Charles Hubert. Names of Christ. Chicago: Moody Press, 1994.
  • Loeks, Mary Foxwell. Names of God: Meditations. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2008.
  • Mallin, Barri Cae, and Shmuel Wolkenfeld. Intimate Moments with the Hebrew Names of God. Orlando, FL: Bridge-Logos Publishers, 1999.
  • Names of God. Bellingham, WA: Faithlife, 2015.
  • Pritchard, Ray. Names of the Holy Spirit. Chicago: Moody Press, 1995.
  • Spangler, Ann. Names of God Bible, the. Grand Rapids, MI: Revell, 2011.
  • Spangler, Ann. Praying the Names of Jesus. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2023.
  • Names of God: 21 Names of God and Their Meanings. Rose Publishing, 2022.
  • Names of Jesus. Rose Publishing, 2021.

For the following questions, using a smart search with either “Give some Biblical examples of titular names? or “What titular names are used for the Biblical David?” provides decent results.

QUESTION: What is a titular name?

ANSWER: .A titular name is associated with a title, position, or role. It's often used in formal or official contexts. Examples:

  • Royal titles
    • King of Kings, Revelation 19:16
    • Lord of Lords, Revelation 19:16
    • Religious titles
      • High Priest, Exodus 28:1 and Hebrews 4:14
      • Rabbi, John 1:38
      • Prophetic titles
        • Messiah, John 4:25
        • Divine titles
          • Son of God, Matthew 14:33, 16:16
          • Emmanuel, Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:23
          • Leadership titles
            • Judge, Judges 4:4, 6:11-12
            • Shepherd, John 10:11,14

 

QUESTION: What is a descriptive name?

ANSWER: A descriptive name directly describes qualities, attributes, or functions of a person. It's typically straightforward and easy to understand. Examples:

  • Physical characteristics
    • Esau – hairy, Genesis 25:25
    • Laban – white, Genesis 24:29
    • Personality or character traits
      • Nabal – fool, 1 Samuel 25:25
      • Barnabas – son of encouragement, Acts 4:36
      • Circumstances of birth
        • Benjamin – son of my right hand, Genesis 35:18
        • Ichabod – glory has departed, 1 Samuel 4:21
        • Divine intervention or prophecy
          • Isaiah – Yahweh is salvation, Isaiah 1:1
          • Immanuel – God with us, Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:23
          • Life events or experiences
            • Moses – drawn out, Exodus 2:10
            • Mara – bitter, Ruth 1:20
            • God-given names
              • Israel – he struggles with God, Genesis 32:28
              • Peter – rock, Matthew 16:18

 

QUESTION: What is a metaphorical name?

ANSWER: A metaphorical name uses figurative language to describe a person. It's often creative and requires some interpretation. Examples:

  • Metaphorical names for God
    • Rock, Deuteronomy 32:4
    • Shepherd, Psalm 23:1
    • Fortress, Psalm 18:2
    • Father, Isaiah 64:8
    • Metaphorical names for Jesus
      • Bread of Life, John 6:35
      • Light of the World, John 8:12
      • Good Shepherd, John 10:11
      • Vine, John 15:5
      • Lamb of God, John 1:29
      • Other metaphorical names

 

 

  • Lion of Judah, Genesis 49:9. Revelation 5:5
  • Branch, Jeremiah 23:5

 

QUESTION: What is a nickname?

ANSWER: A nickname is an informal substitute for a proper name. It is often and abbreviated version of the proper name. Examples some of which are clearly debatable between name change or nickname:

  • Peter, John 1:42
  • Sons of Thunder (Boanerges), Mark 3:17
  • Barnabas, Acts 4:36
  • Didymus, John 11:16
  • Cephas, John 1:42
  • Barsabbas, Acts 1:23
  • Justus, Acts 13:1
  • Niger 13:1
  • Zelotes, Luke 6:15
  • Thaddaeus, Matthew 10:3
  • Mara, Ruth 1:20

 

QUESTION: What is a pet name?

ANSWER: Pet names are affectionate names used by close friends or family. Examples:

  • My beloved, Song of Solomon 1:13, 2:16, 6:3
  • Little children, John 13:33, 1 John 2:1
  • My son, Proverbs 1:8, 2:1, 3:1
  • Daughter, Matthew 9:22, Mark 5:34
  • My love, Song of Solomon 1:9, 2:10
  • Apple of his eye, Deuteronomy 32:10, Zechariah 2:8

 

QUESTION: What is a situational name

ANSWER: Situational names are given based on specific events or circumstances. They're not as common as other types of names but can be quite meaningful. There can be considerable overlap between situational names and descriptive names. Examples: 

  • Isaac – laughter, Genesis 17:17-19, 21:3-6
  • Moses – drawn out, Exodus 2:10
  • Ichabod – no glory, 1 Samuel 4:21-22
  • Jabez – he causes pain, 1 Chronicles 4:9
  • Benoni/Benjamin – son of my sorrow/son of the right hand, Genesis 35:18
  • Peleg – division, Genesis 10:25
  • Ichabod – the glory has departed, 1 Samuel 4:21-22

 

QUESTION: Why would I want to classify the different ways a person is named?

SOFTWARE: Factbook > Biblical person > Referred to As

ANSWER: Classifying the names in this list of ways the Bible refers to a person is simply one way you can stop and actually think about the meaning of the name and the reason for using that name. Otherwise, one is likely to glance over the list but glean little from it.

Orthodox Bishop Alfeyev: "To be a theologian means to have experience of a personal encounter with God through prayer and worship."; Orthodox proverb: "We know where the Church is, we do not know where it is not."

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