TIP OF THE DAY 99: Related names

MJ. Smith

I am adding these posts to the previous tip list L/V 10 Tip of the Day 

QUESTION: Who is Lebbaeus?

SOFTWARE: Either an all search or a book search will quickly provide good results.

ANSWER: from Logos/Verbum all search on full question:

Lebbaeus (Gk. Lebbaɩ́os)

An alternative reading for Thaddaeus in some manuscripts of Matt. 10:3. Options include “Thaddaeus,” “Lebbaeus,” “Thaddaeus who was called Lebbaeus,” and “Lebbaeus who was called Thaddaeus.” Of these only the first two are viable. The name also occurs in Mark 3:18 with much less manuscript support. Possible meanings include “beloved child” or “courageous one.” It is frequently identified as a descriptive designation for “Judas of James” in Luke 6:16; Acts 1:13, where neither the name Thaddaeus or Lebbaeus occurs.

David R. Beck[1]

QUESTION: What are alternate Biblical names for Thaddaeus when one considers manuscript variants?

SOFTWARE: The AI assisted all search does well on this question.

ANSWER: The synopsis of the all search:

When considering manuscript variants, Thaddaeus, one of the twelve apostles, is known by alternate names in Biblical texts. In some manuscripts, he is referred to as Lebbaeus (Λεββαιος) instead of Thaddaeus (θαδδαιος). To reconcile these variations, some manuscripts use combined forms such as "Lebbaeus who is also called Thaddaeus" or "Thaddaeus who is also called Lebbaeus". In other apostolic lists, particularly those in Luke and Acts, "Judas, the son (or brother) of James" appears in place of Thaddaeus. These variations have led to different explanations, including the possibility that Thaddaeus, Judas, and Lebbaeus might be the same person, or that there were slight variations in the names preserved by different early Christian communities. The King James Version, based on certain manuscript traditions, uses the phrase "Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus," although this exact wording is not found in any of the original variants. It's important to note that these variations in names are not uncommon in biblical manuscripts and often reflect the complex transmission history of ancient texts.2

QUESTION: What is the relationship between the names Joshua and Jesus?

SOFTWARE: Knowing the answer, I simply asked Perplexity to give me the name Joshua in Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, and English.

ANSWER: for the cognates

Here are the forms of the name Joshua in Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, and English:

1. Hebrew:

יְהוֹשֻׁעַ (Yehoshua) - the full form

יֵשׁוּעַ (Yeshua) - a shortened form

2. Aramaic:

יֵשׁוּעַ (Yeshua)

3. Greek:

Ἰησοῦς (Iēsous)

4. English:

- Joshua, Jesus

The name originates from the Hebrew Yehoshua, meaning "Yahweh is salvation". The Aramaic form Yeshua is a shortened version of the Hebrew name. The Greek Iēsous is a transliteration of the Aramaic Yeshua. In English, this name became "Joshua" when translated from Hebrew, and "Jesus" when translated from Greek.

It's worth noting that "Jesus" and "Joshua" are essentially the same name, just coming to English through different linguistic paths. In the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible), both the Hebrew Yehoshua (Joshua) and Yeshua are translated as Iēsous in Greek.3

QUESTION: What are some examples of related names?

SOFTWARE: While I was able to coax examples out of Perplexity, it was not able to provide primary references, only secondary sources.

ANSWER: Which needs to be checked and have references attached. Note it ignored the request that the names be in the Bible, pseudepigrapha, or Rabbinic literature.

1. Yohanan/Yohanna (John/Joanna)

Male: Yohanan (Hebrew), Ioannes (Greek)

Female: Yohanna (Hebrew), Ioanna (Greek)

Affectionate: Yoni (Hebrew)

1. Miriam/Miryam (Mary)

Female: Miriam (Hebrew), Maria (Greek/Latin)

Male: Marios (Greek)

Affectionate: Miri (Hebrew)

1. Yeshua/Yeshu'a (Joshua/Jesus)

Male: Yehoshua (Hebrew), Iesous (Greek)

Female: Yeshu'a (Aramaic)

Affectionate: Yeshu (Hebrew/Aramaic)

1. Shimon/Shimona (Simon/Simone)

Male: Shimon (Hebrew), Simon (Greek)

Female: Shimona (Hebrew), Simone (French)

Affectionate: Shimi (Hebrew)

1. David/Davida

Male: David (Hebrew)

Female: Davida (Hebrew)

Affectionate: Dudi (Hebrew)

1. Yosef/Yosefa (Joseph/Josephine)

Male: Yosef (Hebrew), Ioseph (Greek)

Female: Yosefa (Hebrew), Josephine (English)

Affectionate: Yossi (Hebrew), Joey (English)

1. Shlomo/Shlomit (Solomon/Salome)

Male: Shlomo (Hebrew), Solomon (Greek)

Female: Shlomit (Hebrew), Salome (Greek)

Affectionate: Shlomi (Hebrew)

1. Eliezer/Elisheva (Eleazar/Elizabeth)

Male: Eliezer (Hebrew)

Female: Elisheva (Hebrew), Elisabeth (Greek)

Affectionate: Eli (Hebrew)

[1] David R. Beck, “Lebbaeus,” in Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible, ed. David Noel Freedman, Allen C. Myers, and Astrid B. Beck (Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans, 2000), 798.

2 David Trobisch, A User’s Guide to the Nestle-Aland 28 Greek New Testament, vol. 9, Text-Critical Studies (Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, 2013), 23. and Paul J. Achtemeier, Harper & Row and Society of Biblical Literature, Harper’s Bible Dictionary (San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1985), 1054. and J. K. Elliott and Ian Moir, Manuscripts and the Text of the New Testament : An Introduction for English Readers (London: T&T Clark, 2003), 64–65.

3 and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joshua and and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joshua_(name) and https://ebible.com/questions/3525-if-his-name-was-yeshua-yehoshua-why-do-we-call-him-jesus https://www.behindthename.com/name/joshua https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Joshua