Jesus – Yeshua
Yah-Shua - Salvation
From Yehoshua to Jesus
The name Jesus underwent a transformation across multiple languages and cultures over centuries, adapting to different linguistic structures and alphabets. Here’s how it evolved from the Hebrew Yehoshua to the modern English Jesus:
1. Hebrew: Yehoshua (יְהוֹשֻׁעַ)
In the original Hebrew, the name Yehoshua (יְהוֹשֻׁעַ) means “Yahweh is salvation.”
This name was common in ancient Israel and appears in the Old Testament, most notably as the name of Joshua, the successor of Moses.
2. Aramaic: Yeshua (יֵשׁוּעַ)
As Hebrew evolved and was influenced by Aramaic, a shortened form of Yehoshua became Yeshua (יֵשׁוּעַ).
Aramaic was the everyday spoken language of Jewish people during the Second Temple period (516 BCE – 70 CE), making Yeshua the common pronunciation of the name.
This is the name that would have been used for Jesus in his own time and by his followers.
3. Greek: Iēsous (Ἰησοῦς)
The New Testament was written in Greek, which did not have an equivalent sound for “sh” (שׁ) in Hebrew.
As a result, Yeshua was transliterated into Iēsous (Ἰησοῦς) to conform to Greek phonetics and grammar.
The “-s” ending was added because Greek masculine names often ended in “-s” for proper declension in different cases.
This Greek form Iēsous appears throughout the Greek New Testament.
4. Latin: Iesus
When Christianity spread to Rome, the Bible was translated into Latin (Vulgate, 4th century AD) by St. Jerome.
The Greek Iēsous became Iesus in Latin, as Latin also lacked the “sh” sound.
In classical Latin, “I” and “J” were interchangeable letters, and “Iesus” was pronounced “Yay-soos.”
5. Old & Middle English: Jesus
As Latin evolved into medieval and early modern languages, the letter “J” began to be distinguished from “I.”
By the 16th century, in early modern English, the pronunciation of Iesus transitioned into Jesus with the “J” sound we recognize today.
By the time of the King James Bible (1611), the spelling Jesus was standard in English.
Summary of the Name’s Evolution:
Yehoshua (Hebrew) → Yeshua (Aramaic) → Iēsous (Greek) → Iesus (Latin) → Jesus (English)
Each stage represents a linguistic adaptation rather than a complete change in meaning. The name retained its original significance—“Yahweh is salvation”—throughout its evolution.
Jesus
Yah-Shua
As previously discussed, Yeshua means the Lord is my Salvation. From our study where we look at the name of Yahweh – YHWH – Yod Hey Waw Hey – יהוה we learned that this is the personal name of God, the Eternal One who keep His covenant and promises. As revealed to Moses upon the commissioning of the freedom of the Hebrews from Egyptian slavery (Ex 3).
The essential meaning of Yahweh is “He is and will be…”
The interesting thing about this Name for God is that it typically accompanies what it is He is and will be. He is Yahweh Saboath (Tz’vaot) where Saboath means armies or hosts. His name is stating that “He is and will be armies or hosts”. He is Yahweh Tsidkenu, where Tsidkenu means our righteousness, the Lord our Righteousness, or He is and will be our righteousness. We explore many of these other names in the Yahweh section
We also just learned that the original name for Jesus would have been Yahoshua which got abbreviated to Yeshua in post exilic times (during the Babylonian rule) but with the language change to Aramaic and then Greek and we get Jesus today.
The beauty in this is that Yehoshua means “Yahweh is salvation” or “Yahweh Saves”. Yah is short for Yahweh (the Lord) and Shua means salvation. When the angel appears to Joseph, he is asked to name the child Jesus (or YahShua) because:
She will give birth to a Son, and you shall name Him Jesus (The LORD is salvation), for He will save His people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21AMP
Hebrew words have roots which are three consonants. The root word for Yeshua (ישוע) is Yasha
1. “Yasha” (יָשַׁע) – To Save, Deliver, Rescue
Exodus 14:30 – “Thus the Lord saved (יוֹשַׁע, “yosha”) Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians.”
Psalm 6:4 – “Return, O Lord, deliver my soul: oh save (הוֹשִׁיעֵנִי, “hoshieni”) me for thy mercies’ sake.”
2 Samuel 22:3 – “My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation (יֵשַׁע, “yesha”).”
2. “Yesha” (יֶשַׁע) – Salvation, Deliverance
Isaiah 12:2 – “Behold, God is my salvation (יְשׁוּעָתִי, “yeshuati”); I will trust, and not be afraid.”
Psalm 62:1 – “Truly my soul waits upon God: from Him comes my salvation (יְשׁוּעָתִי, “yeshuati”).”
3. “Shua” (שׁוּעַ) – Cry for Help, Riches, or Nobility
While the standalone “Shua” (שׁוּעַ) appears in some places, it does not directly mean “salvation.” Instead, it is used for meanings like crying out for help or wealth/nobility.
Job 30:24 – “Yet does not one in a heap of ruins stretch out his hand, and in his disaster cry for help (שׁוּעַ, ‘shua’)?”
We know that God has given Jesus the name that is above every other name (Phil 2:9-11)
To the Hebrew at that time they would have taken that to mean that God has given Jesus His own name. Without the Hebraic cultural influence, one would assume that means that Jesus is the name that is above every other name
We are also told that Jesus is the Word, and the Word is in the beginning and the Word is God, Jesus is God (Jn 1:1).
But the Bible also tells us that He puts His Word above His Name (Ps 138:2)
But the personal name word chosen for His Son that is His Own Name and higher than His Own Name is this Yeshua from Yah-shua – Yahweh is Salvation – Yah Shua – Yah Saves – Yah’s Salvation
If we collate these thoughts, with the expanded meaning of Yahweh’s name, the Eternally Existing One we get
The One who Saves, was, is and will be ……
Because Jesus also travels in the theme of Yahweh and His name meaning when Yahweh declares I AM who I AM (AHeyYeh Asher AHeyYeh), when Jesus makes the nine I AM statements in the book of John and the seven I AM statements of Revelation, Jesus is using His personal first name to accompany other names that reveal who He is.
For instance, Jesus says I am the Door. Therefore, Jesus said “I am the Door” would be akin to Him saying, My name is Yeshua Door, Yeshua Good Shepherd etc.
We will look closely into each of the names and what they open up to us as God reveals Himself more and more. But essentially in the context of this thought pattern around unfolding the meaning (thus the revelation) in the Names and how they are used, it would go something like this….
Yeshua Light of the World – The One who Saves is and will be Light
Yeshua Bread of Life – The One who Saves, is and will be the Bread of Life
Yeshua Door – The One who saves, is and will be the Door
Yeshua Good Shepherd – The One who Saves, is and will be the Good Shepherd
Yeshua Resurrection and the Life – The One who Saves is and will be the Resurrection and the Life
Yeshua the Way, the Truth and the Life – The One who saves is and will be the Way, the Truth and the Life
Yeshua True Vine – The One who saves, is and will be the True Vine
Yeshua before Abraham - Before Abraham was, I AM
Yeshua He - I am He (Jesus’ arrest). The revelation that He is the One who was prophesied would come and dies for the sins of the world , redeeming mankind back to God. At that point of true surrender, He is revealed.
In Revelation’s we meet Jesus as
Yeshua Beginning and End, Yeshua Alpha & Omega, Yeshua First and Last Rev 1:8
Because of our Hebraic theme He is also the Aleph and the Tav (first and last letter of the Hebraic “Aleph-bet”)
Although these names are repeated 4-5 times in Revelations there is no afterthought. He is saying it begins and ends with Him. However, the last reference does say that those who wash their robes in the blood (some versions read do His Commandments), have the right to the tree of life and to enter the city of God.
Yeshua the One who was, is and is to come, the Almighty. Rev 1:8
I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star. Rev 22:16
I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive forever and ever! Rev 1:18
The Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. Rev 3:14
I am coming soon! Rev 3:11; 22:7, 12, 20
I am making everything new! Rev 21:5
Paleo Hebrew Imagery
We see the root word for Salvation (Jesus) is “Yasha” (יָשַׁע)
These three modern Jewish letters mean:
Yod – “Ye” (י) – Means hand, work or worship, but it’s the first letter of Gods name so its often used to represent God, or Gods hand, divine intervention or can be seen as Gods spark because it’s the smallest letter. The Yod in a prefix position can also mean He, as in He saves.
Shin – “Sh” (ש) – Means fire or destruction. It looks like three teeth in the paleo and in the modern Hebrew it kind of looks like three flames of fire.
Ayin – “A” (ע) – Its an eye and can represent seeing or understanding, perceiving
Bringing together these three thoughts we would have, the hand of God or His spark that kindles a fire and causes us to see.
Or because the hand is seen as lifted up (the apostrophe position) it could be as a spark or tongue of fire that crowned them at Pentecost and caused them to see and understand.
Another interpretation might be worship through the fire and you will see.
Jesus said “I am the Light of the World”(fire), when He opened the eyes of the blind man. John 8-10.
The other interesting thread that we pick up on is if we take the Yod to be He then we get – He Fire Eyes. Jesus appears as the one with fire in His eyes in Revelations 1:14.
Yada vs Yasha
Yada is the Hebrew word for ‘know’, we discuss this word in the Knowing God passage in Deeper. In the pictoral language of Paleo this basically means the divine spark, enters through our door, and we see and understand.
But this is also only one letter from Yasha, replacing the sh with the d or the letter daleth in the Hebrew. Daleth is the word for door. Jesus said, “I am the Door”. And He says that He stands at our door and if we will let Him in, He will come in and dine and sup with us (Rev 3:20). This is knowing Him, letting the divine spark or Man with eyes of fire (Rev 1:14), come into have dinner and supper with us.
THAT YOU MAY KNOW THAT I AM YAHWEH – THE LORD
Knowing His Name – One who Saves
Most of the I am names of Jesus have an after statement. When He says I am the Light of the World, whoever follows Me, will not walk in darkness but will have the Light of Life. He is saying, the I am the One who saves – the Light of the World. And then when we follow Him, we are experientially knowing Him as the Light. This verse says that we will have the light of life. It doesn’t say following the Light causes us to reflect the light, it is saying that following the light will cause us to shine. Because we are responding to what we know about His Name we are entering into a deeper knowledge and awareness of Him. We are entering into and entwining with Him more intimately. We are experiencing and knowing God through His Name, the One who saves who is the Light of the World.
YahShua Resurrection and the Life comes from the verse where He says that if we believe in Him, we live and don’t die.
Jesus, the One who saves and who is the Resurrection and the Life that is experienced as we believe, we live, and death can’t touch us. But it’s because we believe that resurrection power we become untouchable from death. True life will start to emanate within us. This knowing of Him as the Resurrection and Life is defined by His Name.
Jesus said, “I am the Resurrection and the Life. Whoever believes in me, though he may die, yet he will live. And if he believes in me and lives, he will never die. Do you believe this? Jn 11:25
The knowing of Him as the door, Yah-Shua Door, the One who saves who is and will be a Door is experienced and known through the following passage
Jesus said, “I am the Door. If anyone enters by me, they will be saved. And they will come in and go out and find pasture. For the enemy comes to steal kill and destroy , but I have come that you might have life and have it abundantly.” John 10:9-10
Knowing Jesus as the Door, and entering through Him causes this abundant life to manifest, again becoming untouchable from enemies, we are saved. But salvation is much more than just being safe (as we will see below), its about the abundance and overflowing goodness of God being revealed.
Similarly knowing Jesus as the Bread of Life happens through experiencing Him in the coming to Him and believing
Jesus said, “I am the Bread of Life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry and whoever believes in me will never thirst again” Jn 8:35
I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. Jn 8:51
With the Names of Jesus in John’s gospel, they are verbs that accompany the I am’s; hearing, coming, believing, entering, following, eating, abiding, bearing fruit
Salvation
To the modern Jew, the word Yeshua (ישוע) in a sentence simply means salvation. It is not understood as “Yahweh’s Salvation” unless interpreted through biblical revelation. Even if you type yeshua into Google Translate in Hebrew, it will give you the word “salvation.”
Jesus’ name is Salvation, and He is the Word. He is Salvation and just saying His Name, Salvation we are calling Him and in calling upon Him we are saved. Earlier, we learned that implied in the root word yasha is the meaning cry for help – by saying His Name we are saved. Simply saying His name is an act of faith, and in that act, we find deliverance. There is salvation in the Name of Jesus both literally in the meaning, and what happens when it is uttered.
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12
Jesus means helper, rescuer deliverer. The Jewish concept of salvation goes beyond just being saved from immediate danger. It includes full restoration and abundance. Imagine being lost at sea, floating helplessly, and then rescued by a passing boat—that’s how we often think of salvation: being rescued from inherent danger. But in the Jewish understanding, it doesn’t stop there. Not only would you be rescued, but you would also have your original boat restored, complete with everything that was lost—like receiving an “insured” replacement.
To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, Rev 1:5-6
Salvation through Jesus is not just about being saved from sin but also about being restored to God’s original purpose and plan. This restoration carries implications of authority, wealth, and nobility. We were created to be rulers, co-reigning with Jesus, endowed with resources and authority. However, because of the curse of sin, humanity lost its status and inheritance.
Many understand salvation with a mindset of merely being “saved from hell”, from our sins and spared from eternal death. While this is true, salvation is so much more—it restores us to our rightful position as heirs of God’s kingdom, with access to the nobility and riches of our inheritance.
Using the boat analogy, after being pulled from the water, it is like being “rescued from sin”. We thought salvation was about forgiveness of sin, forgetting sin is actually a condition that we were born into, and it describes humanities fallen state from Gods original plan and design. In this fallen state, yes we did sin, and that’s proof that we are in that state, but before the fall we were actually princes that were part of a royal bloodline and that came with authority and wealth. We are born without the understanding of just how much was taken from us at birth through the fall and in this current reality of the sinful state. So in the boat analogy we don’t realize that before we got lost at sea, we weren’t just passengers on some boat, we were actually Captains and owned the boat. Its like we had amnesia and were just excited about being safe on the boat as a passenger, but as exciting as that is you also get to captain and own the boat.
In many ways this is like the movie Princess Diaries, where she finds out as a young adult that her whole life she was actually a princess and now she has to learn how to be a Princess as princesses act and behave differently. This is a theme in many other blockbusters as well; like Aquaman, Black Panther, the Lion King, Cinderella. While all these are fairytales, for believers its actually all in the salvation package.
It’s all in Jesus but it has a manifestation that is Earthly as well. Key to that restoration will be understanding and faith to receive it.
If we use a biblical account, our sin’s being forgiven part of Salvation is likened unto the Israelites coming out of slavery. But they weren’t just rescued and left in the desert, free but impoverished and homeless. They were also given new land with homes and vineyards they didn’t build, and this land of promise was flowing with milk and honey. The desert is meant to be about preparing us for our kingly roles.
David didn’t just get ‘rescued’ from the shame of being a shepherd (it was considered a very lowly job) when he was called to go fight in the army and serve the King. There was a period he was chased from cave to cave, but he finally did ascend to the throne as had been promised to him, 13 years before.
Modern-day slavery provides another powerful reflection of this truth. When someone is freed from human trafficking or forced labor, the rescue is only the beginning. True restoration requires healing, training, and reintegration into society—equipping them with housing, education, and an opportunity to thrive. Now imagine on top of that they become Kings or Queens. Likewise, Jesus doesn’t just save us from sin; He restores us to our royal identity, giving us authority, purpose, and the resources of His Kingdom. We are not just freed captives; we are sons and daughters, rulers in His divine plan. Understanding and walking in this restoration is key to living out the abundant life Jesus secured for us.
Kingship
We see that the root word for Salvation is more than just being saved from our sins, it comes with an inheritance or insurance package that restores everything to us that was taken through the fall. Salvation includes a coronation for Kingship and also an anointing and consecration for Priesthood.
To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, Rev 1:5-6
God will make you king and give you a ministry for Him. There is something God has for you to do on the Earth for Him but also to serve the world. One is a ministry unto God, for the people and another is serving the people.
This verse gets used a lot, but it is assured as our sins being forgiven. In order to experience it we will have to believe it, just like forgiveness
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 1 Pt 2:9
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
To further explore the biblical understanding of salvation we can see the use of Yasha in these passage
The Lord (Yahweh) gave David victory יָשַׁע (Yasha), wherever he went 2 Sam 8:14
Proverbs 21:31 – “The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory (תְּשׁוּעָה, teshuah) belongs to the LORD.”
Victory (teshuah, related to Yasha) comes from God’s favor and intervention.
It is most notable of Kings that they are saviors. The best Kings are deliverers of their people from injustice. Often it is the ones who come from injustice that fight the most devoutly for justice. This is the paradoxy of salvation, we are saved from sins to help save others from their sins. This is the kingly and priestly role entrusted to us. It was all part of the original package of salvation, but we had to be prepared for service like Esther was, the Princess Diaries star was, the Israelites were (in the desert), and how David was whilst being chased from cave to cave. The trials we go through in life after being saved are not punishment, but periods of preparation for your kingship and priesthood. Gods people need hero’s, so He raises up people who have been their to serve His people. Ultimately the King is the chief servant, chief foot washer. The best ones are anyway.
“My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation (יֶשַׁע, yesha), my stronghold and my refuge, my savior (מוֹשִׁיעַ, moshia); you save (תּוֹשִׁיעֵנִי, toshieni) me from violence.” 2 Sam 22:3-4
“He has raised up a horn of salvation (יְשׁוּעָה, Yeshuah) for us in the house of his servant David,” Luke 1:69
The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory (תְּשׁוּעָה, teshuah) belongs to the LORD.”
Conclusion
Whenever we say the Name Jesus, we are calling upon God’s salvation plan in His Son. Jesus saves us and establishes for Kingship in His Kingdom, and a priesthood unto God and for our fellowman, so that the salvation may multiply to others. It’s all in the very definition of His Name – Jesus – Yeshua – Salvation. Gods eternal plan for His Glory.