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Israel (name)

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Israel
Pronunciation
In English:
In Hebrew:
  • Modern: [jisʁaˈʔel]
    Biblical: [jiɬraːˈʔeːl]
GenderMale
Origin
Language(s)Hebrew
Word/nameEl (deity)
Meaning"He struggles with God"
Region of originNear East
Look up Israel or ישראל in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Israel (Hebrew: יִשְׂרָאֵל, Modern: Yīsraʾel, Tiberian: Yīsrāʾēl) is a masculine name of Hebrew origin.

Etymology

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The name Israel comes from the Hebrew sara (Hebrew: שָׂרָה, romanized: sara, lit. 'to struggle [with]')[1] and el (Hebrew: אֵל, romanized: el, lit. 'El'). After Jacob wrestles with the angel in the Book of Genesis[2] and the unnamed angel says to him that his name is now Israel because he has "struggled with God and man and prevailed." The Hebrew verb sarita, used in the passage, has also been translated into English as "striven," "wrestled," and "contended." The general consensus is the name is a reference to the Jewish people's ongoing struggle with God and the obligation they have to explore their faith.[3][4][5][6][7][8][9]

History

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The word Israel has a strong association with Judaism. In the Book of Genesis, Jacob, the Hebrew patriarch, is renamed Israel by God and his twelve sons become the heads of the Twelve Tribes of Israel. The Land of Israel (Hebrew: ארץ ישראל, romanized: Eretz Yisrael) is mentioned throughout the Hebrew Bible as the home of nations such as Israel and Judah. Today, Israel also refers to the State of Israel, which is home to almost half of the world's Jewish population.[10]

Usage

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The name is popular among modern Jews, especially those from an Orthodox Jewish background, and, to a lesser extent, Christians. Its Hebrew form is Yisra'el, which is romanized as Israel in English and Spanish and as Yisroel in Yiddish or Ladino. Diminutive forms include Izzy (English), Israelito (Spanish), Isser (Yiddish), Srul (Yiddish), Sruli (Yiddish), Srulik (Yiddish) and Srulke (Yiddish).

Given name

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Surname

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Fictional characters

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  • Israel Boone, son of title character in TV series Daniel Boone

See also

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References

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  1. ^ שָׂרָה‎ śarah "to contend, have power, contend with, persist, exert oneself, persevere" (Strong's Concordance H8323) שָׂרַר‎ śarar "to be or act as prince, rule, contend, have power, prevail over, reign, govern" (Strong's Concordance 8280)
  2. ^ "Bible Gateway passage: Genesis 32:22-32 - New International Version". Bible Gateway. Retrieved 2025-06-20.
  3. ^ "Israel Means To Struggle With God". My Jewish Learning. Retrieved 2025-06-20.
  4. ^ "Wrestling with God and Jewish Tradition". Jewish Women's Archive. Retrieved 2025-06-20.
  5. ^ Shuman, Barbara K. "God Wrestling". reformjudaism.org. Retrieved June 20, 2025.
  6. ^ "Wrestling With God". American Jewish University. Retrieved 2025-06-20.
  7. ^ "Faith and Doubt". American Jewish University. Retrieved 2025-06-20.
  8. ^ "Judaism - Experiences and Emotion". Cultural Atlas. 2022-01-01. Retrieved 2025-06-20.
  9. ^ "Wrestling with God - Mishpacha". www.mishpacha.org. Retrieved 2025-06-20.
  10. ^ "Jewish Population Rises to 15.3 Million Worldwide | The Jewish Agency". The Jewish Agency for Israel - U.S. 2022-09-28. Retrieved 2025-06-20.
Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 | Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel_(name)
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