Texts · 5 · Ahab and Jezebel

What does 'Israel' mean?

The name probably ends with the god El, originally meaning something like 'El contends.' Genesis reinterprets it: Jacob contended with God.

Names get reinterpreted.

Dig deeper

Over time El came to mean simply 'God,' a title for Yhwh.

Bible reference: Genesis 32:28

Source: Why the Bible Began, pp. 85

Loading comments…