Question 1

What does "Name" mean in the King James Bible?

Accepted Answer

In the KJV, "Name" means "label." The identity equation. When God revealed His name to Moses, He was revealing His very nature. 'The name above every name' meant the identity/authority/character above all others. Baptism 'in the name of' meant immersion into the identity and authority of God. A name was not what you were called but who you were.

Question 2

Why did the word "Name" disappear from modern English?

Accepted Answer

Hebrew shem ('name/character/reputation/the totality of who a person is') reduced to an arbitrary label. In Hebrew thought, a name was identity itself -- to know someone's name was to know their nature. The word was at peak usage around 1611 and declined by still used but trivialized (~1800).

Question 3

What modern word replaced "Name"?

Accepted Answer

"Name" was replaced by: "label" (though this arbitrary designation; shem was the concentrated essence of a person's character and destiny); "title" (though this formal designation; a name in hebrew culture revealed, defined, and carried the person's identity); "identifier" (though this administrative function; the name of god was so powerful it could not be spoken).

What Does “Name” Mean in the Bible?

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