Why Were Abraham and Sarah told to Change Their Names

[Ramalama]

Well, just what is says. Why did they have to do this?

 

[Eileen_T]

“God calls each one by name. Everyone’s name is sacred” (CCC, #2158). Throughout the Bible, the name contains God’s dream for the person. When Abram and Sarai’s names changed, their identity shifted.

Abram, meaning ‘High Father’, made his covenant with God, and God then promised him many descendants, He Himself ordered Abram to change his name to Abraham, which means ‘Father of a multitude’.

Sarah, was originally called Sarai, which means ‘mockery’. She was the one who had laughed at God when He had promised that she would conceive a son, even though she was ninety years old.

When the son arrived and God promised Abraham that among his descendants would be several kings, He ordered Abraham to change his wife’s name to Sarah, meaning princess.

 

[BlestOne]

Incidentally, Sarah named her son Isaac because:

From the Hebrew Yitzchrak, meaning “he will laugh”. In the Old Testament, Isaac is the son of Abraham and Sarah, the husband of Rebecca and the father of Jacob and Esau. Sarah could not bear children and was already very aged at the time of his conception. She chose the name Isaac because she had laughed at the messengers of God announcing that she would finally have a son.

I guess God had the last laugh huh??? I love learning about what names in the Bible mean… always correlates to their purpose in God’s eyes.

 

[Ramalama]

“God calls each one by name. Everyone’s name is sacred” (CCC, #2158). Throughout the Bible, the name contains God’s dream for the person. When Abram and Sarai’s names changed, their identity shifted.

Abram, meaning ‘High Father’, made his covenant with God, and God then promised him many descendants, He Himself ordered Abram to change his name to Abraham, which means ‘Father of a multitude’.

Sarah, was originally called Sarai, which means ‘mockery’. She was the one who had laughed at God when He had promised that she would conceive a son, even though she was ninety years old.

When the son arrived and God promised Abraham that among his descendants would be several kings, He ordered Abraham to change his wife’s name to Sarah, meaning princess.

Thank you, Eileen. That’s exactly what I needed!

 

[robert_ambrose]

i was once told that the letter h or he in hebrew means breath,so i’m picking that the breath or spirit( meaning heh) is god breathing the holy spirit into their lives’ maybe john got the same gift.

 

[NotWorthy]

Incidentally, Sarah named her son Isaac because:
I guess God had the last laugh huh??? I love learning about what names in the Bible mean… always correlates to their purpose in God’s eyes.

Isaac’s name meant “Laughter” I believe.

Jacob’s name meant “supplanter” and his new name “Israel” means “one who prevails with God” or “one who struggles with God”.

Joshua/Jesus means “God Saves”

 

[porthos11]

“God calls each one by name. Everyone’s name is sacred” (CCC, #2158). Throughout the Bible, the name contains God’s dream for the person. When Abram and Sarai’s names changed, their identity shifted.

Abram, meaning ‘High Father’, made his covenant with God, and God then promised him many descendants, He Himself ordered Abram to change his name to Abraham, which means ‘Father of a multitude’.

Sarah, was originally called Sarai, which means ‘mockery’. She was the one who had laughed at God when He had promised that she would conceive a son, even though she was ninety years old.

I thought Sarai meant “my princess” or “my high woman” (e.g. implication of high rank, but tied to Abram). The change to Sarah implies Sarai’s becoming high woman or princess on a more global scale (“Sarah” means “princess” or “high woman” without the “my”).

This, incidentally, is also why Simon’s name change to Peter is not to be taken lightly, since it was God himself who did the change.