meaning of the name Isa

The Messiah (in the Quran ) is called by the name (ʕeesa), (‘Isa), or as written in English: Eesa, Isa.

The Qur’anic pronunciation of the name (ʕeesa) is the original true actual name that the people of the Messiah (son of Mary) were calling him by. Quran has restored and brought back to memory the true name (ʕeesa) that was lost.

In this article, I am presenting a probability about the meaning of the Quranic name (ʕeesa). It maybe from the idea of creation. (ʕeesa) might be from the meaning that Allah created him (in a unique way without a father, like He did with Adam)[1].

Or (ʕeesa) might be from the meaning that he creates (by the will of Allah) like he created the bird from mud[2].

Linguistic relationship between the name (ʕeesa) and (creation)

The name (ʕeesa) must be according to the tongue of his people (Bani Israel). So (ʕeesa) must be derived from a (Hebrew root) that means something like (create). And that root or verb is the word (ʕ-s-h) or as in Hebrew letters (עשה).

Verb (ʕ-s-h) in Hebrew Bible

Isaiah 44:24 : I am the LORD, who made (‘ō·śeh) all things

Isaiah 51:13 : the LORD your Maker (‘ō·śe·ḵā)

Job 10:8-9 : Your hands fashioned and made (ya·‘ă·śū) me, and now you have destroyed me altogether. Remember that you have made me (‘ă·śî·ṯā·nî) like clay; and will you return me to the dust?.

Job 35: 10 : Where is God my Maker (‘ō·śāy)

Psalm 149:2 : Let Israel rejoice in their Maker (‘ō·śāw)

Genesis 2:4 : LORD God made the earth and the heavens (‘ă·śō·wṯ)

Exodus 20:4 : You shall not make (ṯa·‘ă·śeh) for yourself an image in the form of anything

‘asah (6213), "to create, do, make." Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words By W. E. Vine, Merrill Unger

Verb (ʕ-s-h) in Semitic languages

Moabite

Mesha Stele, or Moabite Stone, inscribed stone around 840 BCE by King Mesha of Moab (Jordan):

(3) And I made (aʕs) this high place for Kemosh ..(9) and I built (aʕs) a water reservoir in it … (23) and I have made (ʕsti ) the double reservoir …(24) and I said to all the people, "Make (ʕsw) yourselves a cistern at home .. (26) and I constructed (ʕsti) the military road in Arnon

Sabaean (ancient south Arabian)

Joan Copeland Biella, Dictionary of Old South Arabic (pages 374-5):

ʿsʾ (= ʕsa): v. ... make, construct/ h-ʿsʾ (= h-ʕsa): cause to build, be built/ n. mʿsʾ (= mʕsa): construction, building/ʿsy (= ʕsy) v. make, construct

SABAIC DICTIONARY, A.F.L. BEESTON (page 20):

ʿsy : make, do.

Ugaritic

A DICTIONARY OF THE UGARITIC LANGUAGE,GREGORIO DEL OLMO LETE (page 190):

ʕ-sh-y: to make, process, work

Aramaic

ˁsy vb. to create (cal.huc.edu/The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon)

Esau in Torah

The name Esau or ʕeesaw (brother of Jacob)[3] is very similar to the name ʕeesa (son of Mary). Some Hebrew dictionaries derive the name Esau from the root (ʕ-s-h)[4] = (to do, to make).

Esau (brother of Jacob) is written in Arabic Islamic sources as: (ʕeeṣw, ʕeeṣa, ʕyṣ, …). According to Arabic, the word (ʕyṣ)[5] means (origin, source, root, …), and this is very similar or close to the situation of ʕeesa. Esa (ʕeesa) is like Adam (an origin, source, root), because he did not come out from a human father like the rest of the humans (other humans are branches, children, …). Only ʕeeṣa and Adam are sources or roots.

The name (ʕeeṣw or ʕyṣw) was found in an ancient Arabic inscription (Hasaitic, east Arabia) in southern Iraq: nfs (=soul) w-qbr (=and grave) hntsr bn ʕysw bn hntsr afkl (=priest) ..

Travels and researches in Chaldaea and Susiana, by William Kennett Loftus,page 233/image from (britishmuseum.org)

Conclusion

As shown above, ʕeesa name maybe derived from the verb ʕasah, (1) because he was made (root: ʕasah) directly by God like Adam, or (2) because ʕeesa was making (root: ʕasah) many great deeds that no man can make. So, his people called him (1) the great doer or great maker (root: ʕasah), or (2) the unique special make (root: ʕasah) by God. Maybe that’s why they called him (ʕeesa).

[1] al-Imran 3:59 : Inna (=the, or it is) mathala (=example, similitude) AAeesa (=Isa) AAinda (= as with, according to) Allahi (=God) ka (=like) mathali (=example) adama (=Adam), khalaqahu (God created him) min (=from) turabin (=dust, mud), thumma (=then) qala (=said) lahu (= to him) kun (= be!), fayakoonu (=then he is =he is made)]./M. M. Pickthall:Lo! the likeness of Jesus with Allah is as the likeness of Adam. He created him of dust, then He said unto him: Be! and he is.

[2] al-Imran 3:49 : annee (=I am =Isa) akhluqu (=create) lakum (= to you) mina (=from) altteeni (= mud) ka (=like) hay-ati (=shape) alttayri (=bird) faanfukhu (=I blow) feehi (= in it) fayakoonu (then it becomes) tayran ( = a bird) bi-ithni Allahi (= by the will of Allah)/Pickthall: Lo! I fashion for you out of clay the likeness of a bird, and I breathe into it and it is a bird, by Allah's leave.

[3] Quran says [Then We gave her good tidings of Isaac and after Isaac, Jacob (Hud-71)]. The Qur’anic verse is not telling us that (the son is after the father), but the verse is telling us that (Jacob is the first son of Isaac) and also that (no son of Ibrahim) will be born (before Jacob). This means that no Esau exited.

[4] Esav : apparently a form of the passive participle of '`asah' (6213) in the original sense of handling; rough (i.e. sensibly felt); Esav, a son of Isaac (strong's dictionary)/ ESAU, he that does, or acts, or finishes; from asah (page 502,lmet's Dictionary of the Holy Bible)/ Etymology of the name Esau : ... His proper name however is not as easily derived. ..... and a Hebrew audience would probably have a much stronger association to the very common Hebrew verb עשה ('asa), meaning to do or accomplish. Note for instance the wordplay in Deuteronomy 2:29: כאשר עשו־לי בני עשו, meaning: as have done (עשו) to me the sons of Esau (עשו):....To a Hebrew audience the name Esau means Doer./abarim-publications.com

[5] Al-jim-by alshybani: al ʕyṣ :al-asl (=ʕyṣ = origin)/ alqamos: al- ʕyṣan : some of valued metal sources of Arabia/ asas albalghah-zamakhshry: He is from ʕyṣ Hashim I.e. ,from their asl (=origin)/alnihayah fi ghrib alhadith-ibn alathir: ʕyṣ asl (=origin) al-shajar (=trees)/taj al-ʕroos: he is in ʕyṣ sdq =he is in asl (=origin) sdq (=truth)/

Hamed AlAwlaqi