Dictionaries :: Jesus

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Jesus:

(1.) Joshua, the son of Nun (Act 7:45; Hbr 4:8; R.V., "Joshua").

(2.) A Jewish Christian surnamed Justus (Col 4:11).

Je'sus, the proper, as Christ is the official, name of our Lord. To distinguish him from others so called, he is spoken of as "Jesus of Nazareth" (Jhn 18:7), and "Jesus the son of Joseph" (Jhn 6:42).

This is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Joshua, which was originally Hoshea (Num 13:8,16), but changed by Moses into Jehoshua (Num 13:16; 1Ch 7:27), or Joshua. After the Exile it assumed the form Jeshua, whence the Greek form Jesus. It was given to our Lord to denote the object of his mission, to save (Mat 1:21).

The life of Jesus on earth may be divided into two great periods, (1) that of his private life, till he was about thirty years of age; and (2) that of his public life, which lasted about three years.

In the "fulness of time" he was born at Bethlehem, in the reign of the emperor Augustus, of Mary, who was betrothed to Joseph, a carpenter (Mat 1:1; Luk 3:23; Jhn 7:42). His birth was announced to the shepherds (Luk 2:8-20). Wise men from the east came to Bethlehem to see him who was born "King of the Jews," bringing gifts with them (Mat 2:1-12). Herod's cruel jealousy led to Joseph's flight into Egypt with Mary and the infant Jesus, where they tarried till the death of this king (Mat 2:13-23), when they returned and settled in Nazareth, in Lower Galilee (2:23; Luk 4:16; Jhn 1:46, etc.). At the age of twelve years he went up to Jerusalem to the Passover with his parents. There, in the temple, "in the midst of the doctors," all that heard him were "astonished at his understanding and answers" (Luk 2:41, etc.).

Eighteen years pass, of which we have no record beyond this, that he returned to Nazareth and "increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man" (Luk 2:52).

He entered on his public ministry when he was about thirty years of age. It is generally reckoned to have extended to about three years. "Each of these years had peculiar features of its own. (1.) The first year may be called the year of obscurity, both because the records of it which we possess are very scanty, and because he seems during it to have been only slowly emerging into public notice. It was spent for the most part in Judea. (2.) The second year was the year of public favour, during which the country had become thoroughly aware of him; his activity was incessant, and his frame rang through the length and breadth of the land. It was almost wholly passed in Galilee. (3.) The third was the year of opposition, when the public favour ebbed away. His enemies multiplied and assailed him with more and more pertinacity, and at last he fell a victim to their hatred. The first six months of this final year were passed in Galilee, and the last six in other parts of the land.", Stalker's Life of Jesus Christ, p. 45.

The only reliable sources of information regarding the life of Christ on earth are the Gospels, which present in historical detail the words and the work of Christ in so many different aspects. (See CHRIST.)

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

Jesus:

savior; deliverer

International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia

Jesus:

je'-zus (Iesous, for yehoshua‘):

(1) Joshua, son of Nun (the King James Version Ac 7:45; Heb 4:8; compare 1 Macc 2:55; 2 Esdras 7:37).

(2) (3) High priest and Levite.

See JESHUA, 2, 5.

(4) Son of Sirach.

See SIRACH.

(5) An ancestor of Jesus (Lu 3:29, the King James Version "Jose").

Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words

Jesus:

is a transliteration of the Heb. "Joshua," meaning "Jehovah is salvation," i.e., "is the Savior," "a common name among the Jews, e.g., Exd 17:9; Luk 3:29 (RV); Col 4:11. It was given to the Son of God in Incarnation as His personal name, in obedience to the command of an angel to Joseph, the husband of His Mother, Mary, shortly before He was born, Mat 1:21. By it He is spoken of throughout the Gospel narratives generally, but not without exception, as in Mar 16:19, 20; Luk 7:13, and a dozen other places in that Gospel, and a few in John.

"'Jesus Christ' occurs only in Mat 1:1, 18; 16:21, marg.; Mar 1:1; Jhn 1:17; 17:3. In Acts the name 'Jesus' is found frequently. 'Lord Jesus' is the normal usage, as in Act 8:16; 19:5, 17; see also the reports of the words of Stephen, Act 7:59, of Ananias, Act 9:17, and of Paul, Act 16:31; though both Peter, Act 10:36, and Paul, Act 16:18, also used 'Jesus Christ.'

"In the Epistles of James, Peter, John and Jude, the personal name is not once found alone, but in Rev. eight times (RV), Rev 1:9; 12:17; 14:12; 17:6; 19:10 (twice); 20:4; 22:16.

"In the Epistles of Paul 'Jesus' appears alone just thirteen times, and in the Hebrews eight times; in the latter the title 'Lord' is added once only, at Hbr 13:20. In the Epistles of James, Peter John, and Jude, men who had companied with the Lord in the days of His flesh, 'Jesus Christ' is the invariable order (in the RV) of the Name and Title, for this was the order of their experience; as 'Jesus' they knew Him first, that He was Messiah they learnt finally in His resurrection. But Paul came to know Him first in the glory of heaven, Act 9:1-6, and his experience being thus the reverse of theirs, the reverse order, 'Christ Jesus,' is of frequent occurrence in his letters, but, with the exception of Act 24:24, does not occur elsewhere in the RV.

"In Paul's letter the order is always in harmony with the context. Thus 'Christ Jesus' describes the Exalted One who emptied Himself, Phl 2:5, and testifies to His pre-existence; 'Jesus Christ' describes the despised and rejected One Who was afterwards glorified, Phl 2:11, and testifies to His resurrection. 'Christ Jesus' suggests His grace, 'Jesus Christ' suggests His glory." *
[* From Notes on Thessalonians, by Hogg and Vine, pp. 26, 29.]

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Jesus:

(saviour).

(1.) The Greek form of the name Joshua or Jeshua, a contraction of Jehoshua, that is, "help of Jehovah" or "saviour." (Numbers 13:16).

(2.) Joshua the son of Nun (Numbers 27:18; Hebrews 4:8). SEE [JEHOSHUA].