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Israel (name)

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Israel (Hebrew: יִשְׂרָאֵל, Modern: Yīsraʾel, Tiberian: Yīsrāʾēl) is a masculine name of Hebrew origin.

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Etymology

The name Israel comes from the Hebrew sara (Hebrew: שָׂרָה, romanized: sara, lit.'to struggle [with]')[1] and el (Hebrew: אֵל, romanized: el, lit.'El'). After Jacob wrestles with the angel in the Book of Genesis[2] and the unnamed angel says to him that his name is now Israel because he has "struggled with God and man and prevailed." The Hebrew verb sarita, used in the passage, has also been translated into English as "striven," "wrestled," and "contended." The general consensus is the name is a reference to the Jewish people's ongoing struggle with God and the obligation they have to explore their faith.[3][4][5][6][7][8][9]

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History

The word Israel has a strong association with Judaism. In the Book of Genesis, Jacob, the Hebrew patriarch, is renamed Israel by God and his twelve sons become the heads of the Twelve Tribes of Israel. The Land of Israel (Hebrew: ארץ ישראל, romanized: Eretz Yisrael) is mentioned throughout the Hebrew Bible as the home of nations such as Israel and Judah. Today, Israel also refers to the State of Israel, which is home to almost half of the world's Jewish population.[10]

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Usage

The name is popular among modern Jews, especially those from an Orthodox Jewish background, and, to a lesser extent, Christians. Its Hebrew form is Yisra'el, which is romanized as Israel in English and Spanish and as Yisroel in Yiddish or Ladino. Diminutive forms include Izzy (English), Israelito (Spanish), Isser (Yiddish), Srul (Yiddish), Sruli (Yiddish), Srulik (Yiddish) and Srulke (Yiddish).

Given name

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Surname

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Fictional characters

  • Israel Boone, son of title character in TV series Daniel Boone

See also

References

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