“Names Are Significant In The Bible” - 1/2/25

One aspect of the Bible that I find fascinating is its emphasis on people’s names and their meanings. Often, the Bible tells us what certain people’s names mean (Jn. 1:42; Acts 4:36; etc.), but other times, it requires some digging and study to understand the meaning of specific names. This is the case with the names of those found in the Book of Ruth.

In studying the book of Ruth, we are introduced to Elimelech (1:2), whose name means “God is King.” He is married to Naomi (joy/bliss, “the pleasantness of Jehovah”), and they have two sons, Mahlon (“sickly”) and Chilion (“wasting away”). I wonder if the sons’ names were a reflection of the land at that time (1:1; I Kings 4:21; etc.) or if this was a reflection of their personal health, for they both died before being able to reproduce (1:5). Elimelech and Naomi’s names praised God, and we see how they lived up to their names in their time in Judah and Moab. We can see how they did this, for they (along with their sons) influenced their Moabite daughters-in-law to respect Jehovah (1:7, 10).

While we do not practice this in Western society as much, there is still a name each saved person carries and must live up to: “Christian”! If you are a disciple (Jn. 8:31-32), the name Christian belongs to you (Acts 11:26). All those who have heard God’s word, believed on Christ, repented of sin, confessed Christ, and have been baptized wear the name of Christ as His disciples (Rom. 10:17; Heb. 11:6; Lk. 13:3; Acts 8:37; Acts 22:16).

The name “Christian” means a follower of Christ. Christians, are we living up to our name (I Pet. 2:21-22)? Are we living a life that reflects the Lord’s life, or are we “wasting away” and “sickly” in a spiritual sense (Heb. 5:12-14; Jas. 2:17, 20, 26)? Yes, names are significant in the Bible, and thanks be to God, we can wear the greatest of them all when we are saved from sin!

- Jarrod M. Jacobs