Why did God sometimes change a person’s name in the Bible?

Answer

When God changed a person’s name and gave him a new name, it was usually to establish a new identity. God changed Abram’s name, which means “high father,” to “Abraham,” which means “father of a multitude” «Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee. », (Genesis 17:5). Simultaneously, God changed Abraham’s wife’s name from “Sarai,” meaning “my princess,” to “Sarah,” meaning “mother of nations” «And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be. », (Genesis 17:15). This renaming occurred when God gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision. God also reiterated His promise to give Abraham a son, specifically through Sarah, and instructed him to name his son Isaac, which means “laughter.” Abraham had another son, Ishmael, through Sarah’s handmaiden, Hagar. However, God’s pledge to bless the nations through Abraham was to be fulfilled through Isaac’s lineage, from whom Jesus descended (Matthew 1:1–17;Luke 3:23–38). Isaac was the father of Jacob, who later became known as “Israel.” His twelve sons constituted the twelve tribes of Israel—the Jewish people. The physical descendants of Abraham and Sarah gave rise to many nations. In a spiritual context, their descendants are even more numerous. Galatians 3:29 states that all who belong to Jesus Christ—whether Jew, Gentile, male, or female—are “Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.”

God changed Jacob’s name, which meant “supplanter,” to “Israel,” signifying “having power with God” «And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God. », (Genesis 32:28).

And he said, “Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.” (Genesis 32:28). This occurred after Jacob had acquired Esau’s birthright (Genesis 25) and deceitfully obtained Esau’s blessing (Genesis 27), escaped from his brother to his uncle Laban (Genesis 28), married Leah and Rachel (Genesis 29), fled from Laban (Genesis 31), and then struggled with God as he readied to face Esau. Jacob had deceived his brother, been deceived by his uncle, deceived his uncle (Genesis 30), and was now passing through his brother’s land to evade his enraged uncle. He had heard that Esau was approaching to meet him and was afraid for his life. That night, Jacob wrestled with a man, who later revealed Himself as God and is considered a theophany or possibly a pre-incarnate manifestation of Christ. Jacob clung to the man until he received a blessing. It was at this moment that God altered his name. Jacob would no longer be a deceiver and schemer. Instead, he would be recognized as one who “struggled with God and with humans and . . . overcome” “And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.” , (Genesis 32:28).

In the New Testament, Jesus changed Simon’s name, which means “God has heard,” to “Peter,” signifying “rock” when He initially called him as a disciple “And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.” , (John 1:42). It was Peter who proclaimed that Jesus was “the Messiah, the Son of the living God” “And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” , (Matthew 16:16). Jesus respondedTo him as “Simon son of Jonah,” saying that he was blessed because God revealed Jesus’ identity as Messiah to him. He then referred to him as “Peter” and said that Peter’s declaration was the basis, or “rock,” on which He would build His church (Matthew 16:17-18). Peter is also often seen as the leader of the apostles. Jesus occasionally called Peter “Simon” at other times. Why? Probably because Simon sometimes acted like his old self instead of the rock God called him to be. The same is true for Jacob. God continued to call him “Jacob” to remind him of his past and to remind him to depend on God’s strength.

Why did God choose new names for some people? The Bible doesn’t give us His reasons, but perhaps it was to let them know they were destined for a new mission in life. The new name was a way to reveal the divine plan and also to assure them that God’s plan would be fulfilled in them.