Meaning of the Name Elizabeth
The name Elizabeth is usually explained as meaning "my God is an oath" or "God is my pledge" in Hebrew. There is some minor debate about the exact nuance of the second element, but it is generally agreed that the name joins God with the idea of oath or pledge. Its semantic field therefore carries associations of faithfulness and covenant.
Origin
The name Elizabeth is of Hebrew origin.
Who is Elizabeth in the Bible?
Elizabeth is the mother of John the Baptist and the wife of Zechariah in the New Testament. In Luke 1 her bearing a child in old age is presented as an act of divine intervention, and she is also the one who receives Mary. In this way she becomes one of the important preparatory figures in the birth narratives of Jesus.
The story of Elizabeth in the Bible
Elizabeth appears in the opening chapter of Luke's Gospel as the wife of the priest Zechariah in the days of King Herod; she herself is a descendant of Aaron. Luke notes that the couple lived righteously before God, yet they had no children, for Elizabeth was barren and both were advanced in years. While Zechariah served in the temple, an angel announced that they would have a son and would name him John. Elizabeth conceived and kept to herself for five months, saying the Lord had taken away her disgrace among the people. In her sixth month her relative Mary came to visit; at Mary's greeting the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, loudly blessed Mary and the child she carried, greeting her as the mother of her Lord. In time she gave birth to a son, and against those who expected the father's name she insisted he would be called John, which Zechariah confirmed in writing. Elizabeth thus stands among the faithful witnesses who prepare the story of Jesus' birth.
Is Elizabeth mentioned in the Quran?
The name Elizabeth is not mentioned in the Quran, though the Quran speaks of Zechariah's wife, the mother of John, without naming her; in the Gospel of Luke she appears as Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist.
Verses where Elizabeth appears
- Luke 1:5 —
There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the priestly division of Abijah. He had a wife of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.
- Luke 1:13 —
But the angel said to him, “Don’t be afraid, Zacharias, because your request has been heard, and your wife, Elizabeth, will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.
- Luke 1:41 —
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.