Meaning of the Name Isaiah
Isaiah is known in Hebrew as Yeshayahu and is generally understood as "YHWH is salvation" or "YHWH saves." The structure of the name combines the idea of deliverance with divine action. This explanation is widely accepted.
Origin
The name Isaiah is of Hebrew origin.
Who is Isaiah in the Bible?
Isaiah is one of the major prophets who speaks concerning Judah and Jerusalem. He is associated with the period from Uzziah to Hezekiah and powerfully develops themes of both judgment and hope. Other figures with the name appear in lists, but the prophet in the book of Isaiah is the best-known bearer.
The story of Isaiah in the Bible
Isaiah, son of Amoz, gave his name to one of the most expansive prophetic books in the Bible. Its opening states that he received visions concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. His call is striking: in the temple he saw the Lord seated on a high and exalted throne, while seraphim proclaimed his holiness to one another. Confessing that his lips were unclean, Isaiah had his mouth touched with a burning coal from the altar, and when the question came of whom to send, he answered that he himself would go. His ministry was not confined to words; when Sennacherib of Assyria threatened Jerusalem, King Hezekiah sent his officials to Isaiah, and the prophet delivered the LORD's promise that the city would be spared. He was also involved at Hezekiah's sickbed. His book carries both stern warnings of judgment and powerful promises of salvation, comfort, and hope. Others bear the name in the genealogies, but this great prophet is the one everyone knows.
Is Isaiah mentioned in the Quran?
The name Isaiah does not appear in the Quran, though some later Islamic sources speak of a prophet called Sha'ya; in the Bible he is the prophet of the book of Isaiah in the Old Testament.
Verses where Isaiah appears
- Isaiah 1:1 —
The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
- Isaiah 6:8 —
I heard the Lord’s voice, saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am. Send me!”
- 2 Kings 19:2 —
He sent Eliakim, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz.