יִשְׂרָאֵל (yis.ra.el)
yis.ra.el
Israel
N:N-M-PQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1,977 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- N:N-M-P
Word Overview
The name Yisra’el means "God prevails" or "he struggles with God." It was given to Jacob after he wrestled with a divine being at Peniel, as recorded in Genesis 32:28 and 35:10. The etymology combines the verb sarah ("to strive" or "prevail") with El ("God"), marking a decisive shift from his previous identity as Jacob, whose name implies deception.
While it began as a personal title for the patriarch, the term quickly expanded to describe his descendants and the nation they became. In historical books like Kings and Judges, Israel refers to the united monarchy under Saul and David, and later specifically to the northern kingdom of ten tribes after the split. The southern region retained the name Judah.
The sources note that the name carries a weight of spiritual identity beyond mere geography. It is sometimes used to distinguish those who are truly faithful from the broader population, as seen in Isaiah 49:3 where God calls Israel His servant. This dual usage highlights both the physical nation and the ideal community defined by its relationship with God.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The name Israel carries a story of struggle and divine encounter. It means God prevails, marking a shift from Jacob’s earlier life of striving on his own to relying on God’s strength. This identity is not just about geography or lineage; it reflects a heart that has wrestled with God and emerged changed.
For believers today, this name reminds us that our spiritual journey often involves difficult seasons where we confront our limitations. Yet, in those moments, God meets us. We are invited to trust that He is working even when the path feels uncertain, shaping us into people who reflect His faithfulness rather than our own cleverness.
When we read of Israel’s descendants or his personal struggles, we see a pattern of grace. God does not discard us for our past mistakes but rewrites our story. This hope encourages us to bring our honest questions and fears to Him, knowing that He values our perseverance and seeks to prevail in our lives with love.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1,977 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- Israel1961×
- in/ Israel73×
- O Israel38×
- and/ Israel29×
- to/ Israel25×
- from/ Israel24×
- for/ Israel12×
- of/ Israel10×
- on/ Israel9×
- against/ Israel8×
- among/ Israel4×
- <in>/ Israel4×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל425×
- יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל315×
- יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל306×
- יִשְׂרָאֵֽל\׃248×
- יִשְׂרָאֵל֙189×
- יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל133×
- יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל82×
- יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל45×
- יִשְׂרָאֵֽל\׃\ \פ40×
- יִשְׂרָאֵֽל\׃\ \ס31×
- בְּ/יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל31×
- יִשְׂרָאֵל֒29×
Key Verses
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Genesis 35:10
God said to him, “Your name is Jacob. Your name shall not be Jacob any more, but your name will be Israel.” He named him Israel.
This verse records the formal renaming, showing how God initiates a new identity for Jacob that defines his future relationship with Him.
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Genesis 46:2
God spoke to Israel in the visions of the night, and said, “Jacob, Jacob!” He said, “Here I am.”
Here God calls out to Israel as Jacob, illustrating the continuity of His covenant despite the change in name and life stage.
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Genesis 37:13
Israel said to Joseph, “Aren’t your brothers feeding the flock in Shechem? Come, and I will send you to them.” He said to him, “Here I am.”
Israel sends Joseph to his brothers, highlighting the patriarch’s role as a father figure whose decisions impact the entire family line.
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Genesis 46:29
Joseph prepared his chariot, and went up to meet Israel, his father, in Goshen. He presented himself to him, and fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while.
The reunion between Israel and Joseph demonstrates how God’s providence preserves the family through years of separation and hardship.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the name Israel mean?
How is Israel different from Jacob?
Who does the term Israel refer to in the Bible?
Every Occurrence (1,977 verses across 32 books)
Genesis 37 verses
The sons of Jacob came in from the field when they heard it. The men were grieved, and they were very angry, because he…
Genesis 35:10God said to him, “Your name is Jacob. Your name shall not be Jacob any more, but your name will be Israel.” He named…
Genesis 35:21Israel traveled, and spread his tent beyond the tower of Eder.
Genesis 35:22While Israel lived in that land, Reuben went and lay with Bilhah, his father’s concubine, and Israel heard of it. Now…
Genesis 36:31These are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom, before any king reigned over the children of Israel.
Genesis 37:3Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age, and he made him a tunic of…
Genesis 37:13Israel said to Joseph, “Aren’t your brothers feeding the flock in Shechem? Come, and I will send you to them.” He said…
Genesis 42:5The sons of Israel came to buy among those who came, for the famine was in the land of Canaan.
Genesis 43:6Israel said, “Why did you treat me so badly, telling the man that you had another brother?”
Genesis 43:8Judah said to Israel, his father, “Send the boy with me, and we’ll get up and go, so that we may live, and not die,…
Genesis 43:11Their father, Israel, said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Take from the choice fruits of the land in your…
Genesis 45:21The sons of Israel did so. Joseph gave them wagons, according to the commandment of Pharaoh, and gave them provision…
Genesis 45:28Israel said, “It is enough. Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”
Genesis 46:1Israel traveled with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father, Isaac.
Genesis 46:2God spoke to Israel in the visions of the night, and said, “Jacob, Jacob!” He said, “Here I am.”
Genesis 46:5Jacob rose up from Beersheba, and the sons of Israel carried Jacob, their father, their little ones, and their wives,…
Genesis 46:8These are the names of the children of Israel, who came into Egypt, Jacob and his sons: Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn.
Genesis 46:29Joseph prepared his chariot, and went up to meet Israel, his father, in Goshen. He presented himself to him, and fell…
Genesis 46:30Israel said to Joseph, “Now let me die, since I have seen your face, that you are still alive.”
Genesis 47:27Israel lived in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen; and they got themselves possessions therein, and were…
Genesis 47:29The time came near that Israel must die, and he called his son Joseph, and said to him, “If now I have found favor in…
Genesis 47:31Israel said, “Swear to me,” and he swore to him. Then Israel bowed himself on the bed’s head.
Genesis 48:2Someone told Jacob, and said, “Behold, your son Joseph comes to you,” and Israel strengthened himself, and sat on the…
Genesis 48:8Israel saw Joseph’s sons, and said, “Who are these?”
Genesis 48:10Now the eyes of Israel were dim for age, so that he couldn’t see well. Joseph brought them near to him; and he kissed…
Genesis 48:11Israel said to Joseph, “I didn’t think I would see your face, and behold, God has let me see your offspring also.”
Genesis 48:13Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward…
Genesis 48:14Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it on Ephraim’s head, who was the younger, and his left hand on…
Genesis 48:20He blessed them that day, saying, “Israel will bless in your name, saying, ‘God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh’”…
Genesis 48:21Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am dying, but God will be with you, and bring you again to the land of your fathers.
Genesis 49:2Assemble yourselves, and hear, you sons of Jacob. Listen to Israel, your father.
Genesis 49:7Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel. I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter…
Genesis 49:16“Dan will judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel.
Genesis 49:24But his bow remained strong. The arms of his hands were made strong, by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, (from…
Genesis 49:28All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father spoke to them, and blessed them. He blessed…
Genesis 50:2Joseph commanded his servants, the physicians, to embalm his father; and the physicians embalmed Israel.
Genesis 50:25Joseph took an oath from the children of Israel, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones…