According to the US Social Security Administration, Jacob was the most popular boys name in America from 1999 – 2012. Thirteen years at the top may sound surprising given that many churches across America teach that Jacob means deceiver. For many years I have pondered this because a person’s name is their identity, and why would a mother and father name their child something with such a negative meaning? The answer is — they didn’t. The Bible does not teach that Jacob’s name means deceiver. Rather, Jacob is remembered in scripture as an honored and revered patriarch of the nation of Israel. In fact, the only place I can find a reference to “deceiver” is in the help notes at the bottom of my bible page. Here it says that deceiver is figurative, meaning it is like a metaphor. But for some reason this meaning has come about by common usage and has become widespread in Christian churches. We would be much better served to use the actual meaning of his name, which is “he grabs his heel” or in essence “one who comes after.” For this actual meaning aligns much more closely with scriptural themes and helps us in our understanding of God’s word.

In Part One of this three-part series, I explain that Jacob’s name was given to him by his mother to identify him in accordance with God’s promised blessing. Part Two looks at Jacob’s deception story and reveals his mother’s remarkable faith and God’s amazing grace. Part Three shows Jacob’s excellent character traits and explains how the meaning of “one who comes after” helps us understand God’s nature in the Holy Spirit.