I asked my friend to tell me the story of how she was named, and the meaning of her name, since it’s unusual. Haydee was conceived just before her dad was deployed to Vietnam. Mom had a difficult pregnancy with a small child and one on the way. When she was finally born, mom named her Haydee, meaning well behaved, modest in Greek. But mom always joked that the name sounds like hades, or hell, which approximates how she felt through that trying time.
Haydee laughed as she shared that as a child she was known for being a behavioral handful. But it actually saddened me to think that such negativity was attached to her name and stayed with her to adulthood. I thought of the Old Testament account of Jacob after his wife Rachel died, and his decision to rename their newborn son:
They left Bethel. They were still quite a ways from Ephrath when Rachel went into labor—hard, hard labor. When her labor pains were at their worst, the midwife said to her, “Don’t be afraid—you have another boy.” With her last breath, for she was now dying, she named him Ben-oni (Son-of-My-Pain), but his father named him Ben-jamin (Son-of-Good-Fortune). - Genesis 35:17-20
A common sense of “jamin” in Hebrew is the right hand, specifically as a symbol of strength. In renaming Benjamin, Jacob expressed hope for the strength that he and his family would need to recover from Rachel’s death, and other troubles yet to come. He preferred that his son carry a name of preparation rather than reflection, not dwelling on past sorrows but expressing hope in future achievements. Yet to honor Rachel and acknowledge her suffering, scripture carefully preserved Ben-jamin’s earlier name of Ben-Oni.
The name JESUS means Lord of Salvation. From the Hebrew Yeshua meaning rescuer or deliverer, here is the most powerful name in the universe! In the name of Jesus, believers find forgiveness of sin and become reconciled to God. We call on Jesus in times of trouble and praise Him for loving and blessing us. We confess His lordship and testify to others in word and deed. In Jesus, we receive the indescribable gift of eternal life. Jesus...
No one is like you, Lord, you are great, and your name is mighty in power. - Jeremiah 10:6
https://youtu.be/81jp0PtJXEw?si=6xf2b2i4FWg5ZjyG There’s Something About That Name