Jeshua

Jeshua is a masculine given name of Hebrew origin. It is a variant of the name Yeshua, which itself derives from Yehoshua, meaning “Yahweh is salvation” or “Yahweh saves.” The form Jeshua appears in English translations of the Hebrew Bible and is closely related to the Greek name Iēsous, which English Bibles render as Jesus. The name has several cognates and transliterations, including Yeshu, Yeshua, Yehoshua, and Joshua.

In the Hebrew Bible, Jeshua occurs in several contexts as a personal name. The most prominent is in Ezra-Nehemiah as the name of a post-exilic high priest, referred to as Yeshua/Jeshua, often linked with Jehozadak. The name is also associated with Joshua, the leader who succeeded Moses, whose Hebrew name Yehoshua is often rendered as Joshua in English.

In modern usage, Jeshua is used as a given name in Jewish and some Christian contexts, and is sometimes adopted by communities seeking a direct Hebrew form of the name commonly rendered as Jesus in English. The spelling Jeshua is less common than Yeshua or Joshua, but may appear in personal names and religious literature.

See also Joshua, Yeshua, Jesus.