Name
Archimandrite Nikifor’s Biblical Encyclopedia
—in biblical usage a name may record circumstances of birth, physical traits, parental hopes, calling, or divine promise (Gen. 25:25-26; 29:31-35; 35:18; 1 Sam. 1:20; 4:21). Families sometimes favored ancestral names, though relatives participated in the choice, as the naming of John the Baptist shows (Luke 1:59-63). A changed name can mark a new vocation or covenant identity, as with Abram/Abraham, Jacob/Israel, and Simon/Peter.