Ἰακώβ
Iakṓb
G2384 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Proper name: Jacob. Refers primarily to the ancestral figure known as Jacob, son of Isaac and Rebekah, progenitor of the Israelite tribes. In later Hellenistic and Roman contexts, also used for individuals named after this patriarch. The sense may pertain to the personal name or, by extension, to the collective descendants associated with him. Occasionally refers to an Israelite or a prominent leader in the Jerusalem community (e.g., James, brother of Jesus).
Semantic Range
personal name (Jacob), ancestral figure, collective reference to descendants, title for Israelite/Judean leaders, personal name for individuals in the Second Temple and New Testament periods
Root / Etymology
From the Hebrew יַעֲקֹב (Ya‘ăqōḇ), possibly meaning 'he grasps the heel' or 'he supplants,' related to the Hebrew root עקב (‘aqēḇ, 'heel' or 'to follow'). Transliterated directly into Greek as Ἰακώβ (Iakṓb).
Historical & Contextual Notes
Ἰακώβ is a transliteration of the Hebrew name יַעֲקֹב (Ya‘ăqōḇ), originally referring to the patriarch Jacob in Israelite tradition (cf. Genesis). In the Septuagint, Ἰακώβ is consistently used for the Hebrew יַעֲקֹב. In Second Temple and New Testament Greek, Ἰακώβ is also found as a personal name among Israelites and Judeans. Notably, Ἰακώβ sometimes designates early Israelite and Jerusalem community leaders; New Testament usages include both the patriarch and leaders referred to in English tradition as 'James.' Traditional translations often replace Ἰακώβ with 'James' for church leaders, though the Greek form is the same. Modern scholarship recognizes the distinction between the transliteration (Iakṓb) and the English adaptation (James), clarifying ancestral versus later historical referents. The meaning of the name and its associations carry ancestral, familial, and occasionally symbolic significance within biblical literature.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
of Hebrew origin (יַעֲקֹב); Jacob (i.e. Ja`akob), the progenitor of the Israelites:--also an Israelite:--Jacob.
Root Family
Ἰακώβ (Iakōb) — Jacob, ancestor, progenitor
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G2384-01 |
Ἰακώβ | iakob | N ACC M SG |
Jacob | Jacob | 27 |
Occurrences in Scripture
27 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G2384-01 |
Matthew 1:2 | Ἰακώβ | iakob | N ACC M SG |
Jacob | Jacob |
G2384-01 |
Matthew 1:2 | Ἰακὼβ | iakob-2 | N NOM M SG |
Jacob | Jacob |
G2384-01 |
Matthew 1:15 | Ἰακώβ | iakob | N ACC M SG |
Jacob | Jacob |
G2384-01 |
Matthew 1:16 | Ἰακὼβ | iakob | N NOM M SG |
Jacob | Jacob |
G2384-01 |
Matthew 8:11 | Ἰακὼβ | iakob | N GEN M SG |
Jacob | |
G2384-01 |
Matthew 22:32 | Ἰακώβ | iakob | N GEN M SG |
Jacob | |
G2384-01 |
Mark 12:26 | Ἰακώβ | iakob | N GEN M SG |
of Jacob | Jacob |
G2384-01 |
Luke 1:33 | Ἰακὼβ | iakob | N GEN M SG |
of Jacob | Jacob |
G2384-01 |
Luke 3:34 | Ἰακὼβ | iakob | N GEN M SG |
Jacob | Jacob |
G2384-01 |
Luke 13:28 | Ἰακὼβ | iakob | N ACC M SG |
Jacob | Jacob |