TR: shem → onoma (The Name)¶
The Chain¶
Hebrew OT LXX (Greek OT) Greek NT
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שֵׁם (shem) → ὄνομα (onoma) → ὄνομα (onoma)
H8034, 771v 716x as translation 213v in NT
"name, reputation, of shem (PMI 31.50) "name, reputation,
character, memorial" invocation, authority"
OT Usage (Hebrew)¶
| Strong's | Word | Occurrences | Primary Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| H8034 | שֵׁם (shem) | 771 | name, reputation, renown, character, memorial |
| H8036 | שֻׁם (shum) | ~12 (Aramaic) | name (Aramaic cognate — Dan, Ezra) |
| H7121 | קָרָא (qara) | — | "call, name" — verb governing the naming / invocation formula |
Key OT passages: - Gen 4:26 — "then began men to call upon the name of the LORD" (qara b'shem YHWH) — first invocation formula - Exo 3:13–15 — "what is his name? ... I AM THAT I AM... this is my name for ever" - Exo 20:7 — "Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain" - Exo 34:5–7 — YHWH "proclaimed the name of the LORD" = the recital of his attributes - Deu 12:5, 11 — "the place which the LORD your God shall choose... to put his name there" (temple-name theology) - Pro 18:10 — "The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe" - Isa 52:6 — "my people shall know my name" - Joe 2:32 — "whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered" - Mal 1:11 — "my name shall be great among the Gentiles"
Canonical study: H8034-shem.md
LXX Bridge¶
| Hebrew | Greek Translation | Co-occ | PMI Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| shem (H8034) | ὄνομα G3686 | 716 | 31.50 | Dominant equivalent — 1:1 semantic mapping |
| shem (H8034) | ἐπικαλέομαι G1941 | 66 | 16.46 | Verb "call upon" — renders qara b'shem idiom |
| shem (H8034) | καλέω G2564 | 113 | 15.21 | Verb "call, name" — naming formula |
| shem (H8034) | ὀνομάζω G3687 | 9 | 9.82 | Derivative verb "to name" |
| shem (H8034) | ἐξομολογέω G1843 | 24 | 10.02 | "Give thanks / confess" — renders hodah l'shem |
Reverse view — what Hebrew underlies NT-style onoma?
| Greek | Hebrew Source | Co-occ | PMI |
|---|---|---|---|
| ὄνομα (G3686) | שֵׁם H8034 | 716 | 31.50 |
| ὄνομα (G3686) | קָרָא H7121 | 194 | 16.13 |
| ὄνομα (G3686) | שֻׁם H8036 (Aram.) | 8 | 10.33 |
| ὄνομα (G3686) | יָדָה H3034 | 29 | 9.99 |
Semantic shift in translation: Essentially none. Onoma in the LXX functions as a transparent calque for shem across every major sense — personal/place identifier, reputation, character, memorial, and the divine-name idiom. The LXX also imports the Hebrew idioms directly: epikaleo to onoma kyriou ("call on the name of the Lord") in Gen 4:26 LXX is literal and becomes the template for NT usage.
NT Usage (Greek)¶
| Strong's | Word | Occurrences | Primary Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| G3686 | ὄνομα (onoma) | 213 | name, reputation, person, authority |
| G3687 | ὀνομάζω (onomazo) | — | to name, call by name |
| G1941 | ἐπικαλέομαι (epikaleomai) | — | call upon, invoke (by name) |
Key NT passages: - Mat 1:21 — "thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people" (naming formula continuous with OT) - Mat 6:9 — "Hallowed be thy name" (echoes Lev 22:32; Isa 29:23) - Joh 17:6, 11, 26 — "I have manifested thy name... keep them in thy name... I have declared thy name" (Jesus as name-proclaimer — direct parallel to Exo 33:19; 34:5) - Act 2:21 / Rom 10:13 — "whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (quotes Joe 2:32 — qara b'shem YHWH → epikalesetai to onoma kyriou) - Act 4:12 — "neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name (onoma) under heaven... whereby we must be saved" - Phil 2:9–10 — "God... hath given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow" (fulfills Isa 45:23) - Eph 1:21 — "far above... every name that is named"
NT canonical study: TODO(need G3686 onoma study)
Direct OT→NT Quotations via the Name¶
| NT Verse | Quotes OT | Shared Word | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mat 21:9 / Joh 12:13 | Psa 118:26 | shem → onoma | "Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord" |
| Act 2:21; Rom 10:13 | Joe 2:32 | shem → onoma | "whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved" |
| Rom 9:17 | Exo 9:16 | shem → onoma | "that my name might be declared throughout all the earth" |
| Rom 15:9 | Psa 18:49 | shem → onoma | "sing unto thy name" |
| Heb 2:12 | Psa 22:22 | shem → onoma | "I will declare thy name unto my brethren" |
| Phil 2:10–11 | Isa 45:23 | the divine name motif | universal confession at the Name |
Continuity and Shifts¶
What stays the same across testaments: - The formula "call on the name of YHWH / the Lord" (qara b'shem → epikaleo to onoma) — patriarchal altar piety (Gen 4:26; 12:8) becomes apostolic confession (Act 2:21; Rom 10:13) - "Name" = character/reputation, not merely label (Exo 34:5–7 name-proclamation → Joh 17:6 name-manifestation) - "Name" = authority in which one acts / speaks (Deu 18:5, 22 prophets speak "in the name" → Mat 28:19; Act 3:6 disciples act "in the name") - "Name" as site of presence (Deu 12:5 "put his name there" → Mat 18:20 "gathered together in my name") - Blessing/cursing by the name (2 Sam 6:18 → Jam 5:14) - Holiness / profanation of the name (Lev 22:32; Eze 36:23 → Mat 6:9)
What shifts: - In the OT, shem YHWH = the name YHWH and its associated attributes. In the NT, the divine name is increasingly attached to Jesus: Acts applies Joel 2:32 ("call on the name of YHWH") to Jesus; Phil 2:9–11 claims that God has given him "the name above every name" in terms echoing Isa 45:23 where YHWH swears by himself. - "In my name" language (Joh 14:13–14; 16:23) extends the OT authority-formula from prophetic speech to prayer and discipleship. - "Name" becomes almost a technical term for confession and identity ("Christian" = one of "the Name" — Act 5:41; 1 Pe 4:14–16).
Generated from: gather_trace_data.py, search_strongs.py (--lxx-map, --hebrew-source, --lookup, --lexicon) Last updated: 2026-04-18