Holy Week Through the Eyes of the Languages of the WorldMuestra

Jesus. "The name that is above every name," according to Paul in Philippians 2:9. A great name, indeed. But what actually is the name?

The Greek name Iēsous is a Greek form of the Hebrew name Yeshua or, as English speakers know it, Joshua. (This means that in Greek translations of the Bible, the sixth book of the Old Testament carries the same name as the Son of God in the New Testament: Iēsous.)

A quick glance at how "Jesus" is written in other languages makes one realize that the spelling of J-E-S-U-S, while familiar to us, feels unfamiliar to most: aYeso, Azezi, Cecoc, Chesús, Ciisahs, Ciise, Ciisusu, Djesu, Ɛisa, Eyesu, Gesù, Gesû, Gesü, Ġesù, Ghjesù, Giêsu, ꞌGiê‑ꞌsu, Giê-xu, Gyisɛse, Hesu, Hesús, Hisuw, Ià-sŭ, Ié:sos, Iesu, Iesui, Iesusɨn, Iesusiva, Ihu, Iisus, Ijeesu, iJisọsị, Iji̍sɔ̄ɔsi, Iosa, Íosa, Ìosa, İsa, Isiso, Ísu, Isus, Isusa, Iisussa, Isuthi, Itota, Îtu, Isuva, Izesu, Izesuq, Jasus, Jeeju, Jeesus, Jeesus, Jeezas, Jehu, Jeisu, Jeju, Jejus, Jeso, Jesoe, Jesosa, Jesoshi, Jesosy, Jesu, Jesû, Jesua, Jesuh, Jesús, Jésus, Jesúsu, Jethu, Jezed, Jezi, Jézi, Ježiš, Jezu, Jezus, Jézus, Jėzus, Jēzus, Jezusi, Jėzus, Jezuz, Jíísas, Jiizas, Jiijajju, Jisas, Jisase, Jisasi, Jisasɨ, Jisaso, Jisesi, Jisɛ̀, Jisos, Jisọs, Jisɔs, Jisu, Jiszs, Jizọs, Jizɔs, Jizọsi, Jizọsu, Jusu, Jweesus, Ketsutsi, Njises, Sisa, Sísa, Sisas, Sīsū, Sizi, Txesusu, uJesu, ŵaYesu, Xesosi, ´Xesús, Xesús, Yasu, Ya:su, Ɣaysa, Yecu, Yeeb Sub, Yeeh Suh, Yeeso, Yeesso, Yēēsu, Yēēsu, Yehsu, Yëësu, Yeisu, Yeisuw, Yeshu, Yeso, Yesò, Yëso, Yɛso, ye-su, Yésu, Yêsu, Yésʉs, Yeswa, Yet Sut, Yetut, Yexus, Yezo, Yezu, Yiisu, Yiitju, Yisɔs, Yisufa, Yitati, Yusu, ‑Yusu, Zeezi, Zezi, Zezwii, Zîsɛ, Zjezus, Zozi, Zozii. And this does not even include the ways that "Jesus" is written in other writing systems: ᔩᓱᓯ, Հիսուս, ᏥᏌ, ያሱስ, ܝܫܘܥ, Ісус, Їисъ, 耶稣, იესო, ईसा, イエス, 예수, येशू, ພຣະເຢຊູ, ජේසුස්, যীশু, ଯୀଶୁ, ཡེ་ཤུ་, 'ঈছা, இயேசு, ಯೇಸು, ພຣະເຢຊູ, ព្រះយេស៊ូវ, ယေရှု, ઇસુ, जेजू, เยซู, យេស៊ូ, ᱡᱤᱥᱩ, ယေသှု, యేసు, އީސާގެފާނު, ㄧㄝㄙㄨ, YE-SU, ਯਿਸੂ, ꕉꖷ ꔤꕢ ꕞ, عيسي, ⵏ⵿ⵗⵢⵙⴰ, يَسُوعَ, ꑳꌠ (There are many, many more, including vertical writing systems that likely wouldn't display properly here.)

Jesus was an actual historical figure with an actual name who actually lived and died and came back to life and continues to live and will return. But he actually also communicates to everyone in the language that meets each of our needs.