Knowing the Original Names of the Books in the Scriptures

When most people think of the books in the Scriptures, they likely think of their modern English names: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, and so on. However, it’s important to remember that these names are translations, NOT transliterations of their proper names in Hebrew.

For example, the book of Genesis, which tells the story of creation and the early history of humanity, is called “Barashiyth” which means “in the beginning,” and is a fitting title for a book that begins with the story of creation.

Similarly, the book of Exodus, which recounts the Children of Yashra’Al escape from slavery in Matasariym (Egypt), is called “Shamuth” which means “the names,” which refers to the list of names of the Children of Yashar’Al that appears at the beginning of the book.

As you can see, the English translations strip the proper context and meaning of the books. Other examples of original names for books in the Scriptures include Leviticus, which is really “U’Yaqara,” which means “and He called.” The book of Numbers is really “Bamadbar,” which means “in the wilderness,” and Deuteronomy is “Dabariym,” which means “words.” These names may not be as commonly known as their English counterparts, but it is important to know the proper names and meanings of the books in the Scriptures to understand their proper context and meaning.