Israel is a
Biblical given name. The patriarch
Jacob was given the name
Israel (
Hebrew: יִשְׂרָאֵל,
Standard Tiberian ; "Triumphant with God", "who prevails with God") after he wrestled with an angel ( and 35:10). The name already occurs in
Eblaite and
Ugaritic texts as a common name. Commentators differ on the original literal meaning. Some say the name comes from the verb
śarar ("to rule, be strong, have authority over"), thereby making the name mean "God rules" or "God judges". Other possible meanings include "the prince of God" (from the
King James Version) or "
El fights/struggles". "The Jewish Study Bible" of
Oxford University Press says on page 68 "The scientific etymology of
Israel is uncertain, a good guess being '[The God] El rules.'" Jacob's descendants came to be known as the
Israelites, eventually forming the
tribes of Israel and ultimately the
kingdom of Israel, whence came the name of modern-day
Israel.