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Hephzibah
What is the
meaning of 'Hephzibah' in the Bible?
“No longer will they call you Deserted, or
name your land Desolate. But you will be called Hephzibah, and your land
Beulah; for the LORD will take delight in you, and your land will be married.” (Isaiah 62:4 English Standard Version)
In Old Testament times, the Israelites understood the power
behind a name.
Whether
there was actual spiritual blessing or power imparted through a God-given name,
or whether the names given simply powerfully influenced the thoughts and
beliefs of persons about themselves, the names of the Old Testament characters
in many ways predicted or foreshadowed important characteristics or the roles
that they would play.
“Hephzibah” is found twice in the Old Testament (2 Kings 21:1 and Isaiah 62:4).
Translated from the original Hebrew, Hephzibah literally means, “My
delight is in her.”
In 2 Kings
21:1, Hephzibah is the name of King
Hezekiah’s wife.
The name Hephzibah or Hafzbah expresses a very
clear idea.
Since the
same root hafz means
"guarding" or "taking care of," all words from this root
suggest the idea of "safeguarding," and therefore the name Hephzibah
means not only someone who evokes delight, but also "one who is
guarded," a "protected one."
The more enigmatic use of the term can be
found in Isaiah 62:4: “No longer will they call you Deserted, or
name your land Desolate. But you will be called Hephzibah, and your land
Beulah; for the LORD will take delight in you, and your land will be married.”
In this
passage, God is speaking to the nation of Israel, who had turned from a
monotheistic worship of the one, true God to a mishmash of idolatry, including
worship of the Baals and Ashtoreth, in combination with worship of God.
Because of
this “adultery,” God turned from Israel, and the Northern Kingdom was invaded
by the Assyrians in 732 BC, which resulted in the loss of the northern
territory surrounding the Sea of Galilee.
In 722 BC,
the Samarian area fell to Assyria, resulting in the deportation of vast numbers
of the Israelites to other parts of the Assyrian Empire.
Isaiah 62:4 is a message of hope to the nation of Israel.
God plans
to change its name from Deserted and Desolate to Hephzibah and Beulah.
Beulah means
“married.”
When God changes a name in the Bible, it conveys
transformation, a second chance, and a new beginning.
This
passage promises the restoration of Israel to a place of favor and protection
in God’s sight.
Through
this passage, the whole world knows that God finds delight in Israel and is
married to her.
He will no
longer forsake His people.
The Lord
has sworn to never again allow a conqueror to overcome Israel, and Israel will
exist in a sanctuary of safety.
Israel
would prepare the way for all those to come to receive the Lord’s salvation.
Ultimately
through Israel, Jesus came bringing His reward and recompense, fulfilling the
Old Testament prophetic passages for the Messiah.
Israel will be called “the Holy People, the Redeemed of the LORD;
and you will be called Sought After, the City No Longer Deserted” (Isaiah 62:12).
Since its
rebirth in 1948, the nation of Israel has survived despite the fact that it is
totally surrounded by enemies sworn to its destruction.
For those
familiar with Isaiah 62:4, however, the persistence of Israel should come as no
surprise.
The
message of hope to the nation of Israel is ultimately a message of hope to all
mankind, for from Israel comes the hope of the ages, the Messiah, Jesus Christ.
hebpziba
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