THE NAMES OF THE PROPHETS IN THE ARABIC BIBLE AND THE QUR'AN
Why Do the Names Differ?
By Dr. Maxwell Shimba
Shimba Theological Institute
Introduction
One of the most fascinating differences between the Arabic Bible and the Qur'an is the way many biblical figures are named. While the Arabic Bible generally preserves names that closely reflect the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek forms, the Qur'an often uses different Arabic names.
This raises important historical and theological questions.
Why does the Arabic Bible call Jesus Yasūʿ (يسوع) while the Qur'an calls Him ʿĪsā (عيسى)?
Why does the Arabic Bible call John the Baptist Yūḥannā (يوحنا) while the Qur'an calls him Yaḥyā (يحيى)?
Are these merely linguistic differences, or do they reflect a different religious tradition?
Comparing the Names
| Biblical Person | Original Hebrew/Aramaic | Greek | Arabic Bible | Qur'an |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jesus | Yeshua (ישוע) | Iēsous | Yasūʿ (يسوع) | ʿĪsā (عيسى) |
| John the Baptist | Yohanan (יוחנן) | Iōannēs | Yūḥannā (يوحنا) | Yaḥyā (يحيى) |
| Jonah | Yonah (יונה) | Iōnas | Yūnus (يونس) or Yūnān in some traditions | Yūnus (يونس) |
| Daniel | Daniyyel | Daniēl | Dāniyāl (دانيال) | Not mentioned by name |
| Moses | Moshe | Mōysēs | Mūsā | Mūsā |
| Abraham | Avraham | Abraam | Ibrāhīm | Ibrāhīm |
Notice that not every name differs. Some names, such as Moses and Abraham, are shared between the Arabic Bible and the Qur'an. Others, however, are remarkably different.
Jesus: Yasūʿ vs. ʿĪsā
The historical name of Jesus was the Aramaic Yeshua (Yeshooʿa).
The Greek New Testament renders this as Iēsous.
Arabic-speaking Christians have, for centuries, called Jesus:
يسوع (Yasūʿ)
This closely follows the original pronunciation.
The Qur'an, however, consistently calls Him:
عيسى (ʿĪsā)
This form is unique.
Unlike "Yasūʿ," it does not directly correspond to the Hebrew or Aramaic form of Jesus' name.
The origin of "ʿĪsā" has been debated by historians and linguists for centuries. Proposed explanations include borrowing from Syriac, influence from other Semitic dialects, or development within the Arabic-speaking environment of Late Antiquity. There is no scholarly consensus on why the Qur'an uses this form.
John the Baptist: Yūḥannā vs. Yaḥyā
John's Hebrew name was:
Yohanan
meaning:
"YHWH has been gracious."
The Greek New Testament calls him:
Iōannēs
The Arabic Bible preserves this naturally:
يوحنا (Yūḥannā)
Yet the Qur'an introduces a different name:
يحيى (Yaḥyā)
This is not simply another pronunciation of Yohanan.
It is an entirely different Arabic name.
The Qur'an itself states that this name had not been given to anyone before (Qur'an 19:7), presenting it as a special divinely bestowed name.
Jonah
In this case, the Arabic Bible and the Qur'an are much closer.
Hebrew:
Yonah
Greek:
Iōnas
Arabic:
Yūnus (يونس)
Here there is little disagreement.
The Meaning Hidden in Biblical Names
Many biblical names contain part of God's covenant name:
YHWH
For example:
Yohanan
means:
"YHWH is gracious."
Likewise, the longer form of Jesus' Hebrew name (Yehoshua) incorporates the divine name and means:
"YHWH saves."
These meanings are rooted in Hebrew etymology. Whether or not later language forms visibly preserve those elements, the underlying Hebrew names do.
Nebuchadnezzar Changed Hebrew Names
The Bible records another famous episode involving changed names.
Daniel 1:6–7 says Nebuchadnezzar renamed the young Hebrew captives:
Daniel → Belteshazzar
Hananiah → Shadrach
Mishael → Meshach
Azariah → Abednego
This was not merely administrative.
Their Hebrew names honored the God of Israel.
Their Babylonian names reflected Babylonian religious culture and deities.
The renaming symbolized the attempt to reshape their identity under Babylonian rule.
An Important Question
Some Christian apologists ask whether the Qur'an's distinctive naming of certain biblical figures should be viewed in a similar light—as reflecting a new religious tradition that reinterprets earlier biblical history.
They argue that:
the Arabic Bible preserves forms closer to the biblical originals;
the Qur'an sometimes introduces names not found in the Bible's Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek textual traditions; and
this may signal theological reinterpretation rather than simple translation.
Muslim scholars, however, generally respond that the Qur'anic names represent authentic forms revealed by God, regardless of whether they match the forms preserved in the Bible or other ancient manuscripts.
Readers should therefore distinguish between historical-linguistic evidence and theological interpretation.
Does History Repeat Itself?
Nebuchadnezzar sought to reshape the identity of God's people through new names associated with his own religious world.
Some Christian critics of Islam suggest that the Qur'an's use of distinctive names similarly reflects the formation of a new religious identity centered on its own sacred history rather than preserving biblical naming traditions.
Whether this analogy is persuasive is ultimately a theological judgment rather than a historical conclusion. The biblical account explicitly attributes Nebuchadnezzar's renaming to Babylonian imperial policy, while the Qur'an presents its names as divinely revealed.
Conclusion
The Arabic Bible and the Qur'an tell many of the same stories but often use different names for key figures.
The Arabic Bible generally follows the names found in the Hebrew and Greek Scriptures:
Jesus → Yasūʿ
John → Yūḥannā
The Qur'an instead uses:
ʿĪsā
Yaḥyā
These differences have generated centuries of discussion among linguists, historians, Christians, and Muslims.
For Christians, the preservation of biblical names is significant because names in Scripture often carry theological meaning connected to God's covenant with Israel.
For Muslims, the Qur'anic forms are accepted as part of divine revelation.
The comparison invites careful study of the historical development of both traditions and encourages readers to examine the textual evidence for themselves.
If you'd like, I can also prepare this as a professional two-page infographic in your usual black-and-gold apologetics style, including a comparison table of 20 biblical names in the Arabic Bible versus the Qur'an.
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