What is in the Name Jerusalem?

By Daniel Fraley

Av 13, 5767/July 28, 2007

       Have you ever wondered where the capital of the world, Jerusalem, got its name?  We have been told it means peace, but where did it originate? When I first started my research into this question, I referred back to Genesis where Abram visited  Melchizedek after he rescues Lot (14:18). Who was this King of  Salem that greets Abram with "Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth.."? All this just drops into the pages of the Bible out of the blue, but what a mystery opening we are confronted with. King of Salem means "King of peace" and Melchizedek means "King of righteousness", and if you go up to Hebrews 7:1,2 He is referred to as a "priest of God Most High". Salem, the land of peace where Jerusalem and the surrounding area is today, has no peace, yet the three major religions go there to seek it. They all look for the King of peace to return there. Before I get off on a tangent about who the Messiah or this King of peace is, I need to get back to the name Jerusalem. We see that where the latter part of the name "salem" comes from, but where does the first part "Jeru" come from? Would you believe it comes from Gods name?

Yahweh Yireh

      Years later, after Abrams name had been changed to Abraham and he has been given his promised  child. He comes back to the land of peace where he once met Melchizedek to give a burnt offering to the God Most High. The Jews call this the "Akedah", or the "binding of Isaac". Here in Genesis 22:13-14, Abraham has his son tied down to the alter to sacrifice him as an obedient act to the God Most High. And God says " Do not lay a hand on the boy, Do not do anything to him for now I know you have faith in Me, for you have not with-held from me your son, your only son." (God referred to Isaac as Abraham's only son because he did not recognise Sarah's need to help Him fulfill His promise to them by offering her hand maiden Hagar.) Abraham looks up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham calls this place "The Lord Will Provide" (Yahweh Yireh). Yireh, is a Hebrew word that derives from the root word "raah" which means "to see" and yireh in this case means "provide". God sees and provides, what a teaching here! God sees the future as well as the past and present and He is able to anticipate and provide for what is needed if we will only trust Him. In English it is interesting that "provide" comes from two Latin words that mean "to see beforehand." Going on to the reason for this article, the "Jeru" in Jerusalem is "sees and provides". So now you know the rest of the story and that Jerusalem means "sees and provides peace".

       Who do you believe this coming provider will be, this "King of Peace", "King of  Righteousness" and "High Priest"? I place my faith on the "Lamb of God" who shed His blood for the atonement of my sins, Yeshua/Jesus the Messiah!