What's In A Name?

What's in a persons name? The Bible is full of people and characters that would come to define their times, their families, and their world.  Here are just a few names taken from the Old Testament of the Bible that have meanings that would come to encapsulate their bearers. All name meanings taken from the NIV Bible published by Zondervan. 


Adam means the man
Eve probably means living
Noah sounds like the Hebrew word for comfort
Peleg means division
Abram means exalted father
Abraham (after name change) means father of many
Ishmael means God hears
Isaac means he laughs
Jacob means he grasps the heel
Israel (after name change) means he struggles with God (how true that turned out)
Esau may mean hairy
Esau was also called Edom which means red
Melchizedek means King of Righteousness 
also Melchizedek was King of Salem which means King of Peace 

Abraham calling on the name of the LORD