Emmanuel Meaning: Exploring ‘God With Us’ in the Bible

Emmanuel Meaning

“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Emmanuel.” – Isaiah 7:14

“Emmanuel” is a mysterious and wonderful name that was given to our Savior Yeshua, even before He was born. In the book of Isaiah, we see the prophecy about the virgin (Mary) who will give birth to a son (Yeshua), and He will be called “Emmanuel.” Now if this is a name we are to call Yeshua, then it must have a very significant meaning. So, let’s dive deeper into this Hebrew word and name…Emmanuel!  

Emmanuel in Hebrew?

Emmanuel is a Hebrew word (עמנואל) that is made up of two parts: “Immanu” meaning “with us”, and “el” meaning God. So together, “Emmanuel” means “God with us.” This is such a powerful name and holds incredible significance to the character of our God. In the beginning when God created humans, He made us in His image and made us so that He could be with us. And yet, when sin entered the world it separated us from Him. Adam and Eve were driven out of Eden and separated from their Creator.

God with Us

We are all separated from God and all need Emmanuel…God with us. God needed to restore this relationship and bring it back to His original design. God designed us to be with Him. Therefore, when He sent His son Yeshua into the world, He sent Him with the destiny of “Emmanuel” God with us. God made Himself flesh and blood and came down to be with us on earth. And He gave up His one and only son, in order to restore the broken relationship with mankind. Yeshua’s life and death expressed the passionate heart of our Heavenly Father wanting all mankind to know that He is with us…Emmanuel!Every human being born into this world is separated from God, and yet through the perfect redeeming blood of Yeshua, we can draw near to the Father and be with Him!

“Remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Yeshua you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Yeshua.”- Ephesians 2:12-13

Why is Yeshua called Emmanuel?

“But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Yeshua, because he will save his people from their sins.’ All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ‘The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Emmanuel (which means “God with us”).’”- Matthew 1:20-23

In Isaiah 7, it says that the virgin will give birth to a son and we are to call Him “Emmanuel.” And yet in the book of Matthew it says that when the son was born they were to call Him Yeshua, which means to rescue, save, and deliver. Therefore, Yeshua would be the very essence of God with us and He would be the one who saves, rescues, and delivers.

Titles of God in Scripture

It is beautiful to see that Yeshua has many names in the Bible. His purpose and calling was so grand that it couldn’t be contained in one word. We can also see in Isaiah chapter 9 a list of other incredible names given to Yeshua. 

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” – Isaiah 9:6Yeshua is our wonderful counselor.

Yeshua is our Mighty God. 

Yeshua is one with our Everlasting Father.

Yeshua is the Prince of Peace.

Yeshua is the one who saves. 

And most of all, Yeshua shows us that God, Himself, is with us!

I AM or YHVH

“Oh come o come Emmanuel” Lyrics Meaning

Many of us have heard this song during the Christmas season, “Oh come, oh come Emmanuel.” However, have you ever stopped to look closely at the lyrics? Here are a few…

“O come, O come, Emmanuel,And ransom captive Israel,That mourns in lonely exile here,Until the Son of God appear.Rejoice! Rejoice! EmmanuelShall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, freeThine own from Satan’s tyranny;From depths of hell Thy people save,And give them victory o’er the grave.Rejoice! Rejoice! EmmanuelShall come to thee, O Israel.”

Addressing Israel

Did you notice that these lyrics are directly speaking to Israel?! As we take a closer look at these words, what exactly are we declaring when we sing this song? We are inviting Yeshua to reveal Himself to Israel, to save them, and to set the captives free. And oh how this means so much more to us in Israel right now, as many loved ones are literally held captive by Hamas in this Iron Swords War. There has been great mourning, sorrow, and trauma in the hearts of the Jewish people here in Israel during this war. 

And yet in the midst of the sorrow, suffering, and war, God wants His people to know that He is with them! Let us sing this song in our prayers for the Jewish people saying, “Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel, shall come to thee, O Israel.” Now more than ever, the nation of Israel needs to know that God has not abandoned them. The war began on October 7th, 2023 and still continues on with no end in sight. It has been about 300 days of war, so you can imagine the intense weariness and heaviness that has settled over the nation. Israel is desperate to know that God is WITH THEM and will rescue them!

Why is it important to know that God is with us?

God with us was the very thing that was taken away in the garden of Eden when sin entered the world. Therefore, it is so important to be reminded of the truth that God is with us and we are not alone. 

God reaffirmed Joshua several times that He was with him in Deuteronomy chapter 31…

Verse 6 – “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Verse 8 – “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

Verse 23 – “The Lord gave this command to Joshua son of Nun: ‘Be strong and courageous, for you will bring the Israelites into the land I promised them on oath, and I myself will be with you.’”

Knowing He is with Us

So, why do you think God had to remind Joshua so many times that He was with him? Knowing that God is with us changes everything. If God is with us, then we will get the victory. If God is with us, then He will protect us, guide us, and provide for us. If God is with us, then we have all we need.  

Even the disciples of Yeshua needed to be reminded that He was with them. After Yeshua died, rose again, and then was about to be taken up to Heaven, He reminded His disciples of their purpose on this earth. And then, his very last words were… And surely, I am with you always…” God knows that we need to continually be reminded of His presence with us, especially because we can’t physically see Him with us. It takes faith to believe He is with us, talking with us, and leading us. 

“Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20

Hope of Heaven

So, if God’s whole purpose of creating humans in the beginning was so that He could be with us, then it makes sense that He made a way for us to be with Him for all of eternity. Through the perfect sacrifice of His Son Yeshua, we now have a way to be with God forever! And the hope of heaven is what we live for. Storing up for ourselves treasures in Heaven, because our greatest treasure…Yeshua or “Emmanuel”…is there!Eternal life is to know God. Knowing the one who created us is the greatest way to live your life. When we lay down our lives for Him, we actually get to experience the fullness of life through Him. 

“Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Yeshua, whom you have sent.” – John 17:3

Yeshua has given us hope of heaven and made a way for us to be with God and God to be with us, Emmanuel, for all of eternity! 

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” – John 3:16

The Depth of our Savior

Exploring Jesus’ Hebrew names and titles, such as Emmanuel”God with us” helps us understand the depth of Yeshua. His divine mission becomes easier to understand. These names reveal the multifaceted nature of His character and His profound love for humanity.

Through His life, death, and resurrection, Yeshua fulfilled the prophecy of God coming to be with us, first on earth, and then forever. He bridged the gap between God and mankind, and offered (and offers) us a restored relationship with our Creator. As we delve into these Hebrew titles, we gain a richer, more intimate knowledge of Jesus, who embodies God’s presence and salvation, bringing hope and eternal life to all who believe in Him.

Yeshua: The Hebrew Name of Jesus (ישוע) – Free PDF Download

What was the name that the disciples called Jesus? Yeshua! What did it mean to them, and what does it mean to us today?

Whether you’re just finding out about Hebrew words and how they can impact your faith, or you have been referring to Jesus by His Hebrew name for decades, we’ve created the perfect guide for you.

Get this PDF

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“The wilderness and the dry lands shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom.” Isaiah 35:1