Does the name Jacob mean “deceiver”?
The Hebrew word is עקב, aquob, meaning heel, and it is the origin of the name Jacob. Genesis 25:26: “Afterward his brother came out, and his hand took hold of Esau’s heel; so his name was called Jacob”. This same word, however, has a secondary meaning (aquav), related to deceit or wickedness.
When was Jacob called a deceiver and by whom? The name supplanter or deceiver was Esau’s way of interpreting Jacob’s name. The occasion was when Esau tried to regain the blessing from his father Isaac, Ge 27:36. “And Esau said, “Is he not rightly named Jacob? For he has supplanted me these two times. He took away my birthright, and now look, he has taken away my blessing!” And he said, “Have you not reserved a blessing for me?”
This was Esau’s accusation, but now let’s examine what God’s perspective on Jacob is. Genesis 25:27 states, “So the boys grew. And Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field; but Jacob was a mild man, living in tents.” The Hebrew word for mild is tam, תָּ֭ם, and according to the Theological Wordbook of the OT, the core idea is that of completeness and blamelessness, meaning being whole and entirely in line with truth and facts. Like the sacrifices, they were to be tam in order to be accepted (Lev. 22:21-22). In Psalm 37:36-37, the psalmist compares the wicked man, who will not be remembered, to the blameless or tam, who hopes for a wonderful future of peace.
Notice also how Jacob’s name is written. We see the word heel עקב, but an extra yud letter is added at the start of his name, making it יַעֲקֹב. This same letter is the first of God’s name and is seen as an abbreviation for the divine name. But what does God say about Jacob? He is not the usurper but the one who is wise and complete. His name carries God’s blessing. This is yet another example of misinformation (or fake news) about a Bible character that can now be correctly understood.