To speak or to act ‘in the name of, another denoted doing so as a representative of that one. (Ex. 5:23; Deut. 10:8; 18:5, 7, 19-22; 1 Sam. 17:45; Esther 3:12; 8:8, 10) Similarly, to receive a person in the name of someone would indicate a recognition of that one. Therefore, to ‘receive a prophet in the name of a prophet’ would signify receiving a prophet because of his being such. (Matt. 10:41, AV, NW) And to baptize in the “name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit” would mean in recognition of the Father, the Son and the holy spirit.—Matt. 28:19.

REPUTATION OR FAME

In Scriptural usage “name” often denotes fame or reputation. Bringing a bad name upon someone meant making a false accusation against that person, marring his reputation. (Deut. 22:19) To have one’s name ‘cast out as wicked’ would mean a loss of good reputation. (Luke 6:22) It was to make a “celebrated name” for themselves in defiance of Jehovah that men began building a tower and a city after the Flood. (Gen. 11:3, 4) On the other hand, Jehovah promised to make Abram’s (Abraham’s) name great if he would leave his country and relatives to go to another land. (Gen. 12:1, 2) Testifying to the fulfillment of that promise is the fact that to this day few names of ancient times have become as great as Abraham’s, particularly as examples of outstanding faith. Millions still claim to be the heirs of the Abrahamic blessing because of fleshly descent. Similarly, Jehovah made David’s name great by blessing him and granting him victories over the enemies of Israel.—1 Sam. 18:30; 2 Sam. 7:9.

At birth a person has no reputation and therefore his name is little more than a label. That is why Ecclesiastes 7:1 says: “A name is better than good oil, and the day of death than the day of one’s being born.” Not at birth, but during the full course of a person’s life does his “name” take on real meaning in the sense of identifying him either as a person practicing righteousness or as one practicing wickedness. (Prov. 22:1) By Jesus’ faithfulness until death his name became the one name “given among men by which we must get saved,” and he “inherited a name more excellent” than that of the angels. (Acts 4:12; Heb. 1:3, 4) But Solomon, for whom the hope was expressed that his name might become “more splendid” than David’s, went into death with the name of a backslider as to true worship. (1 Ki. 1:47; 11:6, 9-11) Thus, of those making a name for themselves as loyal to the end, the psalmist says: “Precious in the eyes of Jehovah is the death of his loyal ones.” (Ps. 116:15; compare Philippians 4:3; Revelation 3:4, 5, 12, 13.) However, “the very name of the wicked ones will rot,” or become an odious stench. (Prov. 10:7) For this reason a good name “is to be chosen rather than abundant riches.”—Prov. 22:1.

NAMES WRITTEN IN THE “BOOK OF LIFE”

It appears that Jehovah God, figuratively speaking, has been writing names in the book of life from the “founding of the world.” (Rev. 17:8) Since Christ Jesus spoke of Abel as living at the “founding of the world,” this would indicate that the reference is to the world of ransomable mankind that came into existence after children were born to Adam and Eve. (Luke 11:48-51) Abel’s name would evidently be the first one recorded on that symbolic scroll.

The list of names appearing on the scroll of life, however, are not names of persons who have been predestined to gain God’s approval and life. This is evident from the fact that the Scriptures speak of ‘blotting out’ names from the “book of life.” So it appears that only when a person becomes a servant of Jehovah is his name written in the “book of life,” and only if he continues faithful is his name retained in that book.—Rev. 3:5; 17:8; compare Exodus 32:32, 33; Luke 10:20; Philippians 4:3.

NAMES RECORDED IN THE LAMB’S SCROLL

Similarly, the names of persons worshiping the symbolic wild beast have not been recorded in the Lamb’s scroll. (Rev. 13:8) That wild beast received its authority, power and throne from the dragon, Satan the Devil. (Those who worship the wild beast are therefore a part of the ‘serpent’s seed.’ (Rev. 13:2; compare John 8:44; Revelation 12:9.) Even before children were born to Adam and Eve, Jehovah God indicated that there would be enmity between the ‘seed of the woman’ and the ‘seed of the serpent.’ (Gen. 3:15) Thus from the founding of the world it had already been determined that no worshiper of the wild beast would have his name written in the Lamb’s scroll. Only persons sacred from God’s standpoint were to be so privileged.—Rev. 21:27.

In view of the fact that this scroll belongs to the Lamb, logically the names appearing on it would be those of persons given to him by God. (Rev. 13:8; John 17:9, 24) It is therefore noteworthy that the next reference to the Lamb in the book of Revelation depicts him as standing on Mount Zion with 144,000 persons bought from among mankind.—Rev. 14:1-5.

NAOMI

(Naʹomi) [my pleasantness].

Mother-in-law of Ruth, who was an ancestress of David and of Jesus Christ.—Matt. 1:5.

Naomi was the wife of Elimelech, an Ephrathite of Bethlehem in Judah, in the days of the Judges. During a severe famine she and her husband and their two sons, Mahlon and Chilion, moved to Moab. There Elimelech died. The sons then married Moabite women, Orpah and Ruth, but about ten years later these sons died childless.—Ruth 1:1-5.

The bereaved Naomi decided to return to Judah. Her two widowed daughters-in-law started to accompany her, but Naomi recommended that they return and marry in their own land, for Naomi herself had “grown too old to get to belong to a husband,” and could provide no sons as husbands for them. Orpah turned back, but Ruth stuck with Naomi, out of love for Naomi and her God Jehovah.—Ruth 1:6-17.

Upon arrival in Bethlehem, Naomi said to the women greeting her: “Do not call me Naomi [my pleasantness]. Call me Mara [bitter], for the Almighty has made it very bitter for me.” (Ruth 1:18-21) Since it was the time of barley harvest, Ruth lovingly went to work gleaning for the support of Naomi and herself, and by chance she lighted upon the field of Boaz. (2:1-18) When she told Naomi in whose field she was working, Naomi recognized the hand of Jehovah in the matter, inasmuch as Boaz was a near kinsman of Elimelech and therefore one of the repurchasers. She encouraged Ruth to bring this fact to Boaz’ attention. (2:19–3:18) Boaz quickly responded, following the customary legal procedure in repurchasing Elimelech’s property from Naomi. Ruth then became the wife of Boaz in Naomi’s behalf, in accord with the law of levirate or brother-in-law marriage. When a son was born to them, the neighbor ladies gave it the name Obed, saying: “A son has been born to Naomi.” Thus Obed became legal heir to the Judean house of Elimelech.—Ruth 4:1-22.

NAPHISH

(Naʹphish) [perhaps, refresher].

The eleventh listed of Ishmael’s twelve sons. (Gen. 25:13-16; 1 Chron. 1:29-31) As chieftain he also headed an Ishmaelite tribe that took his name and presumably resided in territory bordering on the E or NE frontier of the Promised Land. In the days of Saul the Israelite tribes of Reuben, Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh living E of the Jordan successfully made war on the Hagrites and their confederates, including the tribe of Naphish, and captured a great quantity of livestock and people. (1 Chron. 5:10, 18-22) It is possible, as some scholars suggest, that these Naphish captives were put to work as Nethinim slaves of the sanctuary, and that after the return from Babylonian exile their descendants were called the sons