Akademik

Isaac m

Biblical name, borne by the son of Abraham, who was about to be sacrificed by his father according to a command of God which was changed at the last moment. A ram, caught in a nearby thicket, was sacrificed instead (Genesis 22: 1–13). Isaac lived on to marry Rebecca and become the father of Esau and Jacob. The derivation of the name is not certain; it has traditionally been connected with the Hebrew verb meaning ‘to laugh’. In the Middle Ages it seems to have been borne only by Jews, but it was taken up by the Puritans in the 17th century and has continued in use since then among Christians in the English-speaking world, although it is still more common among Jews.

Pet form: English (esp. U.S.): Ike.