of Baal. names referring to Yah, a shortened form of Yahweh. names referring to Levantine deities (especially the storm god, Hadad) by the epithet Baal, meaning lord. In later times, as the conflict between Yahwism and the more popular pagan practices became increasingly intense, these names were censored and Baal was replaced with Bosheth, meaning shameful one. However the name Yahweh does not appear in theophoric names until the time of Joshua, and for the most part is very rare until the time of King Saul, when it began to be very popular. El Ariel: "lion of God" Daniel: "God is my judge" or "justice from God" Elijah: "my God is YHWH" Elihu: "He is my God" Elisha: "my God is salvation" Elisheba (Elizabeth): "my God is an oath" or "my God is abundance" Immanuel: "God is with us" Ezekiel: "God will strengthen" Gabriel: "God is my strength" Ishmael: "God listens" Israel: "who struggles with God" Joel: "YHWH is God" Lemuel: "Dedicated/Devoted to God" Michael: "Who is like God" Nathaniel: "God-given" or "gift of God" Raphael: "God heals/God is great" Samuel: "God heard" Uriel: "God is my light" Uzziel: "God is my strength" Yahweh The name of the Israelite deity YHWH (usually shortened to Yah or Yahu, and Yeho or Yo) appears as a prefix or suffix in many theophoric names of the First Temple Period. For example, Yirme-yahu (Jeremiah), Yesha-yahu (Isaiah), Netan-yah, Yedid-yah, Adoni-yah, Nekhem-yah, Yeho-natan (Jonathan), Yeho-chanan (John), Yeho-shua (Joshua), Yeho-tzedek, Zekharya (Zechariah). "Yahū" or "Yah" is the abbreviation of YHWH when used as a suffix in Hebrew names; as a prefix it appears as "Yehō-", or "Yo". It was formerly thought to be abbreviated from the Masoretic pronunciation "Yehovah". There is an opinion that, as Yahweh is likely an imperfective verb form, "Yahu" is its corresponding preterite or jussive short form: compare yiŝtahaweh (imperfective), yiŝtáhû (preterit or jussive short form) = "do obeisance". Abijah: "my father is YHWH" Hezekiah: "YHWH strengthens" Isaiah: "YHWH is salvation" Jedediah: "friend of YHWH" Jeremiah (Jeremy): "YHWH will raise" Jonathan: "YHWH has given" Joseph: "YHWH shall increase" Josiah: "YHWH saves" Matityahu (Matthew): "gift of YHWH" Micah/Micaiah: "who is like YHWH?" Nehemiah: "YHWH comforts" Obadiah: "servant of YHWH" Toviyahu (Tobias): "the goodness of YHWH" Uriah: "YHWH is my light" Uzziah: "YHWH is my strength" Yehoshua (Joshua)/Yeshua (Jesus): "YHWH will save" Yohanan (John): "graced by YHWH" Zechariah (Zachary): "YHWH has remembered" Zephaniah: "hidden by