Nabouchodonosor is the Greek form of the name Nebuchadnezzar, appearing in the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible (the Septuagint). The name originates from the Akkadian Nabu-kudurri-usur, meaning 'Nabu protect my eldest son,' composed of the god Nabu, kudurru ('eldest son'), and an imperative form of naṣāru ('to protect').
Historical and Biblical Context
Nebuchadnezzar II (c. 605–562 BCE) was the most famous ruler of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, renowned for his military campaigns, architectural projects (including the Hanging Gardens of Babylon), and his central role in the Hebrew Bible. According to the Old Testament, he captured Jerusalem in 597 BCE, destroyed Solomon's Temple in 586 BCE, and deported the Jewish elite to Babylon—events that profoundly shaped Jewish history and theology. The Greek rendering Nabouchodonosor was used by Hellenistic Jewish scribes when translating the Bible into Greek, directly adapting the Hebrew form Nevukhadnetztzar.
The Septuagint consistently uses this Greek spelling, which passed into later Christian usage via the Latin Vulgate as Nabuchodonosor. The name is thus a testament to the linguistic mediation of biblical names through Greek, Hebrew, and Latin traditions.
Notable Bearers in History
Beyond Nebuchadnezzar II, a 12th-century BCE Babylonian king also bore the name Nebuchadnezzar, but he is less historically prominent. In the Greek Bible, Nabouchodonosor is exclusively identified with the biblical king, making it a direct reference to the ruler remembered in the Book of Daniel and 2 Kings.
Related Forms
Related names include the Akkadian original Nabu-Kudurri-Usur, the Biblical Hebrew Nevukhadnetztzar, and the Latin form Nabuchodonosor. These variants reflect the name's journey across languages and cultures.
- Meaning: 'Nabu protect my eldest son'
- Origin: Akkadian, via Greek
- Type: First name
- Usage regions: Greek Bible (Septuagint)