The name change signifies God's grace — the added H is the fifth Hebrew letter, and five is Scripture's number of grace.
Les Feldick points out that Abram became Abraham by the addition of the letter H, and Sarai became Sarah the same way. He identifies H as the fifth letter of the Hebrew alphabet and says the number five is consistently the number of grace in Scripture. The renaming comes right before God's promise that Sarah would bear Isaac, showing the covenant promise was an act of grace rather than human effort.
Genesis 17:5 — This verse records the actual renaming of Abram to Abraham, the exact change asked about.
Genesis 17:15 — Shows God also changing Sarai's name to Sarah with the same H and leading into the promise of a son.
Genesis 17:19 — Shows the covenant son is Isaac, not Ishmael.
The Bible records the renaming in the context of God's covenant promises. In Genesis 17:5, God tells Abram, "Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee." In Genesis 17:15, God also changes Sarai's name: "As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be." The next verse immediately connects this name change to the promise of a son: "And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her." When Abraham asks God to let Ishmael live, Scripture records God's response: "Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him" (Genesis 17:19). Scripture itself, however, does not give a symbolic explanation for the letter H — that interpretation is Les Feldick's teaching.
Les Feldick teaches that the key to the name change is the letter H. He repeatedly notes that Abram became Abraham and Sarai became Sarah by adding H. He explains that H is the fifth letter of the Hebrew alphabet and that the number five is consistently the number of grace in Scripture, so the added H points to God's grace. He also connects the letter H with the divine name Yahweh/Jehovah. Les places the name changes within God's covenant promise. He notes that Abraham had been waiting about fifty years for a son and had already tried to produce an heir through Hagar. When Abraham suggested Ishmael, God made clear that Sarah would bear Isaac and that the covenant would be established with Isaac, not Ishmael.
Les teaches that the only letter added to Abram's name was H, and the same H was added to Sarai's name to make Sarah. He identifies H as the fifth letter of the Hebrew alphabet and points out that the number five is consistently the number of grace in Scripture. He also links the letter H with the divine name Yahweh/Jehovah. Les further observes that Abraham's life milestones are divisible by five: he left Ur at 75, Isaac was born when he was 100, and he lived to 175.
The naming of Abraham and Sarah in Genesis 17 is immediately followed by God's promise: "And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her" (Genesis 17:16). Les emphasizes that Abraham had already waited about fifty years for this promise and had tried to produce an heir through Hagar, a plan that came from Sarai's impatience using the surrogate customs of Hammurabi. When Abraham suggested Ishmael, God answered that Sarah would bear Isaac and that the covenant would be established with Isaac, not Ishmael.
Scripture records that Abram's new name is connected to being "a father of many nations" — "for a father of many nations have I made thee" (Genesis 17:5). The Bible does not provide a symbolic explanation of the added H. The connection between the fifth letter, the number five, and grace is part of Les Feldick's teaching from these passages, not a statement explicitly made in the Genesis text.
Jacob Becomes Israel — What Romans 9 Says About True Faith
8, "...the LORD sent a word into Jacob, and it hath lighted upon Israel." Now do you see what that says? In other words, when God would speak through the prophets, it went to the whole nation of Israel. They all heard it, but how many truly responded? The believing element, the Israel.
Introduction of the H
Les highlights that Abram became Abraham by adding primarily the letter H, and Sarai later became Sarah with the same H.
Name Changes and Covenant Promise
Les sets the name changes within God's covenant promises, noting Abraham had been waiting about fifty years for the promised son.
The H and Divine Names
Les connects the number 5 to grace and the letter H to Yahweh/Jehovah while discussing Sarah's name change.
H as the Fifth Hebrew Letter
Les calls H the fifth letter of the Hebrew alphabet and ties the name changes to God's repeated promise of a son through Sarah.
Covenant Through Isaac, Not Ishmael
Les shows that when Abraham suggested Ishmael, God answered that Sarah would bear Isaac and the covenant would be established with Isaac.
Background: Abraham and Sarah's Impatience
Les explains that before the name change, Sarah gave Hagar to Abraham as a surrogate, a custom from Hammurabi's law, setting the context for why God's promise of a son through Sarah was gracious.
Number Five and Abraham's Life
Les teaches that 5 is the number of grace throughout Scripture and that H is the fifth letter; he observes Abraham's milestones are divisible by 5.
Genesis 17:5: Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.
This is the central verse where God changes Abram's name to Abraham.
Genesis 17:15: And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be.
Shows the same name-change pattern applied to Sarai.
Genesis 17:16: And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her.
Ties Sarah's renaming to the promise that she will bear a son.
Genesis 17:19: And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.
Identifies Isaac, not Ishmael, as the son of the covenant.
Scripture says God told Abram, "for a father of many nations have I made thee" (Genesis 17:5). Les Feldick's teaching focuses on the added H as the fifth Hebrew letter, connecting the name change to grace.
Les points out that God said Sarai would be called Sarah, adding the same H. Both names were changed in the context of God's promise that Sarah would bear Abraham a son.
When Abraham suggested Ishmael, God said Sarah would bear a son named Isaac and that His covenant would be established with Isaac, not Ishmael (Genesis 17:19). Les notes that God was not casting off Ishmael's people as nothing.
Watch the Teaching: Jacob Becomes Israel — What Romans 9 Says About True Faith