Biblical Hebrew Forum

[CS Bartholomew <jacksonpollock AT earthlink.net>]

On 7/25/03 8:50 AM, "Debbie" <debbie AT cybertheology.net> wrote:

> A friend has asked me if I can throw any light on the Hebrew roots of
> the name Gabriel (Dan 8:15, 9:21).

J.J. Collins* Gabriel "is referred to as 'the man Gabriel'  h)y$ gbry)l
probably because of the element gbr, man, in the name."

"The names of the angels proliferated in the Hellenistic period. The names
themselves, however, are typically archaic theophoric names, ending with the
name of the Canaanite god El, who was, of course, identified with YHWH in
the Hebrew Bible. There is no evidence, however, that these names are older
than the Hellenistic period."


greetings,
Clay Bartholomew 
 
*page 338-339, Dictionary of  Deities and Demons in the Bible, 2nd ed.
Brill/Eerdmans 1999