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b-hebrew - Re: [b-hebrew] Elizabeth

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  • From: Peter Kirk <peterkirk AT qaya.org>
  • To: "Unikom-Ug Corp." <unikom AT paco.net>
  • Cc: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Elizabeth
  • Date: Mon, 17 May 2004 11:24:32 -0700

On 16/05/2004 12:29, Unikom-Ug Corp. wrote:

I'm not sure if this list is a proper place to ask, but perhaps someone can
explain me:

are there any grammatical (not doctrinal) reasons beyond the change of
"Elizabeth" etymology from Jezebel in Weekley to Elisheba?


Well, where I come from my head might be in danger for linking my queen's name to that of Jezebel. :-)

"Elizabeth" is highly unlikely to derive from "Jezebel" as the order of the consonants is different, and because a good Jewish woman was called Elizabeth and would surely not have been named after the evil queen Jezebel.

Consider the variant forms Jehoshabeath in 2 Chronicles 22:11 and Jehosheba in 2 Kings 11:2. -Sheba (masculine) became -Shabeath (feminine), which could easily become -Sabet in Greek (Luke 1:7) because Greek has no letter "sh", and thence -Zabeth in English. So the underlying Hebrew was probably Elishabeath, which would be a variant of Elisheba.

--
Peter Kirk
peter AT qaya.org (personal)
peterkirk AT qaya.org (work)
http://www.qaya.org/





  • [b-hebrew] Elizabeth, Unikom-Ug Corp., 05/16/2004
    • Re: [b-hebrew] Elizabeth, Peter Kirk, 05/17/2004

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