Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Peter Kirk <peterkirk AT qaya.org>]

On 24/08/2004 23:04, MarianneLuban AT aol.com wrote:

> In a message dated 8/24/2004 2:41:51 PM Pacific Daylight Time, 
> patrina AT bestmail.us writes:
>
>
>  
>
> > Marianne, I'd be interested to know - what is the Egyptian meaning of 
> > Puah?
> >
> >    
>
> I can't provide the answer.  My Hertz Pentateuch says that the names "Shifra 
> and Pu'ah" are probably Egyptian.  Others think they are Semitic.  Shifra, as 
> I mentioned previously, is among the name of foreigners given on the Brooklyn 
> papyrus.  So I don't doubt that one is Semitic.  "Swordsearcher" gives the 
> name "Pu'ah" as meaning "splendid".   An old Bible dictionary I have here has 
> Shifra as meaning "handsome" and Pu'ah as "mouth".  So there is not much 
> consensus. ...

Marianne, the sources you quote and the way you use them show clearly 
that you are treading outside your field of expertise here. While the 
male name Pu'ah in Judges (with Alef) may possibly mean "mouth", the 
female name Pu'ah in Exodus (with Ayin) certainly cannot mean this, and 
doesn't derive from any well-known Hebrew root. Your insights on 
Egyptian language are helpful here, but you don't seem to be in the best 
position to contribute on Hebrew language. Thos who live in glasshouses 
shouldn't throw stones.


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