Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Isaac Fried <if AT math.bu.edu>]

Yaakov,

Here are the names:

1. $AMU(A BEN ZAKUR.  A good listener and good at remembering what he  
hears.
2. $APAT BEN XORI. Of good judgement and a noble father.
3. CALEB BEN YEPUNEH. CALEB  = C-EL-AB has nothing to do with dog.  
Turns, like his father, to YA. Methinks that CALEB is a variant of  
LEVI = EL-AB-HI). I also hold it possible that the L in LABAN, LE)AH  
and RAXEL are also of such an indication.
4. YIG)AL BEN YOSEP. Good at extricating and deliverance.
5. HO$E(A BIN NUN. Trusts God for help.
6. PALTI BEN RAPU(. Good at sneaking and evasion.
7. GADIEL BEN SODI. Attached, )AGUD, to God and good at covert missions.
8. GADI BEN SUSI. Good with horses.
9. (AMIEL BEN GMALI. Good with camels.
10. STUR BEN MIKAEL. Good at concealing.
11. NAXBI BEN WAPSI. Good at hiding, namely NA-XBI).
12. G(UEL BEN MAKI. Trusts in God's might, GE)UT, but otherwise  
modest, or not too tall, like his father.

Isaac Fried, Boston University

On Jun 29, 2008, at 4:07 AM, Yaakov Stein wrote:

> The names of the spies in Numbers 13
> (with the exception of the well-known Yehoshua and Caleb)
> seem to be somewhat different than names encountered before
> (e.g. the names of the princes earlier in Numbers).
> They are mostly shorter, often end in Y (rather than )L or )B or $DY),
> and certainly more cryptic.
>
> Two, in particular, hint at "secretness"  SODY and STUR.
>
> Could these names be code names, like 007 ?
> Or are these simply names of the younger generation ?
>
> Yaakov (J) Stein
>
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