Biblical Hebrew Forum

[TedBro AT aol.com]

Hi, All:
 
In ancient times, people's names often carried an imbedded divine name or  
attribute. Elizabeth and Israel are examples of El, God at the beginning and 
end  of human names. Jehonatan and Isaiah are examples of imbedded YHWH or 
YH. There  are also more than a few examples of Baal being used in personal 
names, e.g.  Jonathan's son Merib-baal. 
 
If you want to see something most interesting, yielding some insight into  
the mind set of the scribes, check out the origins and occurences of  
Ishbosheth.
 
I hope this overview provides clear evidence that the inclusion of a  
theophoric element in a personal name does not indicate anything about the  
divine status of the bearer as a god, messiah, priest or prophet.
 
_http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theophoric_name_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theophoric_name) 
 
Warm Regards,
Ted Brownstein