Biblical Hebrew Forum

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

Concerning ELIMELEX, a name is not a word.

Isaac Fried, Boston University

On Jun 1, 2010, at 10:21 PM, K Randolph wrote:

> George:
>
> Though those word plays bring a smile to the face, are they legit?
>
> On Tue, Jun 1, 2010 at 6:05 PM, George Athas  
> <George.Athas AT moore.edu.au>wrote:
>
> > What do we make of some of the personal names in Ruth:
> >
> > Mahlon = 'Critically ill' (Guess what he does: he dies!)
>
> Is this from XLH to be soft, also often referring to the softness  
> brought
> about by illness or wounds, or is this connected with XLL to make  
> common,
> i.e. bring into production, where Naomi exclaims “I’m on a roll  
> here, I’m
> producing babies!”?
>
>
> > Chilion = 'Terminally ill' (Guess what he does: he dies!)
>
> Are you sure that this isn’t from KLH as in “I’m finished, that’s  
> all the
> boys there will be.”?
>
>
> > Orpah = 'Back-of-the-neck girl' (Guess what she does: she turns  
> > her back on
> > Naomi)
>
> Are you sure that this wasn’t connected with (RP to issue forth, as  
> in “Look
> at what came out!”? I.e. she was considered a real beauty?
>
>
> > Ruth = 'companion' (Guess what she does: she acts as Naomi's  
> > companion)
>
> Where does this meaning come from? Are you sure it’s not from RWH to
> moisten, i.e. give a drink, also used of freshness and strength, the
> opposite of being dried up and hard?
>
>
> > Naomi = 'Sweetie' (She's anything but, and she knows it, too)
>
> She referred it to the fact that life had been bitter to her.
>
> Boaz = 'Strongly/Lively' (Guess what he does: he comes to the rescue)
> >
>
> Are you sure this is not from a root that was not preserved in the  
> Bible? Or
> was he among the goats?
>
> > Should these wordplays figure in a discussion on the dating of the  
> > book of
> > Ruth?
>
> What about the name of the father, Elimelech, my God is king?
>
> > GEORGE ATHAS
> > Moore Theological College (Sydney, Australia)
> > www.moore.edu.au
>
>
> Your descriptions are a little bit too facile, though I admit a lot  
> of fun.
>
> Karl W. Randolph.
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