Biblical Hebrew Forum

[George Athas <George.Athas AT moore.edu.au>]

The debate is whether אל is being used as a common or proper noun. It appears 
to be an attributive construction, but the phrase itself often functions as 
though it's a proper noun.

Not sent from my iPad (coz I don't have one)

GEORGE ATHAS
Director of Postgraduate Studies,
Moore Theological College (moore.edu.au)
Sydney, Australia



From: "Donald R. Vance" <donaldrvance AT mac.com<mailto:donaldrvance AT mac.com>>
Date: Wed, 10 Aug 2011 01:40:14 -0500
To: George Athas <george.athas AT moore.edu.au<mailto:george.athas AT moore.edu.au>>
Cc: B-Hebrew <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org<mailto:b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>>
Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] El = God?

Darn tootin' it's debated. I don't see how Gen 14:18 can be anything but a 
reference to the Canaanite deity.

Sent from my iPad
Donald R. Vance
dvance AT oru.edu<mailto:dvance AT oru.edu>
donaldrvance AT mac.com<mailto:donaldrvance AT mac.com>

On Aug 9, 2011, at 8:05 AM, George Athas 
<George.Athas AT moore.edu.au<mailto:George.Athas AT moore.edu.au>> wrote:

Karl is correct, that the word אל is a common noun for 'deity'. However, it 
is often used practically as a Proper Name for the president or father of the 
gods in the Canaanite pantheon. This is confirmed in Ugaritic, for example. 
However, in Hebrew, it is very rarely used that way, if ever (it's 
occasionally debated, though).
GEORGE ATHAS
Director of Postgraduate Studies,
Moore Theological College (moore.edu.au)
Sydney, Australia
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