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  • From: Chavoux Luyt <chavoux AT gmail.com>
  • To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [b-hebrew] The Name El Shaddai
  • Date: Thu, 2 May 2013 10:58:31 +0100

Shalom all

While much has been made of the Name YHWH as revealed to Moses and its possible meaning, the Name "El Shaddai" by which God revealed Himself to the patriarchs seems to be of less interest.

Most translations translate it as "God Almighty" (perhaps following the LXX?). The term "Shaddai" has been related to 3 possible origins (that I know of):
1. Shadad, (שדד) means "to overpower" or "to destroy" (possibly from an original meaning of "strong")
2. Shadaiym (שָׁדַיִם) meaning "breasts" and pointing to His provision
3. Sadeh (שדה) meaning "veld" or mountain (from Akkadian?) (also connected to His provision for pastoralists from the veld)

(There is also the Mishnaic interpretation that it means "Who is enough" 'She-dai' or "Mi she'Amar Dai L'olamo")

I am wondering if another possibility might not be connected to the word "shed" or "sheddim" (שדים) (Deut.32:17), assuming that this word did not originally have the negative connotation of "devil", but rather (like Greek daimon originally?) a more neutral meaning. In that case it could be functionally equivalent to the later "YHWH Tzevaot" (יהוה צבאות) meaning the God of the heavenly armies?

Regards
Chavoux Luyt



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