Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Chavoux Luyt <chavoux AT gmail.com>]

Shalom Jim

On 2 September 2013 11:06, <b-hebrew-request AT lists.ibiblio.org> wrote:

From: jimstinehart AT aol.com
To: if AT math.bu.edu, nir AT ccet.ufrn.br
Cc: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
Date: Sun, 1 Sep 2013 21:54:04 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] The Names עשו ESAW and לוי LEWIY; The Name "Rachel"

The Name “Rachel”

 

<snip> 

The conventional scholarly view of this name is that RXL [“Rachel”] means “Ewe”, being one and the same as the Hebrew common word RXL for “ewe”.  But although the letters match, please note that Rachel does not act like a “ewe”!  On the contrary, Rachel to her credit is aggressive and assertive to a fault, rather than being passive and meek like a “ewe”.  [Nor, for that matter, does her sister Leah act like a “cow”.  How can scholars think that Rachel and Leah are like “cattle”?  Not.]  A woman whose name is “Ewe” would not be expected to talk like this:  “And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister;  and [Rachel] said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die.”  Genesis 30: 1.

 <snip> 

And if these Biblical names were made up by an early Hebrew, rather than being historically-attested names, then how can scholars ask us to believe that an early Hebrew made up names meaning “ewe” and “cow” for two women who in no way are treated like “cattle” in the Patriarchal narratives?  Not.

But if these names were not made up, but rather were the actual names of the people concerned, there is simply NO REASON why their names should have any correspondence to their actual behaviour or character (unless it is a "nickname" like "Yeruba'al" for Gideon in Judges; or "Yisrael" for Ya'akov in Genesis ... for that matter, does YOUR name "Jim" tell us anything about your character or acts?). You conclusions therefore does not follow. 

Regards

Chavoux Luyt