To: Liz Fried <lizfried AT umich.edu>, Biblical Hebrew <b-hebrew AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
Subject: Re: Israel
Date: Sun, 03 Sep 2000 21:50:39 +0200
Shalom Liz!
You wrote:
> It is odd. Every name I know of in the ane is a sentence with
> the god's name in it. But not in Genesis (except for Israel). Strange.
> Is the writer trying to convey a time in the hoary past,
> before men called on the name of God?
I don't think so. We're talking about the God-fearing Patriarchs who call
their children Yicxaq (not Yicxaq'el) and Ya`aqob (not Ya`aqob'el). The
only sons of patriarchs with theophoric names are Yi$ma`'el (named by an
angel, just like Yi&ra'el), and possibly Yehudah and Yosef (which IMHO are
arguable). I heard a lecture once by Rabbi Yoel Bin-Nun who tried giving a
theological reason for it, but I don't remember what it was.