To: leviny1 AT mail.biu.ac.il, b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] YHWH
Date: Wed, 26 Dec 2007 09:14:44 EST
Yigal:
It certainly is possible that Ex. 3:14 is a sort of folk etymology. The
Torah does not appear to have our modern scientific sense of etymology.
A clear example is related to the naming of the city of Babel, Genesis says
that Babel derived its name as a consequence of God's confusing the
languages
of the people when they tried to build a tower with its top in the heavens.
It would make more sense that the place was named before God cause the
confusion. The scientific derivation is Bab-El, the gate of God.
Similarly, 'EHYEH ASHER 'EHYEH could be an attempt to interpret the meaning
of YHWH. When you say that the phrase is a pun, I gather that that is what
you are suggesting.