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ArchivesRebecca = sacrificial animal? well-fed?
I just saw these two meanings given for the name Rebecca. The explanation being that originally the sacrifical animals were called like that. While I can't really find a lot of information about this, I first thought it was nonsense. But then I saw the same meaning for the name "Maria" and started wondering - maybe there is some truth to it after all?
Can these two names (while sounding so differently) be derived from the same word? Or is it only one of them? Or actually none? How were the sacrifical animals called anyway?
I'm sorry if my text isn't very clear, but I'm a bit confused at the moment.
Thanks for your help :)
Can these two names (while sounding so differently) be derived from the same word? Or is it only one of them? Or actually none? How were the sacrifical animals called anyway?
I'm sorry if my text isn't very clear, but I'm a bit confused at the moment.
Thanks for your help :)
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Replies
Your text is very clear to me, Miniuki.
Rebecca comes from hebrew "Rivká: lace", literally "slip knot", from "rabak: to tie". The name refers to the firmness of the marriage liaison. In other sense, the meaning of "beautiful, sensual, desirable" for Rebecca, is associated with the image of animals tied and "well-fed", ready for sacrifice. Anyway, in matter of names origin -I'm sure you know- no one can be absolutely right. Hope this is clarifying
Rebecca comes from hebrew "Rivká: lace", literally "slip knot", from "rabak: to tie". The name refers to the firmness of the marriage liaison. In other sense, the meaning of "beautiful, sensual, desirable" for Rebecca, is associated with the image of animals tied and "well-fed", ready for sacrifice. Anyway, in matter of names origin -I'm sure you know- no one can be absolutely right. Hope this is clarifying
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Thank you for the fast reply :) I understand a lot better now, eventhough I still can't see why "beautiful, sensual, desirable" is associated with a well-fed sacrificial animal ;)
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I feel the same. I suppose the meaning is used in figurative sense associating the idea of a well-fed animal (desirable for eating) to the woman's beauty (also desirable, but not for eating)(?).
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Your theory about REBECCA sounds very interesting and seems to make a lot of sense. As I am especially interested in Hebrew names (and even more bacause my third daughter is called Rebecca) I would like to know where you got this information from. I am always looking for reliable books in that respect.
The verbal root ravak (resh-beth-kuf) does not appear in the Hebrew Bible (ravak there means "flash, lightning"), so I suspect it is Ivrit (unfortunately I don't have my Ivrit dictionary with me). Is that the case?
Martin Noth doesn't say much about the name Rebecca, he does make a connection to an Ivrit noun, though, that has to do with "to tie." The Encyclopedia Judaica doesn't say anything of the name either (with some names it does).
So I am really anxious to learn more.
By the way, the meaning "fat" or "well-fed" for MIRIAM has nothing to do with Rebecca, this is just coincidence.
The verbal root ravak (resh-beth-kuf) does not appear in the Hebrew Bible (ravak there means "flash, lightning"), so I suspect it is Ivrit (unfortunately I don't have my Ivrit dictionary with me). Is that the case?
Martin Noth doesn't say much about the name Rebecca, he does make a connection to an Ivrit noun, though, that has to do with "to tie." The Encyclopedia Judaica doesn't say anything of the name either (with some names it does).
So I am really anxious to learn more.
By the way, the meaning "fat" or "well-fed" for MIRIAM has nothing to do with Rebecca, this is just coincidence.
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What do you mean by Ivrit?
Lightning would be barak, not ravak. And in modern Hebrew, ravak isn't a word or a root that I know of (or my dictionary, for that matter). And I don't know a connection with "to tie". Modern Hebrew doesn't help much. :/
Lightning would be barak, not ravak. And in modern Hebrew, ravak isn't a word or a root that I know of (or my dictionary, for that matter). And I don't know a connection with "to tie". Modern Hebrew doesn't help much. :/
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Thank you, Noa, for correcting this. Being in a hurry, I wasn't looking right.
The biblical dictionary does give a hint though: The (assumed) verbal root RVQ lies behind the term marbeq = stall, and the explanation there says, that the calves were tied up there for fattening. This makes sense to me.
Our (western) beauty ideal seems to be far a way from any comparison of a beautiful woman with a fattened calf, but that may have been different in biblical times.
Thanks for setting me on the right track, Noa!
Andy ;—)
The biblical dictionary does give a hint though: The (assumed) verbal root RVQ lies behind the term marbeq = stall, and the explanation there says, that the calves were tied up there for fattening. This makes sense to me.
Our (western) beauty ideal seems to be far a way from any comparison of a beautiful woman with a fattened calf, but that may have been different in biblical times.
Thanks for setting me on the right track, Noa!
Andy ;—)
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Hi, Andy... you must remember that in my case (living in Buenos Aires, Argentina) my sources are books written in Spanish. One the books I frecuently consult is "Diccionario de Nombres Propios" by mexican author Gutierre Thibón (Fondo de Cultura de México). Now I'm in my office, not at home where I have more material about jewish names. I promise you, I'll send you some material this weekend. Regards.
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