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ArchivesDifferent theory on SILAS
SILAS seems to be fairly popular in the States, so I think it’s worth giving an alternative explanation to what this site says.
In the Epistles he is called by his Roman name SILVANUS. But I don’t believe, SILAS is a short form of this. I think the two are rather like PAUL und SAUL: a Roman name and a Semitic name that sound alike in some way or other, but are not related.
All my biblical dictionaries agree on the following derivation of SILAS:
It is the Greek version of the Aramaic name SHE’ILAH (shin-aleph-yod-lamed-aleph). This again is a variant of the Hebrew SHA’UL (Saul).
The probably most reliable proof for this is:
D. Dr. phil. h.c. Walter Bauer: Griechisch-deutsches Wörterbuch zu den Schriften des Neuen Testaments und der übrigen urchristlichen Literatur, (Walter de Gruyter) Berlin, New York 1971
In the Epistles he is called by his Roman name SILVANUS. But I don’t believe, SILAS is a short form of this. I think the two are rather like PAUL und SAUL: a Roman name and a Semitic name that sound alike in some way or other, but are not related.
All my biblical dictionaries agree on the following derivation of SILAS:
It is the Greek version of the Aramaic name SHE’ILAH (shin-aleph-yod-lamed-aleph). This again is a variant of the Hebrew SHA’UL (Saul).
The probably most reliable proof for this is:
D. Dr. phil. h.c. Walter Bauer: Griechisch-deutsches Wörterbuch zu den Schriften des Neuen Testaments und der übrigen urchristlichen Literatur, (Walter de Gruyter) Berlin, New York 1971
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