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ArchivesRe: Sidi's book
in reply to a message by Noa
I didn't know about the alternative interpretation of Shlomo before, but I have seen the alternative interpretations for Elisheva and Yaakov before. Both of them are given on this site. Another way to interpret the "abundance" in English would be "God is good fortune", I think.
Part of the difference of opinion seems to be as to whether or not the scholar in question uses evidence from other ancient Semitic languages in their interpretation of the names. There are now many scholars who believe that the "heel" interpretation of Yaakov is a folk etymology, and the name was originally derived from an ancient Semitic form meaning "may God protect".
Part of the difference of opinion seems to be as to whether or not the scholar in question uses evidence from other ancient Semitic languages in their interpretation of the names. There are now many scholars who believe that the "heel" interpretation of Yaakov is a folk etymology, and the name was originally derived from an ancient Semitic form meaning "may God protect".
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Oh. Well, I still hear the actual words in them, and if el is a Hebrew element, Sheva would be too, I'd think. What you say makes a lot of sense. So since we don't actually know where the names started out we can't know if they mean this or that. :/ Well, if they stared out as Hebrew they mean heel and God's oath. And Shlomo means either whole or peace. Whole is what I get from what Andy said - the word for whole is shalem and the word for peace is shalom.
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A good name book - folk etymology
Cleveland is making a good point. Martin Noth was one of the first scholars (as far as I know) who interpreted biblical names on the background of other Semitic languages, their vocabulary, their names and naming practice. (In the case of JACOB he refers to the Ethiopian Tigré language, a Semitic language similar to Arabic; I don't know a word of it.) This was almost 80 years ago.
A lot of scholars have followed him since, and as I said, although the meaning of many names is still debated (with some names obviously nobody can come up with more than educated guesses), there is some agreement. I would consider the Encyclopedia Judaica a fairly reliable source in that respect (it doesn't give the meanings of all names though). Also I have contacted a few Old Testament professors in Germany, when I was in doubt, just to hear their opinion and they usually confirmed what I stated in my last post. This does not necessarily mean that the meanings given are absolutely right. Scholars have failed in the past and will fail in future. And even more so little linguistic amateurs like myself. But a good name book, I reckon, should at least list the results of such research.
ELISHEVA: "sheva" means "seven" in Hebrew. The word for "oath" is "shvua" from an identical (?) verbal root. There seems to be a third verb "shava". "Sheva" 3 means "abundance" or else "completeness" and may refer to a complete(ed) family or more likely to God's abundant means (as creator?). Others have thought of a woman with an ample figure. (See Genesis 26,33, where the well at Be'er-Sheva is named; the word "shiva" is usally translated "oath", but for some reason the Vulgate has "Abundantia". Maybe the similar verb "sava" sin-beth-ayin, "to be satisfied" has influenced the meaning. Here again Noth backs up his interpertation with Babylonian parallels.)
Cleveland is making a good point. Martin Noth was one of the first scholars (as far as I know) who interpreted biblical names on the background of other Semitic languages, their vocabulary, their names and naming practice. (In the case of JACOB he refers to the Ethiopian Tigré language, a Semitic language similar to Arabic; I don't know a word of it.) This was almost 80 years ago.
A lot of scholars have followed him since, and as I said, although the meaning of many names is still debated (with some names obviously nobody can come up with more than educated guesses), there is some agreement. I would consider the Encyclopedia Judaica a fairly reliable source in that respect (it doesn't give the meanings of all names though). Also I have contacted a few Old Testament professors in Germany, when I was in doubt, just to hear their opinion and they usually confirmed what I stated in my last post. This does not necessarily mean that the meanings given are absolutely right. Scholars have failed in the past and will fail in future. And even more so little linguistic amateurs like myself. But a good name book, I reckon, should at least list the results of such research.
ELISHEVA: "sheva" means "seven" in Hebrew. The word for "oath" is "shvua" from an identical (?) verbal root. There seems to be a third verb "shava". "Sheva" 3 means "abundance" or else "completeness" and may refer to a complete(ed) family or more likely to God's abundant means (as creator?). Others have thought of a woman with an ample figure. (See Genesis 26,33, where the well at Be'er-Sheva is named; the word "shiva" is usally translated "oath", but for some reason the Vulgate has "Abundantia". Maybe the similar verb "sava" sin-beth-ayin, "to be satisfied" has influenced the meaning. Here again Noth backs up his interpertation with Babylonian parallels.)
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