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ArchivesRe: Questions about Delilah
in reply to a message by Summer
It's too bad Mike doesn't have room to give references as to where he takes his meanings from. The reference books I have which I think of as being more reliable on Biblical names all simply list the meaning of Delilah as "unknown".
However, I'm not sure that "delicate" and "languishing" are that far apart in meaning. I certainly can imagine the ancient Hebrews having a word which encompassed both of those concepts together.
As for its popularity in the USA -- just read the comments under the entry for Delilah on this site, and you will find the reasoning of many people who think Delilah is a pretty name and who believe the Biblical character gets a "bad rap" and actually should be seen as a good role model for a strong, resourceful woman. Not sure I'd agree with those sentiments myself, but they seem to be common. :)
However, I'm not sure that "delicate" and "languishing" are that far apart in meaning. I certainly can imagine the ancient Hebrews having a word which encompassed both of those concepts together.
As for its popularity in the USA -- just read the comments under the entry for Delilah on this site, and you will find the reasoning of many people who think Delilah is a pretty name and who believe the Biblical character gets a "bad rap" and actually should be seen as a good role model for a strong, resourceful woman. Not sure I'd agree with those sentiments myself, but they seem to be common. :)
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Replies
More about DELILAH
You are right, Cleve, „delicate“ and „languishing“ are translations of the same Hebrew word. The verb “DaLaL” means “to be weak” in the Hebrew Bible. As “weak, miserable, lowly, poor, etc.” do not seem to provide a very good name giving motive (of course “delicate” does), this may be how “languishing” came in. The only passage in Scripture that has this translation, though, does not refer to a woman, but rather to King Hiskiah, looking up to God with “longing” eyes (Isaiah 38:14).
Now the noun “dalah” (derived from the verb mentioned, or a stem that may be related) translates “thin threads” or “flowing hair” (Song of Songs 7:6). Martin Noth (Die israelitischen Personennamen im Rahmen der gemeinsemitischen Namengebung, Stuttgart 1928) then explains the name like this, and many seem to have followed him.
There is a third theory that may be right on top of what has been said: “lilah” is the Hebrew word for “night,” so this may be a play on words, as Samson’s name translates “sun.”
So “meaning unknown” is definitely correct, but not very satisfying, as there is a lot more to the story.
You are right, Cleve, „delicate“ and „languishing“ are translations of the same Hebrew word. The verb “DaLaL” means “to be weak” in the Hebrew Bible. As “weak, miserable, lowly, poor, etc.” do not seem to provide a very good name giving motive (of course “delicate” does), this may be how “languishing” came in. The only passage in Scripture that has this translation, though, does not refer to a woman, but rather to King Hiskiah, looking up to God with “longing” eyes (Isaiah 38:14).
Now the noun “dalah” (derived from the verb mentioned, or a stem that may be related) translates “thin threads” or “flowing hair” (Song of Songs 7:6). Martin Noth (Die israelitischen Personennamen im Rahmen der gemeinsemitischen Namengebung, Stuttgart 1928) then explains the name like this, and many seem to have followed him.
There is a third theory that may be right on top of what has been said: “lilah” is the Hebrew word for “night,” so this may be a play on words, as Samson’s name translates “sun.”
So “meaning unknown” is definitely correct, but not very satisfying, as there is a lot more to the story.
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Unfortunately we know very little about the original Philistine language. According to the Bible, the Philistines originally came from Crete, and their language (we know hardly anything but a few names and vocabulary words) may be Indo-European and related to other languages of the Aegean.
When the Philistines settled on the eastern cost of the Mediterranean (12th century B.C.) they soon adopted the Semitic language of the surrounding peoples.
Whether or not this had an impact on their name giving practice, we don't know. So the name Delilah is as likelikely to be Philistine as Semitic (Hebrew).
Sources:
Das große Bibellexikon, Brockhaus, 1996, Bd. 4
Harald Haarmann: Lexikon der untergegangenen Sprachen, München (Beck) 2002
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philistines
When the Philistines settled on the eastern cost of the Mediterranean (12th century B.C.) they soon adopted the Semitic language of the surrounding peoples.
Whether or not this had an impact on their name giving practice, we don't know. So the name Delilah is as likelikely to be Philistine as Semitic (Hebrew).
Sources:
Das große Bibellexikon, Brockhaus, 1996, Bd. 4
Harald Haarmann: Lexikon der untergegangenen Sprachen, München (Beck) 2002
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philistines
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Thanks, this was very interesting
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Thanks!
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