Biblical Onomastics: What's in a Name?

In our contemporary societies, names for newborns are commonly chosen from a selection of existing names belonging to the cultural and linguistic group of which the parents are part. In many instances, the choice is intended to perpetuate the memory of forebears or to honor members of the family or cultural heroes. In sharp contrast to these methods of naming, biblical names are rarely repeated. They were uniquely created to express parental sentiments at the time of birth. It may be gratitude to the Lord, as with the names of Moses' son Eliezer (Ex. 29:4) and of Samuel (I Sam. 1:20). It could be a prayer for the newborn's future, as with the name Joshua, or a re-affirmation of the parents' belief in God, as with the name Elitzur (Num. 1:5), or other emotions predominating at that moment. At times, biblical names have predictive connotations as, for example, Noah, and Joseph. In the very earliest chapters of Genesis names seem to represent a description of historical epochs and their development. In some cases, the Bible quotes the explanations of the name-giver for his/her choice, as, for example, in the naming of the sons of Jacob. In most instances, however, it is left to the reader to explore what is implied in the name which has been created. Often a variety of interpretations are possible. It is imperative that these interpretations correspond to the spirit of the Bible as a whole. The Tanakh is not a book of history which records events just because they happened, nor does it chart locations to teach the geography of the area. The apparent purpose of the Bible is to teach and disseminate the belief in monotheism, to persuade the reader of its truth, and to induce him to observe the rituals demanded by the Creator. The meaning of a name, it can be assumed, should correspond to this overriding goal of the biblical writings. The names, to be properly fitted into this major theme of the Book, must evidence connectedness to the ideological objective thereof. The roots of the names which we encounter, be they Hebrew or from other languages of the era, were undoubtedly recognizable to the readers of the period in which the text was first put into writing. Because the expressions of that era are no longer part of our contemporary language this ability has often been lost; but we can at times recreate it by linguistic comparisons. A successful attempt to do so is likely to be rewarded with a deeper understanding of this ancient text. Additionally, it may lead to an explanation of why some individuals are mentioned by name while others of the same generation and parentage have been left out, at times with the cryptic remark and he sired sons and daughters. From the explanations of names, when they are offered, emerges the principle that when creating a name grammatical accuracy can be suspended and weak letters can be omitted or substituted. When, for example, Adam called his wife Hava, he most likely meant it as a substitute for the word haya [animal], alluding to the fact that she will be the bearer of children, just like the females of the inferior creatures. Hava called her first son Kayin [Cain], adding the letter yud to the word kana [to buy], which served as its explanation. Such additions, deletions, or shifting of letters are one of the rules which help to discover the meaning of biblical names. When searching for the meaning of unexplained names, we may assume they are a distortion of the original word from which they seem to have been derived. THE 13 SONS OF YOKTAN A vivid example of the importance of explaining and understanding names is offered by the enumeration of the names of the 13 sons of Yoktan (Gen. 10:26-29). Yoktan's father, Eber, as we are told in Genesis 11:17, sired sons and daughters who like so many others remain unnamed. A notable exception is made in listing the names of his sons Peleg and Yoktan. The former belongs to the genealogy leading to Abraham. …