Difference between revisions of "Naming"

&nbsp;Genesis 29:31-30:24&nbsp;1 Samuel 1:20&nbsp;Genesis 16:15&nbsp;Exodus 2:22&nbsp;Exodus 2:10&nbsp;Ruth 4:17&nbsp;Genesis 35:18&nbsp;Genesis 17:19&nbsp;Luke 1:13&nbsp;Luke 1:59&nbsp;Luke 2:21 <p> The biblical concept of naming was rooted in the ancient world's understanding that a name expressed essence. To know the name of a person was to know that person's total character and nature. Revealing character and destiny, personal names might express hopes for the child's future. [[Changing]] of name could occur at divine or human initiative, revealing a transformation in character or destiny (&nbsp;Genesis 17:5 ,Genesis 17:5,&nbsp;17:15; &nbsp;Genesis 32:28; &nbsp;Matthew 16:17-18 ). </p> <p> The knowing of a name implied a relationship between parties in which power to do harm or good was in force. That God knew Moses by name occasioned the granting of Moses's request for divine presence (&nbsp;Exodus 33:12 ,Exodus 33:12,&nbsp;33:17 ). The act of naming implied the power of the namer over the named, evidenced in the naming of the animals in &nbsp;Genesis 2:19-20 or Pharaoh's renaming [[Joseph]] (&nbsp; [[Genesis]] 41:45; compare &nbsp;Daniel 1:6-7; &nbsp;2 Kings 24:17 ). </p> <p> [[Proper]] names consisting of one or more terms consciously chosen by the namer conveyed a readily understandable meaning within the biblical world. [[Reflecting]] circumstances of birth Rachel called the child of her death, Ben-oni, “son of my sorrow” (&nbsp;Genesis 35:18 ). Jacob was named “the supplanter” for “he took hold on Esau's heel” (&nbsp;Genesis 25:26 ). Moses, the “stranger in a strange land,” named his son [[Gershom]] (&nbsp;Exodus 2:22 ). [[Conditions]] of the times proved imaginative as well: Ichabod, “The glory has departed from Israel,” (NRSV) came about by the ark of the covenant falling into [[Philistine]] hands (&nbsp;1 Samuel 4:21-22 ) and the symbolic names of Isaiah's sons: Shear-jashub, “a remnant shall return,” (&nbsp;Isaiah 7:3 ); Maher-Shalal-hash-baz, “swift is the booty, speedy is the prey,” (&nbsp;Isaiah 8:3 , NASB). </p> <p> Personal characteristics, [[Esau]] means “hairy”; [[Careah]] means “bald,” (&nbsp;Genesis 25:25; &nbsp;2 Kings 25:23 ); and the use of animal names in early times, [[Deborah]] means “bee”; Jonah means “dove”; Rachel means “ewe,” are attested. Less frequently occurring are names taken from plants: [[Tamar]] meaning “palm tree”; [[Susanna]] meaning “lily.” </p> <p> Simple names functioning as epithets, such as [[Nabal]] meaning “fool” and [[Sarah]] meaning “princess,” gave way to compound names factual or wishful in nature, such as [[Mattaniah]] meaning “gift of Yahweh” and Ezekiel meaning “may God strengthen.” [[Compound]] names in the main are theophoric, employing the divine names [[El]] and [[Yah]] (Elijah, Ishmael, Nathaniel). Titles and kinship terms (Abimelech, melech means “king”; Abigail, Ab(i) means “father”) and foreign names occur: Aramaic, Greek, and Roman (Martha, Salome, Alexandra, John Mark). </p> <p> The patronymic pracice whereby a child received the name of a relative, especially the grandfather (Simon [[Bar-Jona]] is “son of Jona”) was common by the [[Christian]] era. Geographical identities are attested as well (Goliath of [[Gath]] and Jesus of Nazareth. See [[Family]]; Children; [[Birth]]; Birth Announcements; Names. </p> <p> [[Kandy]] Queen-Sutherland </p>