Reclaiming The Biblical Names (2)

My dear readers! Last time, we started a new series, RECLAIMING THE BIBLICAL NAMES, and I promised to comment here on the names from the four weekly Torah portions we read each month. Last month, we discussed the names of the primeval history—the first eleven chapters of the book of Genesis. As you all know, from Genesis 12 onwards, Scripture becomes the story of one family and one nation. Therefore, today we will discuss the names of the Patriarchs of this family and this nation.

MINOR CHANGE, MAJOR IMPACT

In Genesis 17, God appears to Abram after thirteen years of silence. We find several crucial changes here. The incredible promise—that Abram would have another son besides Ishmael—comes in verse 16. Before that, God announces to Abram that He will make a covenant with him and his descendants forever; but even before that, He changes his name to Abraham. No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham.[1]  The change seems to be very minor – only one letter,  ה(he). What is the meaning of this change?

The original name “Abram,” אַבְרָם (Avram), is composed of two words av and ram.  The irony of this name is lost on those who don’t know Hebrew: we all know that for a very long time, Abram could not become a father at all, but his original name means something like “exalted father”! Then, in Genesis 17, God changes his name by inserting the letter ה into the name. What does this letter mean?

God is saying: “Your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations”,[2] Thus, the new name, “Abraham” אַבְרָהָם  (Avraham), reflects God’s plan and promise: “a father of many nations,” אַב־הֲמוֹן גּוֹיִם,  (av hamon goyim).

God also tells Abraham that Sarai, his wife, would be called “Sarah” and will bear him a son. Rashi, a renowned medieval commentator, explains: “You shall not call her name Sarai” – which means “my princess” – “but Sarah shall be her name”, and she will be a princess overall. The change is still minor, it’s still one letter – moreover, it’s still the same letter ה – but the significance of this change can’t be overestimated: from now on, Abraham’s and Sarah’s names indicate that God’s plan covers the entire multitude of their descendants. Once again, Biblical names carry an important weight. When God gives a new name, His plan is contained within this name.

ISAAC AND ISHMAEL

In Genesis 21, Abraham’s supernatural son Isaac is about two or three years old, and he has just been weaned. A big party is thrown on this occasion. Probably during the party, or around this time, Sarah sees Ishmael, now a teenager 16 or 17 years old, metzahek – “laughing” or “playing” or “scoffing”:  And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, scoffing. Therefore she said to Abraham: Cast out this bondwoman and her son; for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son Isaac.[3] To understand verse 10, when Sarah asks Abraham to cast out Ishmael and his mother, we first need to understand what happened in verse 9. What did Sarah see?

The Hebrew word metzahek has different meanings, and no one knows exactly what it means here. Some commentaries suggest a sexual connotation. After all, this is the same word that we find in Genesis 26, where it refers to Isaac and Rebecca, undoubtedly with a sexual meaning: Isaac was sporting (metzahek) with Rebecca his wife.[4] Does it have the same meaning here? Was Ishmael sexually molesting Isaac? And was it because of this sexual abuse that Sarah was so infuriated? In Genesis 26 it is quite clear, Isaac metzahek with Rebecca; while in our case, based on the text itself, it isn’t even clear that Ishmael was interacting with Isaac at all when Sarah saw him—Isaac is not even mentioned in this sentence. So, what did Sarah see and why was her reaction so turbulent? And even more important: Why did God support Sarah?  Why did He completely support what seemed to be an exaggerated reaction of an infuriated and jealous mother?

We find the answer in the name of Isaac. If you know Hebrew letters, you will recognize that the word metzahek, מצחק, has the same root as the name Isaac in Hebrew, Itzhak: יצחק. Therefore, it can be read as a verb formed from the root, “Isaac”. Sarah saw that Ishmael was “Isaacing”, whatever that might mean! Ishmael was probably trying to take Isaac’s place – maybe in Abraham’s family, maybe in God’s plan, maybe in both! In my opinion, this unexpected, and only in Hebrew visible explanation, can account, not only for Sarah’s stormy reaction but also for God’s command to banish Ishmael from Abraham’s camp!

THE CROOKED SHALL BE STRAIGHT

The biblical name for the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is “Israelites”: they are children of Jacob, who was named Israel after he had wrestled with mysterious “ish” (man) at Penuel. The man who fought with Jacob blessed him, and in blessing him he changed his name to Israel. What is the meaning of the name, Israel?

“The man” said to Jacob: Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with beings divine and human, and have prevailed.” Therefore, it is widely believed that the word “Israel” comes from the Hebrew word שרית , which in biblical Hebrew means “to struggle”, “to exercise influence”, or “to prevail”. There is an additional way to interpret this name, however: this way helps us comprehend the depth of the transformation that happened at Penuel.

The name Israel might be read as Yashar-El (ישר-אל). The Hebrew word Yashar (יָשָׁר) means straight, honest, honourable; in biblical usage, it also means “righteous, God-fearing person”. The root עָקֹב֙, on the other hand (the root of the Hebrew name of Jacob, Ya’akov) might mean also “crooked,” as in this verse: the crooked (הֶֽעָקֹב֙ ) shall be made straight  (יָשָׁר).[5] We then understand the meaning of this change: Jacob-Israel is the one whom God makes straight, as opposed to “being crooked and uneven”.

TWO KINGS

We are done with the Patriarchs; however, at the end of this post, I couldn’t help but show you the wonderful additional layers you discover in Biblical text, when you read it, especially the names, in Hebrew. In Genesis 14, we have a story you have probably read many times. A Christian reader knows this episode as “Abram and Melchizedek” (many English Bibles even insert this title before verses 18-20 of Genesis 14) – but let’s see what Hebrew shows us here.

As far as we know, Abraham was a very peaceful man. We don’t see him involved in battles like David. In fact, this is the only time we read about him going to war. This says a lot about him, because it wasn’t even his war; he could have stayed home. Instead, he gets up and runs 300 kilometers to rescue Lot. He wins this battle and brings back Lot, and all the captives and their possessions. It must have been a triumphant return indeed! The rescued captives were full of joy; Abram himself was extremely thankful to God for this miraculous victory—who then met him, in this victorious moment?

¹⁷ And the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley), after his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him.

¹⁸ Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High.
Not one, but two kings are here, but for some reason this fact, along with the whole dramatic tension of the entire situation, is usually overlooked. Why do these two kings, representing completely different values, appear together?

This story gains much more clarity when read in Hebrew, where the very meanings of the Hebrew words illuminate us as to what is actually going on here. The meeting takes place at the Valley of Shaveh, and the Hebrew root שוה (shaveh) has two main meanings: equal or worth. Moreover, in Hebrew we have an expression: to reach the Valley of Shaveh להגיע לעמק שווה, which means “to reach a compromise”. The two kings approach Abram simultaneously because this is a test that Abram has to pass. Their offers might seem almost equal, but Abram had to choose “the worthy one”. The name “Melchizedek” is a transliteration of the Hebrew מַלְכִּי־צֶדֶֿק (malki-tzedek), “my king is righteousness”. The name Bera: בֶּ-רַע means “with evil” or “in evil”. Thus, the Hebrew makes it apparent that it is here, in this Valley, that Abram had to choose between righteousness and evil; it is here, in this valley, that Abraham was tested and tempted to compromise his principles, his integrity – his faith. While Melchizedek blesses Abram and God Most High, ensuring that Abram knows that it was God who “delivered your foes into your hands”, the king of Sodom offers him a subtle temptation. Thankfully, Abram recognizes the truth and the authority of Melchizedek, and refuses Bera’s temptation – and thus passes yet another test of faith.

[1] Gen. 17:5

[2] Gen. 17:5

[3] Gen. 21:9,10

[4] Gen. 26:8

[5] Is. 40:4

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