No, onomastics doesn't mean what you think it does, it's the study of the etymology of proper names. I would venture to say that at least half of the popular given names in English speaking countries are Biblical in origin. What's hard to figure, however, is which ones make the cut. Some fairly obscure characters have had a vogue. For example, Lemuel, who is mentioned once in a psalm and otherwise unknown, was the given name of Swift's Gulliver and was popular in 19th Century New England. Now it's out of vogue. Moses's sister Miriam is popular, but his wife Zipporah I have never encountered. Bezalel, the multi-talented artisan in Exodus you might think would be popular, but he isn't. Aaron is popular, but Eleazar is not. Maybe having a "Z" is bad? Anyway, something to think about.
Numbers 27 should really be two chapters. The first part is interesting because it clarifies the nature of the Israelite patriarchy. It supplies a whole lot of names, none of which are popular baby names today. The point is that a man has died without male heirs, which means his clan will vanish. So God decides that in that event, daughters can inherit. Presumably their sons will thereafter take over the estate and restore the line. What's important to understand here is that the daughters are not asserting personal rights as women (they really don't have any), they are asserting the interest of the clan. If there is a male heir, the women will get nothing, although presumably they will become wards of their brother until they are married. The requirement that if a man dies childless, his brother must impregnate the wife, is of a similar intent. (Note that Onan's failure to do so was his actual sin.) Anyway . . .
27 The daughters of Zelophehad son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Makir, the son of Manasseh, belonged to the clans of Manasseh son of Joseph. The names of the daughters were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milkah and Tirzah. They came forward 2 and stood before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the leaders and the whole assembly at the entrance to the tent of meeting and said, 3 “Our father died in the wilderness. He was not among Korah’s followers, who banded together against the Lord, but he died for his own sin and left no sons. 4 Why should our father’s name disappear from his clan because he had no son? Give us property among our father’s relatives.”
5 So Moses brought their case before the Lord, 6 and the Lord said to him, 7 “What Zelophehad’s daughters are saying is right. You must certainly give them property as an inheritance among their father’s relatives and give their father’s inheritance to them.
8 “Say to the Israelites, ‘If a man dies and leaves no son, give his inheritance to his daughter. 9 If he has no daughter, give his inheritance to his brothers. 10 If he has no brothers, give his inheritance to his father’s brothers. 11 If his father had no brothers, give his inheritance to the nearest relative in his clan, that he may possess it. This is to have the force of law for the Israelites, as the Lord commanded Moses.’”
Note that all of this is designed to preserve the patriarchal line. It is similar to the typical rules for inheritance of a kingship. Only because Henry VIII had no male heir did Elizabeth take the throne.
12 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go up this mountain in the Abarim Range and see the land I have given the Israelites. 13 After you have seen it, you too will be gathered to your people, as your brother Aaron was, 14 for when the community rebelled at the waters in the Desert of Zin, both of you disobeyed my command to honor me as holy before their eyes.” (These were the waters of Meribah Kadesh, in the Desert of Zin.)
Remember that all Moses did was strike the rock with his staff rather than speak to it. God can really hold a grudge!
15 Moses said to the Lord, 16 “May the Lord, the God who gives breath to all living things, appoint someone over this community 17 to go out and come in before them, one who will lead them out and bring them in, so the Lord’s people will not be like sheep without a shepherd.”
18 So the Lord said to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit of leadership,[a] and lay your hand on him. 19 Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and the entire assembly and commission him in their presence. 20 Give him some of your authority so the whole Israelite community will obey him. 21 He is to stand before Eleazar the priest, who will obtain decisions for him by inquiring of the Urim before the Lord. At his command he and the entire community of the Israelites will go out, and at his command they will come in.”
The Urim is one of the two divining stones attached to the priestly vestment, in case you have forgotten.
22 Moses did as the Lord commanded him. He took Joshua and had him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole assembly. 23 Then he laid his hands on him and commissioned him, as the Lord instructed through Moses.
Footnotes
- Numbers 27:18 Or the Spirit
2 comments:
"Zipporah," or "bird," is a very common and popular name in Israel. The initial "z" is pronounced like "ts"--it's actually the letter "tsaddik" in Hebrew.
Yes, I would imagine many Biblical names are popular in Israel and among Jews in general than among English speaking gentiles.
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