Antipolytheistic
changes. The Hebrew Bible reflects some
vestiges of polytheistic beliefs (Gen 6:2; Ps 29:1; 82:1). These elements are
found in all textual sources, but in some cases they have been changed as in
the following group of examples. At one stage, the theophoric element Ba’al
must have been common in proper names, as is still visible in various layers of
the biblical text. At a later stage, such elements were undesirable, and they
were either removed or replaced with other elements such as the derogatory element בֹּשָׁת
boshet, “shame.” This phenomenon is evidenced in MT-Samuel as can be
assessed from a comparison with the parallel text in Chronicles. The Samuel
text almost exclusively contains the theological corrections. In this
case, the manuscripts of the late book of Chronicles thus preserve an earlier
textual tradition than the earlier book of MT-Samuel, as shown in Table 10.8.
|
TABLE 10.8 Theophoric Ba’al Names Corrected in MT-Samuel |
||||
|
Original Name |
References |
Corrected Name |
References |
MT-Samuel |
|
יְרֻבַּעַל– Jerubbaal, alternative name of Gideon (cf. Judg
7:1) |
Judg 6:32; 7:1; 8:29, 35; 9:1, 2, 5, 5, 16, 19, 24, 28, 57; 1
Sam 12:11; 2 Sam 11:21 LXX, 22 LXX; Hos 10:14 LXX |
יְרֻבֶּשֶׁת, Jerubbesheth |
2 Sam 11:21 MT T V |
mainly the original form, and once the corrected form |
|
אֶשְׁבַּעַל, Eshbaal, Saul’s fourth son |
1 Chr 8:33; 9:39 |
1. יִשְׁוִי, Yishvi, prob. corrupted from אִישְׁיוֹ or אִישְׁיָהוּ,
Ishyahu |
1 Sam 14:49 |
only the corrected form |
|
מְרִיב־בַּעַל, Meribbaal, a son of Jonathan, also: |
1 Chr 8:34, 34; 9:40a; 1 Chr 9:40b (Meri-baal) |
מְפִיבֹשֶׁת Mephibosheth |
MT LXX 2 Sam 4;4; 9:6, 10, 11, 12, 13; 16:1, 4; 19:25, 26, 31;
21:7, 8 |
only the corrected forms |
|
בְּעֶלְיָדָע |
1 Chr 14:7 |
אֶלְיָדָע, Eliada |
MT 2 Sam 5:16; MT LXX 1 Chr 3:8 |
only the corrected form |
Source: Emanuel Tov, Textual Criticism of the Hebrew Bible (4th ed.; Minneapolis, Minn.: Fortress Press, 2022), 312-13
