Sunday, September 24, 2023

Emanuel Tov on Antipolytheistic changes and changes of Theophoric Ba'al Names in the Hebrew Bible

 

 

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

2. ‎אִישׁ־בֹּשֶׁת, Ishbosheth.

1 Sam 14:49

MT LXX 2 Sam 2:8, 10, 12, 15; MT 3:8, 14, 15; 4:5, 8, 8, 12

only the corrected form

‎מְרִיב־בַּעַל, Meribbaal, a son of Jonathan, also:
‎מְרִי־בַעַל

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