On “Jacob”:
It should be noted that such
interpretations of names in the Bible are not based on philological
derivations, that is, on scientific etymology. The name Jacob/Yaakov, for
instance, which is understood in Gen. 25 as “Heel-Holder” and in Chapter 27 as
“Heel-Sneak,” probably held the original meaning of “may (God) protect.” But
the biblical writers were not so much concerned with what a name originally
meant as they were with its sound, and with the associations inherent in that
sound. Therefore what is important in our example is that “Yaakov” recalls ekev, “heel.” This kind of
interpretation is known as “folk etymology” or “popular etymology.” A similar
phenomenon appears in the naming of Moses (Ex. 2:10). (Everett Fox, “Translator’s
Preface,” in The Five Books of Moses: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers,
Deuteronomy: A New Translation with Introductions, Commentary, and Notes [New
York: Word Publishing, 1995], Logos Bible Software edition)
The Meaning of “Jacob”
The biblical narrative provides
two folk etymologies for Jacob’s name, connecting it to the Hebrew noun for
“heel” (עָקֵב, aqev)
in Gen 25:26 and to the Hebrew verb meaning “deceive” (עָקַב,
aqav) in Gen 27:36. Although these
meanings are seen as appropriate in Jacob’s dealings with Esau and Laban, they
are probably the result of wordplay—puns based on the two separate homographic
Semitic roots “heel” (עקב, 'qb)
and “protect” (עקב, 'qb).
The latter root is well attested in Semitic personal names outside the Bible
(Hamilton, The Book of Genesis, Chapters
18–50, 178–79). The name Jacob (יַעֲקֹב, ya'aqov) is likely an abbreviated (or “hypocoristic”) form of
“Jacob-El” (יַעֲקֹב־אֵל, ya'aqov-el),
meaning “May El protect [him],” “El will protect [him],” or “El has protected
[him]” (Sarna, Genesis, 180;
Hamilton, The Book of Genesis, Chapters
18–50, 179). The root “protect” (עקב, 'qb)
appears frequently in Semitic theophoric names (that is, names including a
deity’s name as one of the elements and usually forming a sentence like יִשְׁמָעֵאל, yishma'el, “God will
hear”). Many personal names combining the term “protect” (עקב,
'qb) with a theophoric element are
attested at the Jewish colony of Elephantine, including (Cowley, Aramaic Papyri, 12.9, 11; 22.20; 26.23,
28; 54:10):
• “House
of El has protected” (ביתאל־עקב, byt'l'qb);
• “Nebo
has protected” (נבועקב, nbw'qb);
and
• “Nebo
protects” (עקבנבו, 'qbnbw).
The biblical name Akkub (עַקּוּב, aqquv), meaning
either “protector” or “protected one,” reflects the same root (see Ezra 2:42,
45; Neh 8:7). In light of the difficult circumstances of Jacob’s birth, the
possible reading of Jacob-El as “God protected [him]” seems most appropriate
(Hamilton, The Book of Genesis, Chapters
18–50, 179). The folk etymologies of Gen 25:26; 27:36, are
reinterpretations of Jacob’s name based on his demonstrated character as a
trickster. (Douglas Mangum, “Jacob, Son of Isaac,” in The Lexham Bible Dictionary, ed. John D.
Barry et al. [Bellingham, Wash.: Lexham Press, 2016], Logos Bible Software
edition)
On “Issachar” in Gen 30:18:
18. Issachar This second
explanation connects it with the action of verse 9 and suggests yesh sakhar, “There is a reward,” a
phrase found in Jeremiah 31:16(15) and 2 Chronicles 15:7. It is an affirmation
of belief in divine Providence. In Genesis 49:14 a third midrash on the name
takes it as ʾish sakhar, “a
hireling.” Actually, personal names formed from the verb s-k-r are found in the list of Semitic slaves referred to above as
well as in several ancient Arabic dialects. The different Hebrew consonantal
spelling seems to go back to an archaic causative verbal form yashaskir, “May He (God) grant
favor/reward.” (Nahum M. Sarna, Genesis [The JPS Torah
Commentary; Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1989], 210)
On “Belial”:
One approach favored by scholars
is to analyze bĕliyyaʿal as being
made up of Heb bĕlı̂ (a negative)
plus one of two roots. The traditional folk etymology found in many lexica
renders bĕliyyaʿal as “worthlessness”
(bĕlı̂ plus the root yaʿal, “to profit, to be of worth;” cf. Hipʿil). Pedersen (1926:539) found this
etymology so agreeable that he asserted “there is no reason to look for other
explanations.” Yet folk etymologies may not accurately reflect historically
correct etymologies. Compare Heb ṣalmāwet,
“darkness,” which was most likely vocalized differently (ṣalmût ʾ ẓlm, “to be dark”) in its original form before the folk
etymology “shadow of death” (ṣēl + māwet)
arose (Lewis 1989:11–12). The other proposal incorporating Heb bĕlı̂ is to combine it with some form of
the Heb root ʿālâ, “to go up.” This
proposal has long been suggested by earlier scholars with the implication that
“that which does not come up” = “unsuccessful” (cf. Qimḥi bal yaʿăleh ̌bal yaṣlı̂aḥ). The best formulation of this
proposed analysis is that of Cross and Freedman (1953:22 n.6) who argue that
Heb bĕliyyaʿal = *bal (i) yaʿl (ê), “(place from which) none arises, a euphemism for
Hades or Sheol.” Compare Job 7:9 yôrēd
s̆ĕʾôl lōʾ yaʿăleh, “he who goes down to Sheol does not come up.” A
well-known Akkadian expression for the underworld is māt la t̯ri, “the land of no return.” Hence Cross and Freedman
state that “bny blyʿl are simply
‘hellions’.” Compare Boling’s (Judges
AB, 276) translation of bĕnê bĕliyyaʿal
in Judg 19:22 as “the local hell raisers.” However, Emerton (1987:214–17)
correctly cautions against implying that Sheol is the abode of only the wicked.
(Theodore J. Lewis, “Belial,” in The
Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary, ed. David Noel Freedman, 6 vols. [New York:
Doubleday, 1992], 1:654)
