Biblical Personal Names and the Arabic Language

Biblical names have often puzzled both Bible scholars and linguists, as their meanings can often be obscure. Moreover, since the given name is ascribed, in most cases, to the named person’s parents, relatives or other personalities, the etymology suggested is doubtful at times. The cognate Semitic languages of Hebrew have often been used by scholars and commentators since the Middle Ages, as a tool to explain the etymologies of comparable biblical roots, words and expressions, thus, shedding light on their usages. Since the meanings of some biblical names are unclear, the purpose of this article is to suggest different explanations with the help of the Arabic lexicon. That is to say, a meaning which does not exist in Hebrew or does not make sense but is found in Arabic may better explain the significance of the name. The article deals with ten names, which can be explained with the help of equivalent roots from the rich vocabulary of the Arabic language, assuming that the meanings had existed in the Hebrew language in the past, but for reasons often unknown to us, have been extinct.