BRIEF THREAD: The book of Judges is full of wordplay.
Gideon’s story is no exception.
The name of Gideon’s servant is Purah (פורה), which means ‘wine-press’.
And that’s where we find Gideon holed out at the start of his story.
Gideon’s story is no exception.
The name of Gideon’s servant is Purah (פורה), which means ‘wine-press’.
And that’s where we find Gideon holed out at the start of his story.
Why? Cos the ‘Midianites’ (מדין) have started to cause him ‘strife’ (מדין).
(For context, see Prov.’s refs to אשת מדינים, which I’ll leave untranslated for now.)
(For context, see Prov.’s refs to אשת מדינים, which I’ll leave untranslated for now.)
As one might expect from a wine-maker, Gideon incorporates wine-related imagery into his speech.
He refers to his own deeds as ‘the vintage of Abiezer’ (בציר אביעזר) (since he’s an Abiezrite),
and the Ephramites’ deeds as ‘grapes gleaned’ (עללות) from a grape harvest.
He refers to his own deeds as ‘the vintage of Abiezer’ (בציר אביעזר) (since he’s an Abiezrite),
and the Ephramites’ deeds as ‘grapes gleaned’ (עללות) from a grape harvest.
Gideon’s own name (גדעון) is apt too.
With a bit of poetic license, it can be rendered as ‘lumberjack’ (גדע + /ān/ ⇒ /ōn/?),
which is pretty much the role Gideon fulfils in ch. 6.
With a bit of poetic license, it can be rendered as ‘lumberjack’ (גדע + /ān/ ⇒ /ōn/?),
which is pretty much the role Gideon fulfils in ch. 6.
The Israelites have been told to ‘chop down’ (גדע) Canaan’s Asherah poles (Deut. 7.5, 12.3).
And, since no-one else has done so, Gideon gets nominated for the job.
And, since no-one else has done so, Gideon gets nominated for the job.
As for the kings whom Gideon disposes of, the first two are named ‘Oreb’ (ערב) = ‘Raven’ and ‘Zeeb’ (זאב) = ‘wolf’,
which are the kind of names people liked to have in those days, particularly if they were military leaders.
which are the kind of names people liked to have in those days, particularly if they were military leaders.
Here’s a seal which belongs to a guy named ‘Oreb’,
and includes a picture of a bird which looks quite raven-like.
and includes a picture of a bird which looks quite raven-like.
At any rate, Oreb, the bird who likes to scavenge on carrion, ends up as carrion himself,
and Zeeb, the hunter, becomes the hunted.
and Zeeb, the hunter, becomes the hunted.
The next two kings dealt with by Gideon are named ‘Zebah’ and ‘Zalmunna’,
which make an equally ironic pair of names.
‘Zebah’ (זבח) ends up slaughtered like a ‘sacrifice’ (זבח),
and the name ‘Zalmunna’ seems to work nicely too,
since Zalm (צלם) is an ancient deity name,
which make an equally ironic pair of names.
‘Zebah’ (זבח) ends up slaughtered like a ‘sacrifice’ (זבח),
and the name ‘Zalmunna’ seems to work nicely too,
since Zalm (צלם) is an ancient deity name,
and Zalm-names happen to be a distinctive feature of names from ancient Saudi Arabia, i.e., of the names attested in the Taymanitic onomasticon.
As for how ‘Zalmunna’ might be meant to be read:
As for how ‘Zalmunna’ might be meant to be read:
When Taymanitic compound names end in a III-yod verb, they drop their final yod (Kootstra 2017).
Hence, the pair of names ‘Zebah and Zalmunna’ (זבח וצלמנע)--which invariably appear in that order in Scripture--can plausibly be read,
Hence, the pair of names ‘Zebah and Zalmunna’ (זבח וצלמנע)--which invariably appear in that order in Scripture--can plausibly be read,
‘A sacrifice (was made), and the deity Zalm lamented’,
where נע is read in light of Arabic /NʕY/ = ‘to lament the dead’.
Note: As it happens, the same root lies behind the Arabic word for an ‘obituary’:
where נע is read in light of Arabic /NʕY/ = ‘to lament the dead’.
Note: As it happens, the same root lies behind the Arabic word for an ‘obituary’:
