09-26-2008, 07:53 PM
Shlama all--
Interesting idea. I should point out that REUVEL and REUVEN have two completely different meanings. REUVEL, as Abudar rightly says, means "El is great" (rab).
REUVEN however is another matter:
Ge 29:32
Leah conceived and bore a son and named * him Reuben, for she said, "Because YHWH has seen my affliction ; surely now my husband will love me."
Technically though, it really means "Behold a son!"
So I suggest a different explanation for the spelling difference, even though it is possible Peshitta Tanakh is pre Meshikha and I think it probably is. I think however, this is a MIDRASH and REMEZ in the text where both meanings come together as: BEHOLD THE SON OF EL IS GREAT. (For YHWH has seen my affliction.)
This actually happens more often than some might think in the Peshitta text. I noted a similar hidden message with respect to the order of names in Luke.
Shlama w'burkate
Andrew Gabriel Roth
Interesting idea. I should point out that REUVEL and REUVEN have two completely different meanings. REUVEL, as Abudar rightly says, means "El is great" (rab).
REUVEN however is another matter:
Ge 29:32
Leah conceived and bore a son and named * him Reuben, for she said, "Because YHWH has seen my affliction ; surely now my husband will love me."
Technically though, it really means "Behold a son!"
So I suggest a different explanation for the spelling difference, even though it is possible Peshitta Tanakh is pre Meshikha and I think it probably is. I think however, this is a MIDRASH and REMEZ in the text where both meanings come together as: BEHOLD THE SON OF EL IS GREAT. (For YHWH has seen my affliction.)
This actually happens more often than some might think in the Peshitta text. I noted a similar hidden message with respect to the order of names in Luke.
Shlama w'burkate
Andrew Gabriel Roth