Question on the name Samuel from 1 Sam 1:20

[Glenn Dean]

Hi:

I can't quite figure out how the name Samuel is formed in 1 Sam 1:20. Here's the part of the verse:

וַתִּקְרָ֤א אֶת־שְׁמוֹ֙ שְׁמוּאֵ֔ל כִּ֥י מֵיְהוָ֖ה שְׁאִלְתִּֽיו

it says "and she called his name Samuel because from the Lord I asked for him"

I can see the last word in the verse has the letters שׁאל (which is almost Samuel except it's missing מוּ

If I "break down Samuel" it almost looks like "his name God".

But Hannah says specifically that she called him Samuel because "from the Lord I asked for him" (so how does that "equal" Samuel??

Glenn

[Jason Hare]

BDB breaks it down as you have: "his name is El."

[Glenn Dean]

thanxs Jason for that link!

Glenn

[Isaac Fried]

Jason writes

BDB breaks it down as you have: "his name is El."

whose name is El?

Isaac Fried, Boston University
www.hebrewetymology.com

[Jason Hare]

Jason writes

BDB breaks it down as you have: "his name is El."

whose name is El?

Isaac Fried, Boston University
www.hebrewetymology.com

Wouldn't it be God's name?

[Glenn Dean]

humm... couldn't be אלקנה ???? humm....

Glenn

[Isaac Fried]

Seems to me that אל is God. It is not a name. Also, the boy's name is shmUel not shmOel. It does not make sense to me that שמואל is: his-name-is-el. Something else, another theophoric message, must be hidden in the name, still referring to El.


Isaac Fried, Boston University
www.hebrewetymology.com

[Jemoh66]

It’s a conflation of the phrase sha’ul me-el.

[Jason Hare]

It’s a conflation of the phrase sha’ul me-el.

What do Shmuel and Shaul have to do with one another? Shmuel was a prophet before Shaul became a king. I don't see the connection.

[Isaac Fried]

The "conflation" of the phrase sha’ul me-el has the letter L twice reminding us of the similar name שְׁלֻמִיאֵל בֶּן צוּרִישַׁדָּי of Nu. 1:6, apparently related to the names שְׁלֹמֹה of 2Sam. 12:24 and שַׁלּוּם of 1Ch. 2:41.

I have already commented in this forum on such names here
viewtopic.php?f=15&t=1077&hilit=%D7%A9% ... 6%B5%D7%9C

Isaac Fried, Boston University
www.hebrewetymology.com