Adam, such a nice (?) guy

[Crumpy]

So, I’m reading a commentary from the Jewish Publication Society called Etz Hayyim (Tree of Life), which include two levels of commentary. One level is translation level commentary about the language. The other level of commentary is the midrash, which is homiletic commentary on the scriptural text.

So, I’m reading about how Adam named his wife Eve. Eve is the English form for havvah. The first h has a dot under it for some pronunciation purpose.

Well, Eve supposedly mean “mother of the living” BUT it was recognized by rabbinic scholars (centuries ago) and independently by modern liguist scholars that Eve is derived from the Aramaic and Arab word for “snake.”

Such a catchy name for his wife.

 

[Bible_Reader]

Of course, that’s not the etymology in Genesis 3:20, so that is not how the Bible describes itself.

The problem is that ḥavvah is not Hebrew, so it seems be refering to ḥayyah. The speculation that some people have is that this was word play with ḥivya. There is a book of midrash (not scholarship) called Genesis Rabbah at 20:11 and 22:11, which makes that connection; and there is also a reference in the Zohar.

Of course, a literal reading of the Bible renders this explanation implausible, for how would Adam have known Aramaic?

The modern speculation comes from an attempt to connect the early stories in Genesis to ancient Mesopotamian legends. Under this assumption, this etymology comes from an ancient serpent story. The problem is that to get to that point, one would need to assume a mash-up of at least four different stories.

Reading the Bible on its own terms yields the standard folk etymology for Eve, and if there is a serpent reference, it is some sort of witty wordplay (although, just as plausibly, it is a coincidence.)

 

[LegoGE1947]

Of course, that’s not the etymology in Genesis 3:20, so that is not how the Bible describes itself.

The problem is that ḥavvah is not Hebrew, so it seems be refering to ḥayyah. The speculation that some people have is that this was word play with ḥivya. There is a book of midrash (not scholarship) called Genesis Rabbah at 20:11 and 22:11, which makes that connection; and there is also a reference in the Zohar.

Of course, a literal reading of the Bible renders this explanation implausible, for how would Adam have known Aramaic?

The modern speculation comes from an attempt to connect the early stories in Genesis to ancient Mesopotamian legends. Under this assumption, this etymology comes from an ancient serpent story. The problem is that to get to that point, one would need to assume a mash-up of at least four different stories.

Reading the Bible on its own terms yields the standard folk etymology for Eve, and if there is a serpent reference, it is some sort of witty wordplay (although, just as plausibly, it is a coincidence.)

Of course we all know that some of those Old Testament Patriarchs were real “SCHWEETIES” When you consider Abraham saying to Sarah “Now, when we get down to Egypt, Baby, just pretend you’re my sister!”

 

[mercytruth]

Bible Reader,

Thank you for your contributions regarding the Midrash of Rabah 20:11 and 22:11 and also the Zohar.

Yes, there does seem to be an assumption that the etymology of the Hebrew name for Eve comes from an ancient serpent story. Assumptions can be misleading.

 

[mercytruth]

So, I’m reading a commentary from the Jewish Publication Society called Etz Hayyim (Tree of Life), which include two levels of commentary. One level is translation level commentary about the language. The other level of commentary is the midrash, which is homiletic commentary on the scriptural text.

So, I’m reading about how Adam named his wife Eve. Eve is the English form for havvah. The first h has a dot under it for some pronunciation purpose.

Well, Eve supposedly mean “mother of the living” BUT it was recognized by rabbinic scholars (centuries ago) and independently by modern liguist scholars that Eve is derived from the Aramaic and Arab word for “snake.”

Such a catchy name for his wife.

Maybe a second opinion would be in order:
abarim-publications.com/Meaning/Eve.html

 

[Crumpy]

The improbabilities in this discussion are unbelievable. I just find it hilarious that there’s even a scintilla of a chance that Adam is being described as so passive agressive as to name his wife, the supposed only woman on the face of the earth, after the word for the tempter.

In the Jewish commentaries, some mention is made, from time to time, about the phonetics of Hebrew and how some sound-alike words are in a passage, the effect of which would not be lost on the ancient listeners.