Genesis 36:39 names her as the mother-in-law of the Edomite king Hadar (הֲדַר), "and his wife's name was Meheytav-El (מְהֵיטַבְאֵל), the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Mey-Zahav (מי זהב)."
Mey Zahav (מי זהב) means "waters of gold", presumably a reference to the sun's rays rather than the quality of the local spring-water.
Meheytav-El (מהיטבאל) comes from the word Tov (טוב) = "good"; "whom El benefits"; a perfectly normal priestess name, though Meytiv-El would be the more common grammatical form.
Many scholars believe that Hadar is an error for Chadad (חֲדַ֣ד), who appears as a son of Yishma-El in Genesis 25:15 and 1 Chronicles 1:30. 1 Chronicles 1:50 and 51 also call him Chadad, and again name him as an Edomite king, but place him around the time of Sha'ul, centuries after the tales in Genesis. A scribal error between a Reysh (ר) and a Dalet (ד) is not uncommon (Dodanim and Rodanim for example), and it is not uncommon to find an error between a Hey (ה) and a Chet (ח), but it is most uncommon to find both errors in the same word, as would be necessary here; TheBibleNet can find no other evidence to support the case for the error, and therefore rejects it.
Matred occurs in an Edomite list of princes which reflects the pantheon of the Beney Kena'an, and Chadad is also listed; Hadar is not a known name for a Kena'ani deity.
Matred occurs in an Edomite list of princes which reflects the pantheon of the Beney Kena'an, and Chadad is also listed; Hadar is not a known name for a Kena'ani deity.
Matred from the root Tarad (טרד) = "to thrust" or "push forward"; but in Chaldean it means "to drive out".
The genealogy gives Meheytav-El as a daughter of Matred, herself a daughter of Mey Zahav. This would make Mey Zahav the place, Matred the priestess; but if Matred had indeed been "cast out", then Meheytav-El would have succeeded to the priesthood in her place, and the name she took tells a story of rehabilitation and restoration after whatever caused the previous priestess to be removed. All this takes place in the city of Pa'u (פעו), where Hadar reigns in sacred marriage with the priestess. Pa'u is known as an Edomite city, though it is also called Pe'i. Its root is Pa'ah (פעה) which means "to call" or "cry out", "to bleat" or "bellow", though its primary meaning is "to hiss", as serpents hiss, from the word Epheh (אפעה) = "a viper". See also Nachash.
The genealogy gives Meheytav-El as a daughter of Matred, herself a daughter of Mey Zahav. This would make Mey Zahav the place, Matred the priestess; but if Matred had indeed been "cast out", then Meheytav-El would have succeeded to the priesthood in her place, and the name she took tells a story of rehabilitation and restoration after whatever caused the previous priestess to be removed. All this takes place in the city of Pa'u (פעו), where Hadar reigns in sacred marriage with the priestess. Pa'u is known as an Edomite city, though it is also called Pe'i. Its root is Pa'ah (פעה) which means "to call" or "cry out", "to bleat" or "bellow", though its primary meaning is "to hiss", as serpents hiss, from the word Epheh (אפעה) = "a viper". See also Nachash.
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