Zilpah

זלפה


Genesis 29:24 and 30:9: The handmaiden of Le'ah upon whom Ya'akov (Jacob) fathered Gad and Asher, the 7th and 8th in order of birth.

Zilpah - cf Zevulun - comes from the root Zalaph (זלף) which means "a dropping", though some scholars see this as an error for Dalaph (דלף) which has the same meaning but also links to the sun (cf Yidlaph). In Aramaic it was specifically used to mean "excrement" (but of course Aramaic comes in only at the time of the Exile).

Is the confusion caused because there is also Zalaph (זלעף) = "to be hot", used especially of the chamsin, the hot, dry wind of the summer (Psalm 11:6).

By whatever definition, no parent names their child Zilpah, unless in a moment of extreme anger; so we yet again have a name that has to have another reason for existing.



Copyright © 2019 David Prashker
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The Argaman Press


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