Comments on: Searching for the original El Shaddai

By: Steve

Steve — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 17:41:02 +0000

I also wonder if there’s still some overlay of a historical-critical view of early Genesis, where many of the genealogical names were personifications of ancient cities or places rather than (or in addition to) actual people.

I’m convinced there’s more of this than some Fundamentalist, literalist circles would like to admit.

By: ElShaddai Edwards

ElShaddai Edwards — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 14:11:46 +0000

Thanks, Steve. It is somewhat to my chagrin that Suzanne’s post was derailed by my evidently misinformed reading of the name of Harran (the place), though I’ll still claim partial innocence based on the translations I was using.

As far as “El Shaddai” goes, I still prefer the later rabbinical exegesis that led to “God is Sufficient” as a translation since I think that encompasses both the “Almighty” and the “breasted” viewpoints, but I recognize that this approach is not original. I’ll be very interested to hear what your professor has to say!

By: Steve

Steve — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 22:42:28 +0000

“Perhaps the “God of Shaddai” was adopted by the newcomers when they settled in the area as a peace offering to the locals whose economy they may have disrupted. Abram then “brought” El Shaddai with him to Canaan.

It’s somewhat ironical then to regard the story of Jacob’s hurried departure from the house of Laban (in Haran) and Rachel’s theft of her father’s household gods… was one of them, El Shaddai?”

Very interesting! My historical linguistics professor is Jewish and knows Hebrew, and although his specialty is Indo-European linguistics, I’m pretty sure he’s studied a bit of Semitic linguistics. Maybe I’ll ask him if he has any insight. But my hunch as a linguist and a student of the ANE history behind the Old Testament is that you’re on the right track with what I quoted above. Great stuff!