First, note the introduction of Eliyahu [name means Yah is God] (1K 17:1.) as “the Tishbite, of Tishbe (in) [of] Gilead.” [ESV says ‘in,’ but Hebrew is ‘of’ – a construct phrase] His name [including its modifiers, “Tishbite, of Tishbe, of Gilead”] is important, and frequently describes, as discussed earlier, not only the person’s character, but some important events that might transpire in his/her life. An example of the importance of the meaning of a name is Abraham and Sarah’s son Isaac h3327. יצְִחָק iyṣḥâq from h6711. צָחַק ṣâḥaq [“laugh”]. Read to see how many times h6711. צָחַק ṣâḥaq pertains to Isaac’s life. (Gn. 17:17, 18:12, 18:13, 18:15, 19:14, 21:6, 21:9, 26:8.)
In looking at Eliyahu’s string of descriptors, first, look at Gilead, because it is the more straightforward. Scripture tell us the origin of the name Gilead, at the time of the making of a covenant between Ya’akov and Laban. (Gn 31:44-54) There are several important aspects of this instance of “hinting to the scriptures,” Intertextuality.
First, note that the two swear an oath h7650. שָׁבַע śâḇa‘. (Gn 31:53) When we later look at an area of focus indicated by chiastic structure, we will see not only this word h7650. שָׁבַע śâḇa‘, an oath, mentioned, but we will see several people taking oaths. The second thing to notice is that Gilead (or Galeed when first described in this passage) means “heap of witness,” from h1530. גַּל g̱al (heap) plus h5707. עֵד ‘êḏ (witness). [Recall reading about the גַּל g̱al family of words.] One wording is:
• Genesis 31:44 ESV 44 Come now, let us make a covenant, you and I. And let it be a witness between you and me.” They speak of gathering stones, to make a heap. Two verses ahead:
• Genesis 31:46 ESV 46 And Ya’akov said to his kinsmen, “Gather stones.” And they took stones and made a heap, and they ate there by the heap. [emphasis by this writer here and below]
• Genesis 31:46 LITV 46 And Ya’akov said to his brothers, Gather stones. And they took stones and they made a memorial pillar. Notice the difference: “they made a memorial pillar,” vs. “they ate there by the heap.”
The LITV takes this as a grain offering,a memorial offering (see especially Lv 2:1-16. 307 ). The ESV interprets it as a meal, which, if it is an offering for a vow, as the ESV seems to interpret it, it may be eaten. (see Lv 7:16, e.g.) The verb used here is h0398. אָכַל ’âḵal, which can mean to eat or to consume/be consumed. Both the burnt offering (h5930. עלָֹה ‘ôlâ) and the grain offering are entirely “consumed” by the fire. The freewill or vow offering is partially burned/cooked and then may be eaten. If we look at the Hebrew, we get a little help, but nothing absolutely conclusive.
• Genesis 31:46 BHS וַיּ֨אֹמֶר יַעֲק֤בֹ לְאֶחָיו֙ לִקְט֣וּ אֲבָנִ֔ים וַיִּקְח֥וּ אֲבָנִ֖ים וַיַּעֲֽשׂוּ־גָ֑ל וַיּ֥אֹכְלוּ שָׁ֖ם עַל־הַגָּֽל׃ 46
As we are looking at עַל־הַגָּלֽ, where ESV says “by the heap,” and where the LITV interprets as a memorial offering, it would mean burning upon or on the heap/altar. The preposition here is עַל , for which the BDB lists “on; towards; beside; against; according to; more than; before; because.”
If we look at more detail, the ESD tells us that the preposition עַל comes from the noun עַל , “the top,” which originates from the verb h5927. עָלָה ‘âlâ, to ascend. And the first/preferred definition for the preposition is “upon.” [h5930. עלָֹה ‘ôlâ is also derived from h5927. עָלָה ‘âlâ.] We will certainly get to the narrative of Eliyahu in 1 and 2 Kings, but if one looks at Eliyahu’s most well-known interaction, (1 Kings 18:38) the verb h0398. אָכַל ’âḵal is used of the bull that was placed on the altar [twelve stacked stones for “the tribes of the sons of Ya’akov,” a definite connection to “witness heap”], noting that the Fire of YHWH fell and “consumed” the h5930. עלָֹה ‘ôlâ offering, as well as the wood, the stones, the dust [dust will be discussed more later], and the water. This is a complete “consumption,” and the tie-in to Jacob and Laban would suggest Genesis 31:46 is probably also about a burnt [עלָֹה ‘ôlâ] offering.
There is some challenge in getting to the meaning of the words Tishbe and Tishbite, which has taken more extensive investigation, and will lead only to a partial conclusion as to meaning, or perhaps to one of those Hebraic conclusions that frustrate our Greek-trained minds, that it might be intentionally indefinite, obscure, indistinct so that the reader thinks of many possibilities. So, first recall the wording, “Eliyahu the Tishbite, of Tishbe, of Gilead.” In the back of the reader’s mind must be “of Gilead,” so Tishbe should relate somehow to the earlier discussion on Gilead, “witness heap.”
If one goes to the ESD, the word for Tishbite, h8664. תִּשְׁבִּי ṯišḇiy; is listed as “patrial from an unused name meaning recourse.” ESD gives the derivation from h7628. שְׁבִי šeḇiy: A masculine noun meaning captivity, captives. This word comes from the verb šāḇāh (H7617), meaning to take captive or lead into captivity. Leave that on the plate for the moment as we look at “Tishbe.” Other translations than ESV do not use the word “Tishbe” (h8453. תּוֹשָׁב tôšâḇ) as untranslated. Some other versions list “sojourner,” [LITV] or “settler,” [NASB], or even “inhabitant.”[NKJV]. See the ESD entries for derivation: h8453. תּוֹשָׁב tôšâḇ; or תּשָֹׁב toshab (1 Kings 17:1), to-shawb«; from h3427. יָשַׁב yâšaḇ; a dweller (but not outlandish (5237)); especially (as distinguished from a native citizen (active participle of 3427) and a temporary inmate (1616) or mere lodger (3885)) resident alien: — foreigner, inhabitant, sojourner, stranger.
•from h3427. יָשַׁב yâšaḇ; a primitive root; properly, to sit down (specifically as judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to remain; causatively, to settle, to marry: — (make to) abide(-ing), continue, (cause to, make to) dwell(-ing), ease self, endure, establish, x fail, habitation, haunt, (make to) inhabit(-ant), make to keep (house), lurking, x marry(-ing), (bring again to) place, remain, return, seat, set(-tle), (down-)sit(-down, still, -ting down, -ting (place) -uate), take, tarry. AV (1088) – dwell 437, inhabitant 221, sit 172, abide 70, inhabit 39, down 26, remain 23, in 22, tarry 19, set 14, continue 5, place 7, still 5, taken 5, misc 23;
There is a very long article on h7628. שְׁבִי šeḇiy in the TWOT suggesting evidence of a relationship between the verb h3427. יָשַׁב yâšaḇ, the noun H7628. שְׁבִי šeḇiy ‘captive,’ and the verb h7725. שׁוּב šûḇ [Including a frequent idiom using both words].
Read this discussion on the idiom, which might fit our situation:
(TWOT) In Num 21:29 שְׁבִית refers to the captivity of the children of Moab, and here is used as a synonym for שְׁבִי “captivity.” In the other thirty-four cases where this word, שְׁבִית, appears it is used over and over in an idiomatic combination with the verb, שׁוּב “return” to speak of a captivity, which is or will be terminated. Thus in Ps 85:1 [H 2] we read, “LORD …–thou hast brought back (שׁוּב) the captivity (שְׁבִית) of Jacob.” The succeeding verses show that this ending of the captivity is accompanied by (a) a turning away of God’s wrath, (b) a forgiveness for the sins of the past, and (c) a restoration to the former position of favor and blessing. [The phrase has been further studied however, by Dahood (Psalms III in AB, p. 218) who cites the pertinent literature. He quotes the cognate Aramaic phrase in the Sefire Inscription to show that the Hebrew שְׁבִית and שְׁבוּת do not come from שָׁבָה, “take captive,” but are cognate accusatives of שׁוּב “restore.” The phrase in the OT often means merely “restore the fortunes of’ (Job 42:10, NIV), though sometimes, of course this involves a restoration from captivity. Naturally this all included blessing, joy and the remission of God’s wrath. R.L.H.]
It may be that the Hebrew writers felt that this שְׁבוּת שׁוּב alliteration well portrayed the joyous proclamation of captivity ended. Surely there is a note of joy even in Jer 29:14 as the prophet of Judah’s doom looks ahead to see that day when שְׁבִית שׁוּב, Judah will have its days of captivity turned-away and be restored again to her Lord. So see Job 42:10.
Eliyahu could be one who is seen as restoring the fortunes of Israel, when they were greatly oppressed by the Baal worship under Ahab and Yezebel. “Freeing their Captivity.”
The EDBH lists שבב repeat, return; שבה capture; שוב return; and ישב dwell, rest, as gradational variants. As well, שבע , ‘submit to God, complete,’ is listed there as a phonetic cognate for שבה The cognate meaning listed is “control movement/action.” h7650. שָׁבַע śâḇa‘ is the word for oath, used in the Chiastic-focused passage in Eliyahu as pointed out before, and as noted in Gn 31:53, between Laban and Ya’akov.
The reader will see that there is much in the life of Eliyahu associated with “turning” and there are a number of oaths sworn in his narratives. We will not attempt to resolve this issue, but to get the reader to think of both “oath” and “turning,” or “repentance/restoration” for the Tishbite, as we proceed through the discussion. Note that since there is a “doubling” of sorts, Tishbite and Tishbe, some authors indicate doubling can mean an emphasis upon the word; others say it can indicate that where there are multiple meanings of a word, that we as reader/hearer, are to look at both or multiple meanings.
We will see clear evidence of Eliyahu “submitting to God” [EDBH ,[שבע and his role in turning, repentance. Perhaps putting together the entire string introducing us to Elijah, we might say Eliyahu is a witness to God, submitting to God, to indicate that Yah is God, and to bring others to “turn,” to repent or have their fortune restored. Tishbe also appears to be closely related to ESD h8666. תְּשׁוּבָה ṯešûḇâ; or תְּשֻׁבָה tshubah; from h7725. שׁוּב šûḇ; a recurrence (of time or place); a reply (as returned): — answer. This is the word used by our brothers Yehuda for repentance. The best assessment is Tishbe is some form of derivative of h7725. שׁוּב šûḇ. [turn, return, repent] He brings the people to repentance, to turn.
Thus far, then, for some background information toward answering our questions, we have discussed the nature of YHWH, with mercy and justice; that cutting short the anticipated consequences [recall the “synthetic grasp of life discussion”] is a demonstration of God’s mercy; and the best grasp of the understanding of the name and identifying string behind the name, of the focus of the discussion, Eliyahu the Tishbite. The next step will be to look at the definite and probable Scriptural references to Eliyahu, outside of the actual narratives of his life in Kings, to see what more can be gleaned toward answering the question whether this prophet did or did not pray, did or did not act on his own in this circumstance. There are many additional references to this well-known prophet, in the HS and GS.
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