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Meaning, origin and etymology of the name Havilah


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Havilah Havilah

The name Havilah occurs three times in the Bible. It is first mentioned as a land that contains both gold and the river Pishon, one of four rivers of Eden. This land is probably named in retrospect, as the territory of one of the two human Havilahs: one is a son of Cush, son of Ham, son of Noah; the other is a son of Joktan.

The name Havilah comes from the verb hul (hul 623-624) and can be interpreted in many ways.
The verb hul (hul 623) basically denotes a circular or writhing motion; dance, pain or agony. Both NOBSE and Jones derive Havilah from this verb. Jones reads Bringing Forth, Trembling; NOBSE reads Circle.
A derivative of the verb is the noun hol (hol) means sand. TWOTOT and BDB report an etymology from this derivative. BDB reads Sand-Land, Dunes; TWOTOT reads A Sandy Area.

The similar verb hul (hul 624), means be firm, endure. Its derivative hayil (hayil 624a) means might, which charges the name Havilah with an additional meaning of Strength.

Another name from this same root is Hull

There is a difficulty, however. When the letter waw is a consonant (as it is in the name Havilah) it is a completely different letter than when it is a vowel (as in the verb hul), and there must be a very good reason why a vowel changes to a consonant (the same problem occurs with the name David). Perhaps it is to deliberately point at some other words, namely the verb Eve (hwh 617-619) and laha (laha 1079).

The root Eve (hwh 617-619) yields the following meanings:
Eve (hwh 617), is an unused root which, in Arabic, means collect or gather; circle of tents (BDB). It is the root of Eve (hawwa 617), tent, village.
Eve (hawa 618) means show, tell, make known.
Eve (hawa 619) means to prostrate oneself; worship.
The word laha (laha 1079) means languish or faint (Gen 47:13).

Following these leads gives Havilah the additional meaning of Languishing Village, or Exhausted Revelation, and connects it to the name Eve.



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