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Meaning, origin and etymology of the name Jeremiah


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Jeremiah Jeremiah

Besides the famous prophet and author of the Book of Jeremiah (whose name is also spelled Jeremiah), there are eight Jeremiah's mentioned in the Bible: The maternal grandfather of king Jehoahaz (2 Ki 23:31), a family head of Manasseh (1 Chr 5:23), a Benjaminite mighty man (1 Chr 12:4), two Gadite mighty men (1 Chr 12:10 and 13), a priest who signs the renewal of the covenant (Neh 10:2) a postexillic priest (Neh 12:1), and a Rechabite (Jer 35:3).

The name Jeremiah consists of two parts, the final one being yah, the abbreviated form of YHWH, the Name of God (see YHWH). It's not exactly clear where the first part of the name Jeremiah may derive of, although BDB and NOBSE agree it's from the root group rama (rama 2168-2169), which in itself also carries some controversy.

The verb rama (rama 2168) means to throw or shoot, as use in Ex 15:1 (horse and rider into the sea) and Jer 4:29 (shooters of the bow). NOBSE favors this possibility and reads Yahweh Throws, and since this is a bit odd, continuous to explain that it may be in the sense of laying a foundation, and translates the name Jeremiah with Yahweh Establishes, Appoints or Sends. This seems, however, a trifle too creative. This root group is never used to indicate the fixing of something, but always quite the opposite.

The identical root rama (rama 2169) is sometimes split in two. Hence BDB lists three different roots rama, yet TWOTOT rejects this and groups all following meanings under the same header. But whatever the philologically deliberations may entail, there are obviously two major groups of meanings contained in this second root:

rama (rama 2169) means to beguile, deceive, mislead. TWOTOT lists the noun remiya (remiya 2169a), slackening, deceit, under this root, but BDB supposes the existence of an unused root rama (rama BDB III), meaning to loosen.

The controversy surrounding this root (of these roots) illustrates marvelously the evolution of theological thought and linguistic theory through the centuries. Classic scholars marked one root that covered to deceive and to loosen, more recent scholars thought there were two different roots (which means two different ideas accidentally named the same, like our words trunk and trunk), and most recent scholar are back to one root. The solution lies in the notion that in the Bible the ideas of deception and loosening are similar, simply because exercising truth leads to stronger relationships. Where we differentiate between deceit and looseness, the Bible doesn't. A group that is of one mind (Acts 2:42-47; Eph 4:3-6) can not be loose, can not practice deceit, and can not be united by anything other than truth (Ps 15:2, Pro 12:19). And since truth sets free (John 8:32) we are at once struck by the difference between the Bible's definitions of freedom and looseness. An arrow that is shot away is by no means free.

Reading the name Jeremiah this way may seem to make him a Human Arrow on God's Bow, but in fact it will mean He'll Be Dumped By The Lord.

BDB tries to solve this problem by first of all go with their assumed root of loosening, and then referring to an Assyrian name or phrase meaning 'whose womb is loosened.' That way, the name Jeremiah may convey the gladness of parents for conceiving (compare Gen 29:31). Still, in Hebrew this verb is never used in relation to giving birth.

Jones abandons this troublesome root altogether but also seeks refuge in a word that has no Biblical precedent: the unused root yaram (yaram), to be elevated. Jones reports that this root has to do with the familiar Hebrew verb rum (rum 2133), be high, lofty; rise up (see the names Abram, Amram, Aram, Hadoram, and Reumah), and reads Elevated Of The Lord. Derivation rama (rama 2133d) means height, high place. Using that particular word would render the name Jeremiah as My High Place Is The Lord.





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