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Meaning, origin and etymology of the name Levi


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Levi Levi

There is only one Levi in the OT, namely the third son of Jacob with Leah who gave rise to the priestly caste of the Levites. In the NT the name Levi occurs three times: two ancestors of Christ (Luke 3:24 and 29), and the apostle a.k.a Matthew (Compare Matt 9:9 with Luke 5:27).

There is some controversy about the etymology of the name Levi. BDB suggests that the name Levi was derived from the word Levite, in stead of vice versa, and that the word Levite has to do with a Minaean word for priest. Another suggestion is that the name Levi (Levi) is derived from the name Leah (Leah) and means Weary, rather than something else. TWOTOT disagrees with this kind of 'strong disclaimers' and (as does NOBSE) derives the name Levi from the verb lawa (lawa 1087) meaning join, be joined. This is the verb that Leah uses when she names Levi, "Now this time my husband will be joined to me, because I have borne to him three sons."

Scholars divide the word lawa into three separate roots, although these roots are obviously related in meaning:
The verb lawa (lawa 1087) means join or be joined, and 'refers to the joining of an item or person to someone or something else' (TWOTOT ) (Num 18:2; Isa 14:1, Jer 50:5).
The verb lawa (lawa 1088) means borrow or lend. TWOTOT volunteers that this verb 'may be a specialized usage' of the previous lawa. This verb is used only once to indicate simply a profitable transaction (Neh 5:4). All other occurrences 'reflect theological and moral perspectives in the OT' (see Ex 22:25). The relationship with the previous lawa becomes clear in Prov 22:7, "...the borrower becomes the lender's slave."
The assumed and untranslated root lawa (lwh 1089) gives rise to the words liwya (liwya 1089a1) and loya (loya 1089a2), both meaning wreath. Although the wreath is an item that is typically coiled or twisted, its both ends are also joined to make a circle. Another derivation of this same root is the word Leviathan (liwyatan 1088), which in English is pronounced as Leviathan. The various usages of the name Leviathan obviously depict different animals, and thus the word liwyatan denotes a category of fierce, coiling creatures (crocodiles, hippos, snakes). Because of the relation with the first lawa (be joined) some suggest that even the mythological snake Ouroboros, who bites his own tail, may be grouped under the Leviathanic head.

In an absolute sense, the name Levi means Joined or Lender or Coiler, but judging from the context that also produced his name, the meaning of Joined is preferred.



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