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Meaning, origin and etymology of the name Uz


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Uz Uz

The name Uz is assigned four times in the Bible. The first Uz mentioned is a son of Aram, a son of Shem, a son of Noah. Other Uzzes are the first-born son of Nahor and Milcah (Gen 22:21); A descendant of Seir the Horite (36:28), who probably gave his name to a location in Edom (formerly called Seir), where Job lived (Job 1:1).

The name Uz probably arose in a language other than Hebrew (maybe Horite?), but spelled as is, it is identical to Uz (us 1584) meaning to counsel, regard. The verb occurs only twice, and is therefore much more specific than simply a thinking-over. It denotes deep contemplation on reality and justice:
In Isa 8:10 it reads, "Counsel a counsel and it is broken...(Green)," or "devise a plan and it will be thwarted...(NAS)".
In the scene that relates the repulsive incident that almost wiped out the tribe of Benjamin (Judes 19), the Levite takes the body of his gang-raped and killed concubine, and cuts it into 12 pieces and send them throughout the territory of Israel. He adds the message, "Set yourselves on this, take counsel and speak" (v 30).

To a Hebrew audience the name Uz would have meant Counsel or Contemplation.



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