Names

I'm still hung up on this. Sorry. I was remembering that some of the names in the Bible seem like someone just threw a pile of letters on the table and made it a name.

Just take a look at I Chronicles 1 and read down that list. Most of them aren't even pronounceable, are they?

I mean, how would you like to be called Ashchenaz -- sounds like you should say "God bless you" after calling that person. (1Chron 1:6).

Hazarmaveth -- (vs. 20) -- now that's a name you can get your mouth around. What do you think would be a good nickname for that person? Haz? Hazar? Hazarm? Zarma? I could go on.

Arphaxad -- sounds like a new drug that the FDA is checking out.

How'd you like to have the name Dumah? I don't know if that's a long "u" or a short "u", either way, I don't think I'd want that name.

Realize these are all MALE names. Women are rarely listed in this genealogy.

Not until we get to 1 Chron. 2, vs. 4 is there a mention of a woman. Some of those mentioned are: Tamar. Short for Tamara, usually called Tammy? Not too bad. And verse 16, chapter 2 mentions Abigail and Zeruiah. Caleb's wife was called Azubah. And when Azubah died, he married Ephrath. Here's a pretty name -- Atarah (2:26). I don't think I'd mind having a grandchild called Atarah. Although I still think it's a little weird.

Just because a name is Biblical doesn't make it okay in my book. Why the name hang-up? I don't know. I guess I've seen You've Got Mail too many times, and have been brainwashed by the scene in the coffee shop where Meg Ryan asks why people can't have normal names, like Elizabeth (from Pride and Prejudice) which is a book she and Tom Hanks are discussing.

So much for names. Needless to say I didn't dig out ALL the weird and ugly (IMHO) names in the Bible. I hope this is the last time I bring this up. But, it probably won't be.