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Discover the meanings of thousands of Biblical names in Abarim Publications' Biblical Name Vault: Ashbel

Ashbel meaning

Ashbel in Biblical Hebrew
אשבל
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Source: https://www.abarim-publications.com/Meaning/Ashbel.html

🔼The name Ashbel: Summary

Meaning
Fire-Lord
Flowing Forth
Etymology
From (1) the noun אש ('esh), fire, and (2) the verb בעל (ba'al), to be lord.
From the verb שבל (shobel), to flow forth.
Related names
• Via אש ('esh): Ashkenaz, Eshbaal, Eshban, Josiah, Pildash
• Via בעל (ba'al): Baal, Baalah, Baalath, Baalath-beer, Baal-berith, Baale-judah, Baal-gad, Baal-hamon, Baal-hanan, Baal-hazor, Baal-hermon, Baali, Baalis, Baal-meon, Baal-peor, Baal-perazim, Baal-shalishah, Baal-tamar, Baal-zebub, Baal-zephon, Baladan, Bamoth-baal, Bealiah, Bealoth, Beelzebub, Bel, Beulah, Bildad, Ethbaal, Gur-baal, Hannibal, Jerubbaal, Kiriath-baal, Merib-baal
• Via שבל (shobel): shibboleth, Shobal

🔼The name Ashbel in the Bible

There is only one man named Ashbel in the Bible, and he is the second-born son of Benjamin, the twelfth son of Jacob and second one of Rachel (Genesis 46:21, 1 Chronicles 8:1).

Ashbel's descendants, the אשבלי (Ashbelites) formed a sub-class in Benjamin and are mentioned only in Numbers 26:38.

🔼Etymology of the name Ashbel

The etymology of the name Ashbel is not immediately clear, but both Alfred Jones (Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names) and BDB Theological Dictionary find the following most likely:

The name Ashbel may be a compilation of two elements, the first one being the noun אש ('esh) meaning fire:

Excerpted from: Abarim Publications' Biblical Dictionary
אש

The noun אש ('esh) means fire. Noun אשה ('ishsheh) describes a fire offering.

— See the full Dictionary article —

The second part of our name could be the same as Bel, which is the same as Baal:

Excerpted from: Abarim Publications' Biblical Dictionary
בעל

The verb בעל (ba'al) means to exercise dominion over; to own, control or be lord over. The ubiquitous noun בעל (ba'al) means lord, master and even husband, and its feminine counterpart בעלה (ba'ala) means mistress or landlady.

God is obviously called 'lord' all over the Bible and the sin of the Baal priests (1 Kings 18:40) was not that they called upon some other deity but rather their incessant howling of the word 'lord' without any further responsibility or effects (see Matthew 7:21 and 11:4-5).

— See the full Dictionary article —

Another possibility is that the name Ashbel is related to that of Shobal, with a prosthetic א (aleph) as only difference:

Excerpted from: Abarim Publications' Biblical Dictionary
שבל

The unused verb שבל (sabal) probably means to extend or go forth in a wavy fashion. Noun שבל (shobel) denotes a kind of flowing garment. Nouns שבלים (shibbelim) and שבלת (shibboleth) either refer to a flowing stream or to ears of grain. Nouns שבול (shebul) and שביל (shebil) mean way or path.

— See the full Dictionary article —

🔼Ashbel meaning

For a meaning of the name Ashbel, Jones' Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names reads Fire Of Bel, but another possibility would be Flowing Forth.

BDB Theological Dictionary doesn't offer an interpretation of the name Ashbel and NOBSE Study Bible Name List proposes "having a long upper lip," presumably from a resembling name in some other language. To a Hebrew audience, the name Ashbel would not have meant that.