🔼The name Sheleph: Summary
- Meaning
- Drawn Out
- Etymology
- From the verb שלף (shalap), to draw out or off.
🔼The name Sheleph in the Bible
Sheleph is one of the many sons of Joktan, the brother of Peleg (Genesis 10:26). The latter goes on to be the ancestor of Abraham; the Joktanites are the last mentioned Shemite generation before the tower of Babel is built.
🔼Etymology of the name Sheleph
The name Sheleph comes from the verb שלף (shalap), meaning to draw out or off:
שלף
The verb שלף (shalap) means to draw out (a foot from a sandal, a sword from its sheath, grass from a roof top). It has no derivatives.
The Hebrew word for sword is חרב (hereb) derived from חרב (harab) to slay, fight. Besides the many occurrences of hereb meaning the sword with which one battles, is it also used as tool to circumcise (flint knives). The sharp of the sword is literally called 'the mouth' of the sword, and a verb similar to חרב (harab) is חרב (hareb) meaning dry up, lay waste, make desolate. A derivation of חרב (hareb) is חרב (horeb) meaning dryness, desolation, and is the name of Mount Horeb (or Sinai) where Moses met God (Exodus 3), where the Law was given through Moses (Malachi 4:4), and where God made the covenant with Israel (Deuteronomy 29:1).
🔼Sheleph meaning
NOBSE Study Bible Name List and Jones' Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names agree: The name Sheleph means Drawn Out. Jones adds the meaning of Selected but to draw out in the meaning of to select something or someone does not seem to be incorporated in the root.