*Not what I generally think of when I think of the name 'Nimrod'!
-Verse 10-Nimrod's kingdom was Babel. Maybe that's why the name has a bad connotation
-Verse 20-Ham has very popular Biblical descendants!
-Verse 24-Mentions the name Shelah, which is of course similar to mine, could have potential origins, and naturally caused a curiosity, so I wiki-ed it.
http://www.abarim-publications.com/Meaning/Shelah.html
Shelah
Shelah properly pronounced as Shelach is a son of Arpachshad, son of Shem, son of Noah. The prophet Nehemiah makes mention of a Pool of Shelah in Jerusalem (3:15), which refers to Siloah or Siloam in Greek .
Shelah is a son of Judah with the daughter of Shua.
The name Shelah-with-heth comes from the root (shalah) meaning to send, send away, let go. A derivative that is identical to both the verb and the name Shelah is (shelah) meaning weapon (probably a spear or something else that can be thrown). Other derivations are: (shilluhim), sending away; (sheluha), shoot, branch (Isia 16:8); (mislah); undertaking (that to which one stretches out the hand), or pasture (where animals get to roam free); (mishloah), outstretching, sending; (mishlahat), discharge, deputation.
The root also yields the word (shulhan), table (a stretcher-outer).
The name Shelah may mean Sent Out, Branch or Javelin.
Related names are Methuselah and Shiloah. Another name that may have to do with a spear is Cain.
The name Shelah-with-he seems to be related to the verb (shala). The verb shala means to be at rest or prosper. Derivations: (shalu), prosperity; (sheli), quiet, private; (shalew), quiet, prosperous; (shalwa), quietness, prosperity;
The verb shala means draw out or extract, and is used only once (in Job 27:8). Derivation (shilya), afterbirth, is used only once as well (Deut 28:57). (eww! I'd rather not have this associated with my name!)
The name Shelah means both of the above, but is probably meant to mean Prosperity.
*So the root of my name means to be sent away, to be a javelin or branch, to be prosperous and to be afterbirth. The spear/javelin one is cool, and is related to Cain. I'd rather not, however, be sent away or be afterbirth. Prosperous works just fine, though. So I guess in essence all I really learned about the Biblical root of my name is that maybe I shouldn't have really looked it up in the first place! But it is still cool to think that my name, though it was chosen for its Irish root, Shea, has Biblical origins.
Chapter 11:1-"The whole earth had one language and the same words." Really? Because the last chapter talked about multiple languages via family and geography. Change in authorship?
-Verse 7-"let us..." harkens back to 1:26-same author, same implication of multiple deities accompanying God
-Verse 1-9-I always thought of the Babel story as having more to it. I is always made to sound like such an awful transgression with terrible consequences. The actual story was not at all what I thought the infamous story to be. I expected destruction and death, not just jumbled words and scattered people.
-Verse 14-15-Shelah lived 433 years and was the father of Eber
-I had forgotten that Abram was Lot's uncle
-Verse 29-So Nahor married Haran's daughter, meaning he married his niece. Is this the first written mention of incest? I didn't catch anything before that.
Chapter 12:1-3-redundancy of "bless" seems like 'P', but footnotes say it's 'J', as a means of cancelling out the negative. Hmmm. Just seems redundant, which doesn't seem like a 'J' quality
-Verse 1-9-Abram actually listened to God and believed His promises without question. Why Abram? He doesn't have a back story, unlike most of the major Biblical figures.
*Verse 7-"God appeared to Abram"-a very rare thing, the only real indicator that God finds him to be very special
-Verse 12-17-I don't recall Sarai being wanted/(used?) by pharoah. It's shocking. I didn't realize there had ever been a condition leading to the plagues prior to Moses, much less that there had been actual plagues. So I'm assuming these plagues were to punish pharoah for what he did to Sarai?
Chapter 13-I didn't know about a quarrel and land dispute between Abram and Lot. Nor did I realize that Lot had chosen the land of Jordan. I always understood it as one of those things God assigned to His people, never as a choice He gave them. I also didn't know they separated and went their own ways. It makes me realize how little I really know about the patriarchs. I recognize the names, but never bothered to remember or trace the connections, mainly because there are so many. It makes a lot more sense now. (no pun intended) :)
-Verse 12-Abram in Canaan, Lot in Sodom
Chapter 14:20-First mention of monetary tithe in the Bible. I'm assuming that's where Mormons get the rule of 10%.
Chapter 15:2-First time Abram questions God
-Verse 5-descendants like the stars-beautiful line
-Verse 12-16-dream-like revelation, which is foreshadowing
-Verse 19-alliteration-literary element
Chapter 16:1-interesting that Sarai's slave girl, Hagar, was Egyptian. Ironic. Hadn't noticed that before. Another literary element, giving the story a twist. I'm thinking this is 'J', because it is a definite story twist, adding depth and bringing multiple stories and instances together.
*Also mentions Sarai's power over Hagar, and Hagar's submission to her. It's the first time female power is directly expressed, as well as female anger and definitive voice. Definitely a female author (J). I also especially noticed that these characters are far more dynamic, interesting, and stronger than Eve, which indicates either a different author, different time, or 'J' intentionally adding character intrigue in this instance
-I was wondering why, once the angel visited Hagar, she would willingly accept having this child? Why would a mother want to have a child that would be a "wild ass of a man?" Was it revenge on Abram and Sarai? What's not included here is the interior monologue of Hagar. The story could be much more intriguing if we knew Hagar's thought process in response to this news.
*I find it interesting that I originally wrote this post, prior to editing, long before the "Women of the Bible" lecture and test. I feel rather intuitive
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