Interpretations of Hebrew Names in Origen

Abstract

The work which F. Wutz 1 did on the interpretation of Hebrew names in Origen is of great value and interest. Among other achievements he gave a list of all the names in Origen with their interpretations and with references to where they are found in Origen's works,2 and he shewed how very difficult it is to believe that Origen can have been the compiler of an Onomasticon of N.T. names used by Jerome 3. He gave a list of all the etymologies which Origen owes to Philo4, and he conjectured that there existed before Origen's day a work on the meaning of the names of the Stations in the Wilderness given in the book of Numbers, known to Origen but not known to Philo, and that no complete O.T. Onomasticon existed in Origen's day and none was compiled by him 5. But Wutz was not dealing solely with Origen's interpretations and was not able to pay close attention to the details of his etymologies. A closer study of Origen's interpretations of O.T. names (the N.T. etymologies are not dealt with here) may produce some interesting results. That Origen derived some of his etymologies from Philo is indisputable. We need only recall his derivations of Shinar, of Jerusalem, of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and of Israel6. It is