פַּלְטִיאֵל

Paltiel, the name of two Israelites

Definition

Paltiel is a proper name given to two distinct Israelite men in the Old Testament. The name means 'deliverance of God' or 'God is my deliverance,' reflecting a common Hebrew naming convention that attributes salvation to Yahweh. The first Paltiel (Numbers 34:26) was a prince from the tribe of Issachar appointed to help divide the Promised Land after the conquest. The second Paltiel (2 Samuel 3:15) was the son of Laish, to whom King Saul had given his daughter Michal (David's wife) after David fled; he is later forced to return her to David, highlighting a personal tragedy within the political conflict.

Biblical Usage

The name Paltiel appears only twice in the Old Testament, in two very different contexts. In Numbers 34:26, it identifies a tribal leader involved in the administrative and hopeful task of apportioning the land of Canaan. In 2 Samuel 3:15, it identifies a man caught in the painful personal and political strife between the houses of Saul and David, becoming a poignant figure who loses his wife by royal decree.

Etymology

The name Paltiel (פַּלְטִיאֵל) is a compound of two Hebrew elements: 'palat' (פלט), from the root meaning 'to escape, deliver, or slip away' (as in Strong's H6404), and 'El' (אֵל), the common word for God. It is a theophoric name, a type common in Israelite culture, which explicitly incorporates the divine name 'El' to signify 'Deliverance of God' or 'God has delivered.'

Semantic Range

As a theophoric name meaning 'Deliverance of God,' Paltiel serves as a small but constant reminder in the biblical narrative of Israel's core belief in Yahweh as the source of salvation. While the individuals themselves are not major theological figures, the name embodies a personal confession of faith. Its appearance in the story of David and Michal (2 Samuel 3:15) adds a layer of irony and human cost to the narrative of God's chosen king, reminding readers that God's sovereign plans sometimes unfold through deeply painful human experiences.

In ancient Israelite culture, names were often descriptive and carried significant meaning, reflecting circumstances of birth, parental hopes, or attributes of God. Paltiel, as a name invoking God's deliverance, fits this pattern. The second Paltiel's story (2 Samuel 3:15) also reflects the cultural practice where women could be given in marriage as political currency, and a king's authority could override personal marital bonds, a concept starkly different from modern Western understandings of marriage.

Yeshua (יֵשׁוּעַ, H3442) — A later name meaning 'Yahweh is salvation,' sharing the core concept of divine deliverance but from a different root. Eliyahu (אֵלִיָּהוּ, H452) — Meaning 'Yahweh is my God,' another theophoric name using a different divine attribute.

Word Details

Scripture References