טֶבַח
Tebach, the name of a Mesopotamian and of an Israelite
Definition
Tebach (טֶבַח) is a proper noun used as a personal name in the Old Testament. It appears only once, identifying two distinct individuals: a Mesopotamian and an Israelite, both mentioned in the same genealogical context in Genesis 22:24. The name is identical to the common Hebrew noun meaning 'slaughter' or 'massacre' (H2874), which may have been given as a name with a symbolic or descriptive intent. Unlike the common noun, the proper noun Tebach does not carry an active meaning of killing but serves solely to identify these two figures in the lineage of Abraham's brother Nahor.
Biblical Usage
This word is used exclusively in Genesis 22:24, within a genealogy listing the sons of Abraham's brother Nahor by his concubine Reumah. The verse states: 'And his concubine, whose name was Reumah, she bare also Tebah, and Gaham, and Thahash, and Maachah.' Tebach is listed as the first of these four sons. There are no other occurrences or patterns of usage in the Old Testament; it functions purely as a personal name in this single genealogical record.
Etymology
The name Tebach is derived directly from the identical Hebrew common noun טֶבַח (ṭebach, H2874), which means 'slaughter,' 'butchery,' or 'massacre.' This noun itself comes from the root ט-ב-ח (ṭ-b-ḥ), associated with the act of slaughtering, typically for sacrifice or food. As a personal name, it follows a common ancient Near Eastern practice of using words with strong or vivid meanings for names, possibly implying a hoped-for characteristic (like strength) or commemorating an event.
Semantic Range
In the cultural context of the ancient Near East, names were often significant and descriptive, not merely arbitrary labels. Using a word like 'Tebach' (slaughter) as a personal name might seem jarring today, but it was not uncommon. Such names could reflect circumstances of birth, parental hopes for the child's character (e.g., fierceness or strength in battle), or be intended as a protective invocation. Its use in the genealogy of Nahor (Abraham's brother) situates this individual within the extended Aramean/Mesopotamian family network from which the patriarchs originated.
טֶבַח (ṭebach, H2874) — This is the identical common noun meaning 'slaughter' or 'massacre,' from which the proper name is derived.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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