Leviathan, etymology לויתן, מוצא

Morphosemantic analysis


We can identify 2 morphemes:

• לויתן : indicates something not endowed with reasoning, but also the feminine;
  
• לויתן : indicates emphasis, the wholeness of something.

So the root לוי لوي LWY.

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We still have to investigate the meaning of this word, Levy.

בְּרֵאשִׁית 29.34

לד וַתַּהַר עוֹד וַתֵּלֶד בֵּן וַתֹּאמֶר עַתָּה הַפַּעַם יִלָּוֶה אִישִׁי אֵלַי כִּי יָלַדְתִּי לוֹ שְׁלֹשָׁה בָנִים עַל כֵּן קָרָא שְׁמוֹ לֵוִי
And she conceived again, and bore a son, and said: "Now this time will my husband be joined unto me, because I have borne him three sons". Therefore was his name called Levi.

The torah presents the name given with a commentary suggesting an explanation of the meaning of this name. Which, most often, is not the case and this is proof of the late addition of these comments by one or more unknown authors, probably at the time of Ezra the scribe, the one who composed the tanakh with the wise men of Israel returning from Persian exile.
Here, the scribes refered to the verb used : יִלָּוֶה אִישִׁי אֵלַי, not reflected in the english translation.

Let's continue the investigation, the name of Levy's mother, Leah:

בְּרֵאשִׁית 29.23

וַיְהִי בָעֶרֶב וַיִּקַּח אֶת לֵאָה בִתּוֹ וַיָּבֵא אֹתָהּ אֵלָיו וַיָּבֹא אֵלֶיהָ
And it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him, and he went in unto her.

לאה we have the 3 consonants, the L, the A and the last one is also an A but written H. The L is the very root and follow what we called the 3 sisters, the AWY carrying the meaning of Time, the A is the fixed past, the W is the passive potential (cond. and futur) and the Y, the active Present.

We have the root :


The L is carrying the meaning of this word, representative of the action : dedication. The L semitic concept is about producing something dedicated to something. It's also a particule used to indicate a destination, this is why the L of Eloh, Elohim or Allahumma.

What makes the difference between Leah's life and name, and Levys' life and name, beeing both from same root? The explanation is in the sister used, AWY. The final A (written with a H) of Lea indicate something fixed appointed :

בְּרֵאשִׁית 29.25-26

וַיְהִי בַבֹּקֶר וְהִנֵּה הִוא לֵאָה וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל לָבָן מַה זֹּאת עָשִׂיתָ לִּי הֲלֹא בְרָחֵל עָבַדְתִּי עִמָּךְ וְלָמָּה רִמִּיתָנִי
וַיֹּאמֶר לָבָן לֹא יֵעָשֶׂה כֵן בִּמְקוֹמֵנוּ לָתֵת הַצְּעִירָה לִפְנֵי הַבְּכִירָה
And it came to pass in the morning that, behold, it was Leah; and he (Jacob) said to Laban: 'What is this thou hast done unto me? Did not I serve with thee for Rachel? wherefore then hast thou beguiled me?'
And Laban said: 'It is not so done in our place, to give the younger before the first-born.

Laban followed Law, the dedication was fixed, it was Leah first. While Levy's name ended with the active mood, the Y:

בְּרֵאשִׁית 29.34

לד וַתַּהַר עוֹד וַתֵּלֶד בֵּן וַתֹּאמֶר עַתָּה הַפַּעַם יִלָּוֶה אִישִׁי אֵלַי כִּי יָלַדְתִּי לוֹ שְׁלֹשָׁה בָנִים עַל כֵּן קָרָא שְׁמוֹ לֵוִי
And she conceived again, and bore a son, and said: "Now this time will my husband be joined unto me, because I have borne him three sons". Therefore was his name called Levi.

Leah gave birth to a child who will be active in the relation to the dedication, this is what Allah decided for Levy's family:

3.5-6 בְּמִדְבַּר

וַיְדַבֵּר יְהוָה אֶל מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר
And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying:

הַקְרֵב אֶת מַטֵּה לֵוִי וְהַעֲמַדְתָּ אֹתוֹ לִפְנֵי אַהֲרֹן הַכֹּהֵן וְשֵׁרְתוּ אֹתוֹ
« 'Bring the tribe of Levi near, and set them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister unto him.

And then:

3.11-12 בְּמִדְבַּר

וַיְדַבֵּר יְהוָה אֶל מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר
And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying:.

וַאֲנִי הִנֵּה לָקַחְתִּי אֶת הַלְוִיִּם מִתּוֹךְ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל תַּחַת כָּל בְּכוֹר פֶּטֶר רֶחֶם מִבְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְהָיוּ לִי הַלְוִיִּם
"And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of every first-born that openeth the womb among the children of Israel. The Levites shall be Mine",

منصور a écrit:
Morphosemantic analysis

לִוְיָתָן
لِويَتان

We can identify 2 morphemes:

• לויתן : indicates something not endowed with reasoning, but also the feminine;
  
• לויתן : indicates emphasis, the wholeness of something.
  

So the root לוי لوي LWY.

We see previously that Levy is about dedication, active one.

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We saw that the t says us it's an object, an animal, or anything without conscience or reasoning, and we have one more morphosemantic detail brought by the vowel i on the first letter: it's about an exercise, a practice, so the verse :

3.8 אִיּוֹב

יִקְּבֻהוּ אֹרְרֵי יוֹם הָעֲתִידִים עֹרֵר לִוְיָתָן
Let them curse it that curse the day, who are ready to rouse up leviathan.

About an exercise, a practice:

40.25-32 אִיּוֹב

תִּמְשֹׁךְ לִוְיָתָן בְּחַכָּה וּבְחֶבֶל תַּשְׁקִיעַ לְשֹׁנוֹ
Canst thou draw out leviathan with a fish-hook? or press down his tongue with a cord?

הֲתָשִׂים אַגְמֹן בְּאַפּוֹ וּבְחוֹחַ תִּקֹּב לֶחֱיוֹ
Canst thou put a ring into his nose? or bore his jaw through with a hook?

הֲיַרְבֶּה אֵלֶיךָ תַּחֲנוּנִים אִם יְדַבֵּר אֵלֶיךָ רַכּוֹת
Will he make many supplications unto thee? or will he speak soft words unto thee?

הֲיִכְרֹת בְּרִית עִמָּךְ תִּקָּחֶנּוּ לְעֶבֶד עוֹלָם  
Will he make a covenant with thee, that thou shouldest take him for a servant for ever?

הַתְשַׂחֶק בּוֹ כַּצִּפּוֹר וְתִקְשְׁרֶנּוּ לְנַעֲרוֹתֶיךָ
Wilt thou play with him as with a bird? Or wilt thou bind him for thy maidens?

יִכְרוּ עָלָיו חַבָּרִים יֶחֱצוּהוּ בֵּין כְּנַעֲנִים
Will the bands of fishermen make a banquet of him? Will they part him among the merchants?

הַתְמַלֵּא בְשֻׂכּוֹת עוֹרוֹ וּבְצִלְצַל דָּגִים רֹאשׁוֹ
Canst thou fill his skin with barbed irons? or his head with fish-spears?

שִׂים עָלָיו כַּפֶּךָ זְכֹר מִלְחָמָה אַל תּוֹסַף
Lay thy hand upon him; think upon the battle, thou wilt do so no more. ».

The last words indicates what this Leviathan is for: to inspire terror. Should we fight against the terror it inspires in us? Could this be the exercise explained in the verses above? More details in Job 41.
Who instituted this exercise? Who can lift this practice?

104.26

שָׁם אֳנִיּוֹת יְהַלֵּכוּן לִוְיָתָן זֶה יָצַרְתָּ לְשַׂחֶק בּוֹ
There go the ships there is leviathan, whom Thou hast formed to sport therein.

27.1 יְשַׁעְיָהוּ

בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא יִפְקֹד יְהוָה בְּחַרְבּוֹ הַקָּשָׁה וְהַגְּדוֹלָה וְהַחֲזָקָה עַל לִוְיָתָן נָחָשׁ בָּרִחַ וְעַל לִוְיָתָן נָחָשׁ עֲקַלָּתוֹן וְהָרַג אֶת הַתַּנִּין אֲשֶׁר בַּיָּם
In that day the LORD with His sore and great and strong sword will punish leviathan the slant serpent, and leviathan the tortuous serpent; and He will slay the dragon that is in the sea.