Orpah
Orpah (Hebrew: עָרְפָּה ʿOrpā, meaning "neck" or "fawn") is a woman mentioned in the Book of Ruth in the Hebrew Bible. She was from Moab and was the daughter-in-law of Naomi and wife of Chilion.[1] After the death of her husband, Orpah and her sister-in-law Ruth wished to go to Judea with Naomi. However, Naomi tried to persuade both Ruth and Orpah to return to their people and to their gods. Ruth chose to remain with Naomi, but Orpah chose to return to her people and her gods. (Ruth i. 4 et seq.).
In rabbinicism
[edit]In rabbinic literature, the treatment of Orpah is almost entirely negative.[2] Orpah is identified with Harapha, the mother of the four Philistine giants (2 Samuel 21:16), one of whom was Goliath. These four sons were said to have been given her for the four tears which she shed at parting with her mother-in-law (Babylonian Talmud, Sotah 42b).
It is claimed that the name Harapha stems from the word for threshing; she allowed herself to be "threshed" by many men, as one would thresh wheat (Babylonian Talmud, Sotah 42b).[3]
However, this is not correct. The stem of הָרָפָ֗ה (HāRāPhāH) is ערף (ĀRePh), which means neck, when used as a noun, and it means to either break a neck or to drip when used as a verb.[4]
In addition, it is true that this is what the Babylonian Talmud states, it is incorrect. First, the Hebrew word הָרָפָ֗ה (HāRāPhāH), is typically translated as “the Raphah” or “the giant,” sincethe prefix הָ (Ha) is a definite article. Although, it is possible that this is the full, proper name. However, the word in Hebrew is masculine, not feminine. Furthermore, the Talmud claims that “as a reward for the four tears which Orpah dropped upon her mother-in-law, she merited that four mighty warriors should issue from her, essentially because she wept twice (Ruth 1:9, 14), so presumably one tear out of each eye totally four.
The main problem with this is that the four giants that “born for הָרָפָ֗ה (HāRāPhāH) in Gath” (2Samuel 21:22), were also said to be brothers of Goliath in the parallel account recorded in Chronicles (1Chronicles 20:5), which means that she would have had five children, not four.
Tractate Sanhedrin in the Talmud says that David's general, Abishai, the son of David's sister Zeruiah, killed her with her own spindle.[5][6]
Namesakes
[edit]Orpah was the name originally given to Oprah Winfrey by her mother.[7]
References
[edit]- ^ Ruth 1:4
- ^ Walfish, Barry Dov. "The Defamation of Orpah". thetorah.com.
- ^ Brand, Ezra. "Talmudic Elaboration of Sexuality and Love in Biblical Narratives - Pt. 1".
- ^ Clines, David J. A., ed., The Dictionary of Classical Hebrew (Sheffield, England: Sheffield Academic Press; Sheffield Phoenix Press, 1993–2011), 565.
- ^ Talmud Sanhedrin 95a
- ^ Brand, Ezra. ""One day David went falcon-hunting": The Demilitarized, Rabbinized, and Enchanted Story of Avishai Saving David From Yishbi-benov (II Samuel 21:15-17; Sanhedrin 95a)". Retrieved 2 January 2024.
- ^ "Oprah Winfrey Interview". Oprah Winfrey. Academy of Achievement. February 21, 1991. Archived from the original on January 11, 2022. Retrieved August 25, 2008.
