🔼The name Eglah: Summary
- Meaning
- Circular, Heifer
- Etymology
- From the noun עגלה ('egla), heifer, from the verb עגל ('agal), to go in circles.
🔼The name Eglah in the Bible
Eglah is one of the lesser known wives of king David (2 Samuel 3:5). She is the mother of prince Ithream, who was born when Hebron was still the capital of Israel.
🔼Etymology of the name Eglah
The name Eglah is identical to the noun עגלה (eglah), meaning calf, from the root עגל ('igl):
עגל
The unused verb עגל ('agal) probably had to do with being round or going in circles. Noun עגל ('egel) describes a male calf, and noun עגלה ('egla) means girl calf, or heifer. Adjectives עגל ('agol) and עגול ('agol) mean round. Noun עגלה ('agala) refers to a cart and noun מעגל (ma'gal) denotes an entrenchment or track. Noun עגיל ('agil) describes a hoop or ring.
🔼Eglah meaning
Our name Eglah is identical to the word עגלה (egla), meaning female calf, but it should be stressed that a noun derived from the root and made feminine would look just like that. Literally, Eglah means Circular.
For a meaning of the name Eglah, NOBSE Study Bible Name List reads a rather graceless Heifer. Jones' Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names offers A Girl, A Heifer, and notes that similar names were common in antiquity — Damalis, Taurus, Juvencus, etcetera.