🔼The name Sodi: Summary
- Meaning
- My Assembly, Assembly Of Yah
- Etymology
- From (1) the noun סוד (sod), assembly, and possibly (2) יה (yah), the name of the Lord.
🔼The name Sodi in the Bible
The name Sodi occurs only once in the Bible. Sodi was the father of Gaddiel of Zebulun, who joined the contingency of spies that Moses deployed to scout out the land of Canaan (Numbers 13:10).
🔼Etymology of the name Sodi
The name סוד (sod) comes from the noun סוד (sod), meaning assembly:
יסד
Probably deriving from an unused verb סדד (sadad), to join, the verb יסד (yasad) means to assemble into the foundation of a societal structure: a temple or assembly, a nation or a government. Nouns יסד (yesud), יסוד (yesod), יסודה (yesuda), מוסד (musad), מוסדה (musada), מוסד (mosad) and מסד (massad) all mean foundation or assembly.
The noun סוד (sod) means assembly and may denote an assembly of friends or schemers or a formal assembly, a council. This word is often combined with words that denote secrecy and exclusivity.
Noun סד (sad) denotes a set of shackles to bind someone's feet with, and certain members of a society that's trying to make a transition from government by brute force to one of diplomacy and debate may very well complain that joining a council of talkers rather slows a person down.
Noun סדין (sadin) denotes a linen wrapper or cloak and was probably a mark of the wealthy class and thus the ruling elite.
The letter י (yod) upon which our name ends, may either create an adjective, a possessive form (my assembly), or may be a remnant of יה (Yah), which is short for יהוה, which is the name YHWH, or Yahweh.
🔼Sodi meaning
For a meaning of the name Sodi, NOBSE Study Bible Name List reads An Acquaintance. Jones' Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names has Acquaintance Of God (which is incorrect; more consistent would be Acquaintance Of The Lord). And BDB Theological Dictionary proposes Intimacy Of Yah.
All these translations appear to assume that a סוד (sod), or assembly, is something that arises when folks become emotionally invested in each other, then sit down with each other for a friendly chat and then form a council as a side effect. This is not what the root of this word or its usages imply. The word סוד (sod) much rather emphasizes a bond based on formal relationships, with the exchange of information as primary objective and the exchange of pleasantries a side effect.