ע
ABARIM
Publications
Discover the meanings of thousands of Biblical names in Abarim Publications' Biblical Name Vault: Zuriel

Zuriel meaning

Zuriel in Biblical Hebrew
צוריאל
Zuriel categories:
♂
male names
≡
browse names and categories

Source: https://www.abarim-publications.com/Meaning/Zuriel.html

🔼The name Zuriel: Summary

Meaning
God Is A Rock, Rock Of God, My Rock Is God
Etymology
From (1) the noun צור (sur), rock, and (2) the word אל ('el), God.
Related names
• Via צור (swr): Abel-mizraim, Beth-zur, Elizur, Helkath-hazzurim, Izri, Jezer, Mizraim, Pedahzur, Tyre, Zarethan, Zer, Zererath, Zereth, Zereth-shahar, Zeri, Zeror, Zeruiah, Zur, Zurishaddai
• Via אל ('el): See the 'browse by form' menu for a long list of 'el-names.

🔼The name Zuriel in the Bible

The name Zuriel occurs only once in the Bible. Zuriel is a son of Abihail, and the leader of the Levitical sub-tribe of the Merarites at the time of the first census of Israel (Numbers 3:35).

🔼Etymology of the name Zuriel

The name Zuriel consists of two (or rather three) elements, the final one being אל (El), the prominent Canaanite deity, whose name became applied to the God of Israel, or the common abbreviation of Elohim, the genus God:

Excerpted from: Abarim Publications' Biblical Dictionary
אל  אלה

In names אל ('el) usually refers to אלהים ('elohim), that is Elohim, or God, also known as אלה ('eloah). In English, the words 'God' and 'god' exclusively refer to the deity but in Hebrew the words אל ('l) and אלה ('lh) are far more common and may express approach and negation, acts of wailing and pointing, and may even mean oak or terebinth.

— See the full Dictionary article —

The first part of our name could be any of the following, but is commonly understood to be the noun צור (sur), meaning rock, from the root צור (swr V):

Excerpted from: Abarim Publications' Biblical Dictionary
צור
  • Verb צור (sur I) probably means to lean or incline. Noun צואר (sawwa'r) means neck and צורון (sawwaron) means necklace.
  • Verb צור (sur II) means to confine, secure or besiege. Noun מצור (masor) means siege and מצורה (mesura) means stronghold. This verb relates to verb צרר (sarar I).
  • Verb צור (sur III) means to be an adversary. It relates to צרר (sarar II).
  • Verb צור (sur IV) means to form or fashion. Noun צורה (sura) means form and noun ציר (sir) means image. This verb relates to יצר (yasar).
  • Verb צור (sur V) probably relates to verb צרר (sarar III) and probably means to be sharp. The important noun צור (sur) means rock, and is equivalent to the Greek noun πετρα (petra), from which comes the name Peter.
צרר
  • Verb צרר (sarar I) means to bind and relates to צור (sur II). Adjective צר (sar) means narrow. Nouns צר (sar) and צרה (sara) mean distress and yield denominative verb צרה (sara), meaning to suffer distress. Noun צרור (seror) means bundle or parcel. Noun מצר (mesar) means distress.
  • Verb צרר (sarar II) means to show hostility and relates to verb צור (sur III). Noun צר (sar) means adversary. Noun צרה (sara) means vexer or rival-wife. Denominative verb צרר (sarar) means to create a rival wife.
  • Verb צרר (sarar III) probably means to be sharp and relates to צור (sur V). Nouns צר (sar), צר (sor) and צרור (seror) mean flint or pebble.
יצר

Verb יצר (yasar) means to fashion or form and relates to צור (sur IV). Noun יצר (yeser) denotes that what is formed, and noun יצרים (yesurim) means forms or members.

צרה

Verb צרה (srh) probably describes the bleeding of an odoriferous tree. Noun צרי (sari) denotes a kind of costly balsam.

— See the full Dictionary article —

The letter י (yod) that sits in between the two other elements of our name, creates a possessive form out of the word צור (sur), meaning either my rock, or rock of.

🔼Zuriel meaning

For a meaning of the name Zuriel, NOBSE Study Bible Name List reads God Is A Rock. Jones' Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names proposes Rock Of God. And BDB Theological Dictionary has My Rock Is El.