AMINADAB

Lehite PN

1.

NEPHITE dissenter who went over to the LAMANITES (Helaman 5:39 (x2), 41)

Etymology

AMINADAB is a name given to figures in both ISRAELITE and NEPHITE history (in English translations of the Bible, the name is given as Amminadab - whereas in HEBREW the m is doubled with a dagesh which would not necessarily appear doubled in the reformed Egyptian of the Gold Plates). cf. KJV Exodus 6:23; Numbers 1:7; 2:3; 7:12, 17; 10:14; Ruth 4:19, 20). The meaning of the HEBREW ʿammi nadab, is "my people are [is] generous." One may also compare the Edomite PN ʾamyndb, Amminadabbi.

Nibley compares AMINADAB with the EGYPTIAN name “Amanathabi,” chief of a Canaanite city under EGYPT. The suggestion that this name contains the name of the EGYPTIAN god Amon is somewhat unlikely.

In exploring a possible metonymy in this name, it has been pointed out that “although AMINADAB's NEPHITE kinsmen had been among the most noble, he himself had apostatized from them. Perhaps some memory of his heritage, carried with him in his name, made him more receptive to understanding the miracle he witnessed in Helaman 5:36. Perhaps MORMON preserved this name in the record for the very purpose of reinforcing MORMON’s conviction of the nobility of the NEPHITE because as witnessed by this influential miracle” (JWW). This search for metonymy in AMINADAB appears to be rather imaginative (JH).

See Book of Mormon AMINADI, AMMAH

Variants

Deseret Alphabet: 𐐁𐐣𐐆𐐤𐐈𐐔𐐈𐐒 (eɪmɪnædæb)

Notes

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