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What’s in a Word

David Curwin
I am Known by Many Names

n honor of Yom Yerushalayim, let’s the capital of Israel, the name became or “protective wall,” and this could
look at the origins of some of the associated with the word shalom – explain why it came to be the name of
Icity’s names. “peace.” Yerushalayim is associated a fortress.
with peace in many Biblical verses,
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Yerushalayim and so the linguist Ernest Klein City of David
thinks the name Yerushalayim should
It is generally understood that the be translated literally as “foundation We saw that Tzion was renamed
name is composed of two parts – of peace.” Shalom, in turn, derives the City of David – Ir David. Where
Yeru and Shalem. The Midrash says from shalem, meaning “complete.” does the name David come from?
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that Yeru comes from yirah – fear: The verb ם ֵ ל ָ ׁש can mean “to com- The name is usually translated as
“G-d said ‘If I call it Yireh, as Avra- plete,” “to make peace,” and “to make “beloved.” There are indeed many
ham called it, then Shem, who was a compensation” – i.e. “to pay.” words in Hebrew with a related root
righteous man, will become angry; that indicate love. Dod means lover
and if I call it Shalem, Avraham, who Tzion (particularly in Shir HaShirim), yadid
was a righteous man, will be angry.
Instead, I call it Yerushalayim [Jerusa- As we saw in Tehillim 76:3, Tzion is means “friend” or “beloved” and the
mandrake flowers known as dudaim
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lem], as they called it together: Yireh another name for Yerushalayim. It
Shalem.’” first appears in Shmuel II 5:7, “But were believed to stimulate love. Dod
David captured the stronghold of also means “uncle,” perhaps because
However, linguists say that yeru Tzion; it is now the City of David.” In it was common for uncles to marry
means “foundation.” While yarah this verse, it refers specifically to the nieces in ancient times.
generally means “to cast, throw,” fortress of the city. It has that limited
there are verses where it means “to sense in three other verses. However, Some scholars have noted that yadid
establish,” such as “the pillar which in the other 150 occurrences in the meaning “beloved, darling,” usually
I have set up” and “who set its Bible, it refers to either all of Jerusa- applies to the youngest child. We see
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cornerstone?” 3 this with Binyamin and Shlomo. 7
lem or the entire Land of Israel.
David was also the youngest child in
Shalem But Tzion was always more poetic or his family, and perhaps his name also
symbolic than a specific place name. reflected his status as the youngest,
The name Yerushalayim is not It could be considered more of a con- and beloved, child. And these usages
found in the Torah. It first appears cept than a location. The linguist all reflect someone chosen for lead-
in Yehoshua 10:1, “When King Ruvik Rosenthal wrote that Tzion “is ership (the first king of Israel was
Adoni-Tzedek of Yerushalayim a dream that desires to become real- Shaul, from Binyamin, and the next
heard…” However, as we saw in the ity.” Therefore it is not surprising that kings were David and Shlomo). This
Midrash above, many believe that the it inspired the name of the move- understanding of the origin of David
city Shalem, mentioned in Bereishit ment of a return to the Land of Israel makes it an appropriate name for
14:18, was the original name of the – “Zionism.” Yerushalayim as well – our beloved
city. There are a number of reasons and chosen city!
for this theory. One is a similarity of The etymology of Tzion is unclear.
the name Adoni-Tzedek in Yehoshua, Some say it is related to the word
with the king of Shalem, Malki-Tze- tziyun – “monument, landmark,”
dek, in Bereishit. Another is a paral- which is related to the word metzuyan 1 Bereishit Rabbah 56:10.
lel found in Tehillim 76:3 – “Shalem – “distinguished, excellent.” Others 2 Bereishit 31:51.
became His abode; Zion, His den.” say it derives from the root הָּי ִ צ (or 3 Iyov 38:6.
In that verse, both Shalem and Zion ה ָ ה ְ צ) meaning “dry, drought,” and 4 Tehillim 122:6, Yeshayahu 52:7, Yirmiyahu
appear to refer to Yerushalayim. so the meaning would be “bare hill.” 33:6 and more.
This meaning can be understood
Shalem (and Yerushalayim) was a Jeb- by Jerusalem’s bordering the Judean
usite city, and for the Canaanite res- Desert. A third theory is that Tzion David Curwin is a writer living in Efrat,
idents the name probably had pagan comes from the root הָּנ ִ צ – “to pre- and the author of the Balashon blog,
connotations. But when it became serve.” A tzinah is a “large shield” balashon.com

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