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consisting of a non-Semitic element and a Yahwistic theophoric. 35 This understanding yields
something like “Yah is Lord” or “Yah is great.” 36 Mazar (1986, 136–137) for precedence points
to the Arawnah-Awarnah 37 of Jerusalem as a Hurrian title based on the genitive euri-ne, yielding
a shortened “Lord of X” or simply “Lord” (i.e., a feudal lord). 38 Reminiscent in the same location
is the Amarna age ruler of Jerusalem with the Mischname Abdi-H˘ eba (“Servant of the goddess
H˘ ebat”) 39 exhibiting a Semitic element plus a Hurrian theophoric.
Whether Uriah, the Arawnah-Awarnah, and Abdi-H˘ eba can be organically connected
remains to be demonstrated, but the Jerusalem connection of the latter two as rulers of the same
location, the Semitic-Hurrian onomastics of Abdi-H˘ eba, and David’s connection to the first two
suggest that the Hurrian-Semitic onomastics should be taken seriously for Uriah. Further
supporting the name “Uriah” as Hurrian-Semitic are the following observations: other non-
Israelites in David’s service bear non-Israelite names (e.g., the likely Hurrian
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35 For an extensive argument favoring a compound consisting of the Luwian adjective and Israelite
theophoric, see Arbeitman (1982).
36 Though it does not appear to occur in PNs, uri- could be a shortened form of the Hurrian adjective urh˘ i,
“true, faithful” (see Laroche 1980, 286). The fuller form occurs frequently in PNs such as Urh˘ i-Tešub, Urh˘ i-Tilla,
Urh˘ i-Kušuh˘ , Urh˘ i-tarmi, and Urh˘ iya(na). In its possible application to “Uriah,” the result yields something like
“Yah is true/faithful”— an intriguing irony in the David-Bathsheba-Uriah triangle.
37 The variations in the MT’s orthography are not surprising in light of the appellation’s foreign derivation
(2 Sam 24): האורנה K הארונה)‏ Q; v. 16), ארניה K ארונה)‏ Q; v. 18), ארונה 7x (vv. 20–24). The Chronicler spells the
name ארנן which the LXX consistently adopts via Ορνα. The variation ארונה/האורנה also appears in the regular
metathesis of ewri-erwi in the eastern and western (Nuzi) dialects. The first occurrence in the MT bears the article,
suggesting that Arawnah-Awarnah is a title rather than a personal name. Second Samuel 24:23 supports a titular
understanding if Mazar’s passing suggestion (1986, 136) is correct in reading המלך as an appositive rather than a
vocative: “All this did Arawnah the king give to the king” ‏ֹּכל ‏ָנַתן ‏ֲאַרְוָנה ‏ַהֶּמֶלְך ‏ַלֶּמֶלְך)‏ ‏.(ַה By understanding the sentence
as narrative rather than continued discourse of the Arawnah, this reading has the added advantage of removing the
awkwardness of a personal self-reference given to David the king rather than an expected “your servant” or similar.
38 Speiser (1941, 98–101) explicates the -ne suffix as essentially indefinite in force, where its various
nuances are traced to a base meaning of “one” used as a relative particle. Hence, it can take on definite force or
function as an attributive particle for a following noun. In application to Euri-ne its force literally indicates “lord,
one of X (land/town/city).” While Mazar supposes an intentional shift in the title to make it sound more Israelite, it
is also possible the MT has simply masked the -ne with a late vocalization of -nâ.
39 E.g., EA 280:16–24, 30–35; 285:1–4; 286:1–4, 5–15, 61–64; 287:1–3, 64–70; 288:1–4, 62–66; 289:1–
4, 45–51; 290:1–4, 14–21; 366:20–28.
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