Less satisfactory explanations may be found in Calmet's _Dictionary_, and
the _Cyclopædia of Biblical Literature_, edited by Dr. Kitlo.

R.T.H.G.

_Jezebel._--The Hebrew spelling [Hebrew: 'iyzebel] presents so much
difficulty, that I fear such a derivation as W.G.H. wishes to obtain for
the name is not practicable by any known etymology. Nothing that I am aware
of, either in Hebrew, Syriac, or Arabic, will help us. The nearest verb
that I can find is the Chaldee [Hebrew: 'aza'], signifying, "to light a
fire," parts of which occur two or three times in Dan. iii.; but I fear it
would be too daring a conjecture to interpret the name _quem Belus
accendit_ on the strength of that verb's existence. At present I feel
myself obliged to take the advice of Winer, in his _Lexicon_, "Satius est
ignorantiam fateri quam argutari."

"Nominis origo (he says) non liquet. Sunt qui interpretentur _non stercus_,
Coll. 2 Reg. ix. 27., ineptè. {483} Simonis in Onom. dictum putat Ino
[Hebrew: n'iy zebel], _mansio habitationis_ (habitatio tectissima);
Gesenius _cui nemo concubuit_, Coll. [Hebrew: zbl], Gen. xxx. 20. Sed
satius," &c.

Admitting that Hasdrubal is, in fact [Hebrew: `azrw beil], _Bel (was) his
helper_, we cannot possibly connect [Hebrew: 'iyzebel] with it.

[Hebrew: b].

L---- Rectory, Somerset.

_Jezebel._--Your correspondent W.G.H. believes this word to be derivable