81.  Guildford Street, May 4. 1850.

Elizabeth—­Isabel.—­The Greek word [Greek:  Elisabet] (Luke, i. 5. &c.) from which Elizabeth, or Elisabeth, must have been adopted as a Christian name, is used by the LXX. (Exodus, vi. 23.) to express the Hebrew [Hebrew:  Elisheba], the name of Aaron’s wife.  This at once directs us to the verb [Hebrew:  shaba], or rather to its Niphal, [Hebrew:  nishba], for the Kal form does not occur, to swear; for the combination of letters in [Hebrew:  el isshaba], God will swear, or God sweareth, is the same as that in the proper name.  Now let us transpose the verb and its nominative case, and we have [Hebrew:  ishaba el], which a Greek translator might soften into [Greek:  Isabel].

The use of [Greek:  Elisabet] both by the LXX. and the Evangelist, makes it probable that the mother of John the Baptist, who was of the daughters of Aaron (Luke, i. 5.), was known amongst her own people by the recognized and family name of Elisheba, as Anna no doubt would be Hannah ([Hebrew:  hanah]), and Mary, Miriam ([Greek:  Mariam], Luke, i. 27.).  And this is confirmed by the Syriac version, the vernacular, or nearly so, of Our Blessed Lord and His disciples, which has [Syriac:  elisheba].

Genesius, in his Lexicon, explains Elisheba to mean “cui Deus est sacramentum,” “quae jurat per Deum, i.e.  Dei cultrix:  cf.  Is. xix. 18.”  I should rather take it to be a name expressive of trust in God’s promises or oath, such as Elijah, “the LORD is my God;” Isaiah, “the LORD is my salvation;” Ezekiel, “God strengtheneth.”  Schleusner (Lex.  N.T.) says that others derived it from [Hebrew:  saba], saturavit; “sic in Alberti Gloss.  N.T., p. 87. explicatur, [Greek:  Theou mou plaesmonae].”  Wolfius, in his note on Luke, i. 5., refers to Witsii Miscellanea, tom. ii. p. 478., to which I must refer your correspondent “A.C.,” as I have not the book by me.

Camden must, of course, have derived the name {489} from [Hebrew:  shabath], to rest; but I think we must rather defer to the authority of the LXX.  And though [Hebrew:  el ishaboth] may give us Elisabeth, we shall not be able to deduce Isabel from [Hebrew:  ishboth el] quite so easily.

B.

L ——­ Rectory, S ——­, May 4. 1850.

Trunck Breeches (No. 24. p. 384.), more commonly called “trunk-hose,” were short wide breeches reaching a little above, or sometimes below the knees, stuffed with hair, and striped. (See The Oxford Manual for Brasses, p. cvi.; and Planche’s British Costume, pp. 334-339. new ed.) Two years ago, I saw in the Strand an old man with a queue; a sight which I made a note of as soon as I got home, influenced by the same motive that, no doubt, led Smith in 1640 to append to the death of “old Mr. Grice” the remark, “who wore truncke breeches,” namely, the antique singularity of the habiliment.