In my Light Princess post, I discussed the significance of puns, and noted a biblical example. I came across another today that didn’t come to mind at the time, so I note it here.
Much of Paul’s letter to Philemon is a wordplay on the name Onesimus, which means ‘useful.’ Hence:
I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I became in my imprisonment. (Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me) (1:10-11).
Another example of a biblical wordplay can be found in the story of Jacob in Genesis (not only the passage in John 1). The theme of deception is played off of several times in the life of Jacob, such as his interactions with Laban and his son’s deceiving of him in the faked death of Joseph. This ties into his name, which can be translated as ‘Deceiver,’ though it is often translated ‘Usurper’ or ‘Supplanter.’
I’ve got my eye out for the word-plays. I’m thankful that MacDonald made me more conscious of this.
