In the names of _Balaam_ and _Balak_, some of the old Jewish and Christian commentators on the Bible have detected a particular meaning. In _Balaam_ (‪בלע־עם‬) they saw a future “devourer,” or “destroyer of the people,” and in _Balak_ (‪בלק‬) a representation of “incompetence,” illustrating their subsequent conduct towards the Jewish people. Similarly, too, the name of _Achan_ or _Achar_ (‪עכר‬) (1 Chron. ii. 7), which latter word means “to cause trouble,” and _Machlon_ and _Chillion_ (‪מחלון‬, ‪כליון‬) “the sick, the perishing,” seem to be foretokens of the subsequent fortunes of their owners. Interesting, again, is the name _David_ (‪דוד‬), which means “the beloved one,” or “the friend,” and was given to the child that subsequently became the sweet singer in Israel. In connexion therewith a play on words may be mentioned here, which seems to have hitherto been overlooked by students of the Bible. When King Saul, who hated David after his victory over Goliath, missed his presence at the royal table, he asked his son Jonathan, “Wherefore cometh not the son of Jesse to meat?” (‪אל הלחם‬). Thereupon Jonathan ironically replied: “David has asked leave of me to go to _Beth-lehem_” (‪בית לחם‬). By this play on words Jonathan seems to have intended to tell his father that David had a home of his own where there was plenty of food (‪לחם‬), and he could therefore readily dispense with the hospitality of the royal palace. This play on words is found elsewhere in the Bible, in connexion with proper names, viz. ‪בתי אכזיב לאכזב‬, “The houses of _Achzib_ (from ‪כזב‬) shall be a ‛lie’” (Mic. i. 14); and ‪עקרון תעקר‬, “_Ekron_ (from ‪עקר‬) shall be destroyed” (Zeph. ii. 4). It is noticeable that the idol which the inhabitants of the latter town used to worship was ignominiously called in the Bible “_Baal-Zebub_”—“The Lord of Flies.” It is said in 2 Kings i. 2, not without a slight touch of irony, that King _Ahazia_ had sent messengers to this impotent deity to inquire about the issue of his protracted illness. There are four other proper names in the Bible which have seemingly foretold the future characteristics of their respective possessors. These are: _Solomon_ (‪שלמה‬), being a name which signifies “Peace” (from ‪שלום‬); _Malachi_ (‪מלאכי‬), “My Messenger,” the future Jewish prophet; _Ezra_ (‪עזרא‬), “The Helper”; and _Nehemia_ (‪נחמיה‬), “God's Comforter.” The subsequent history of the two latter in leading back to Palestine the bulk of the Jewish exiles from the Babylonian captivity shows that their names were not ill-bestowed.