Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Jonathan D. Safren" <yonsaf AT beitberl.beitberl.ac.il>]

"Lee R. Martin" wrote:

> Your point is well-taken, but I do not like the word "chaos" here because in
> current English usage it implies activity.  Yes, the created earth was
> "non-ordered".  I get the picture of a big dark rock, covered with water.
> That doesn't comply with my understanding of the English word "chaos."
> "Chaos" is what happens in a riot.  Searching for translation equivalents
> never satisfies everyone, does it?
>
>

Dear Lee,
True, chaos is not a good equivalent; one needs another word implying
"non-ordered", as you put it, all mixed up. I don't have Everett Fox's
translation at hand, but he might have something interesting.
Yours,
Jonathan D. Safren
Dept. of Biblical Studies
Beit Berl College
44905 Beit Berl Post Office
Israel