Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Bryan Rocine" <596547 AT ican.net>]

Dear Ken,

personally, i posted twice, once, which was labelled "Gen 1:1-2," in
support of
bere$it being in construct and once, which was labelled "Gen 1:1-2, hyh,"
about the X-qatal of hyh.  it was in the latter, based on the anteriority
of the x-qatal and a more-than-copula interpretation of hyh, that i
launched the thought of a "pre-beginning" world.

yet, the temporal adverb bere$it is indeed related to the story.  the
condition of the world *already exists* bere$it bara' 'elohim.  God is
therefore not responsible, in the Genesis view, for the pre-beginning
condition of the world.  we are not told who is, but i take this as a
meaningful information gap.  the "omniscient" narrator is making it clear
that God did not author the watery wasteland. 

sincerely,
Bryan

----------
> From: Ken Litwak <kdlitwak AT concentric.net>
> To: Biblical Hebrew <b-hebrew AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
> Cc: Biblical Hebrew <b-hebrew AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
> Subject: Re: Gen 1.1-2, hyh
> Date: Wednesday, January 06, 1999 1:08 AM
> 
> I think I missed something.  We went from noting some occurences of
> hyh with constructs, and then tis seemd to demonstrate someow the way
> Gen 1:1-2 should be understood.  There was a leap in there somplace I
> didn't get.  



B. M. Rocine
Associate Pastor
Living Word Church
6101 Court St. Rd.
Syracuse, NY 13208

315-437-6744(w)
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