Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Peter_Kirk AT SIL.ORG]

John Ronning wrote:

"...To Randall's examples I would add Gen 22:1 - not quite the 
same since weha'elohim nissah 'eth Abraham is preceded by a 
standard wayehi statement which necessitates a sequential 
interpretation. (It came to pass after these things, God tested 
Abraham)..."

An interesting example. I wonder if this rather odd collocation of 
verb forms can be seem as some kind of seam. Perhaps 21:22-22:1a 
(up to HF)"L.EH) was added later; for without this 22:1b flows on 
nicely, including the flashback, from 21:21. Perhaps we are meant 
to read 22:1a with 21:22a as an inclusio, so that 22:1b refers 
back in its time sequence to 21:21. Can anyone find out if this 
sequence of verb forms is regular or unique?

"I don't think it's obvious at all that Cain would be a liar and 
murderer if he were conceived before the fall."

That's not what I meant; I meant that it is obvious (to me at 
least) that, if Cain was born (or conceived) before the fall but 
even so became a liar and a murderer, then he was affected by the 
curse - which affected not only Adam, but also Eve and presumably 
would have affected any other human being around at the time.

I have another suggestion, which was prompted partly by a vague 
memory of a thread on this list some months ago about those who 
took the serpent as Cain's father: Perhaps Cain was conceived (in 
the view of the author of this part of Genesis) after Adam and Eve 
took the fruit but before the expulsion from Eden, at the time of 
3:7. The language of this verse may even be partly euphemistic, 
especially WAY."D:(W. "knew". But then this leans back towards the 
view of sex as evil.

Peter Kirk