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b-hebrew - Waw consecutive in Gen 1

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  • From: "Brian Sullivan" <navillusbpi AT primus.com.au>
  • To: b-hebrew
  • Subject: Waw consecutive in Gen 1
  • Date: Thu, 2 Dec 1999 9:40:3


Greetings fellow Students of Hebrew,

Am only a recent member of b-hebrew and hope I am not rehashing a topic
regularly discussed.
I have recently read from J W Watts 'A Distinctive Translation of
Genesis'and was interested to observe that in the Genesis 1 account the
translator does not follow the principle of waw consecutive (translating
the phrase in the perfect)but uses the imperfect state eg "'Let their be
light' and gradually light came into existance."(V. 3)
Does waw-consecutive hold true in all cases? If not, what are the parameter
influencing translation? It was pointed out to me that O. L. Barnes
(1965)stated that translation of the imperfect "has been needelessly
complicated by slavish adherance" to the waw consecutive principle.
I would like to more clearly understand the parameters in correct
translation of the waw consecutive in Gen 1 and ask if any one has any
views on whether translating the this chapter in the imperfect impacts on
the traditional understanding of this passage>

Thank you for your very kind consideration,

Brian Sullivan
BA Student
navillusbpi AT primus.com.au




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