Biblical Hebrew Forum

[peter_kirk AT sil.org]

To summarise again my argument: If Rashi is correct, we would have to 
translate as follows, complete with punctuation:

"In the beginning of God creating the heavens and the earth. The earth 
was without form and void..."

Unfortunately this is ungrammatical in English as a prepositional 
phrase cannot be a complete sentence. I believe the same to be true in 
Hebrew. I prefer a translation which is grammatical. Did Rashi answer 
this point?

Peter Kirk


______________________________ Reply Separator 
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Subject: Re[3]: Genesis 1:1: independent clause or subordinate ph
Author:  <lewreich AT javanet.com> at Internet
Date:    07/12/1999 12:16


The traditional Jewish commentator Rashi remarks on B.:R")$IYT, commenting, 
if I recall correctly, on the occurrence in Jeremiah, but noting, in effect, 
that it means not "in the beginning", but "in the beginning of", and thus 
that the verb BfRfH, which would be appropriate if it were "in the 
beginning", should be read BRoH - in the beginning of God' creation of the 
heaven and earth, the earth was void and without form..."  as a couple of 
new translations have rendered it.

Lewis Reich

----- Original Message -----
From: <peter_kirk AT sil.org>
To: Biblical Hebrew <b-hebrew AT franklin.oit.unc.edu> 
Sent: Tuesday, December 07, 1999 5:29 PM
Subject: Re[2]: Genesis 1:1: independent clause or subordinate phrase

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