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  • From: "Peter Kirk"<peter_kirk AT sil.org>
  • To: <b-hebrew AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re[2]: SV: Gilgamesh and Genesis 1:1
  • Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 22:36:13 -0500


I don't know if NPL was on this list at the time, but it's not many
months since we had an exhaustive discussion of the syntax of Genesis
1:1. My conclusion was that Lee Martin's interpretation of this verse
cannot be syntactically correct, as this would leave it as a hanging
prepositional phrase linked to nothing else, for verse 2 (starting
with WAW) is clearly a new sentence. So I agree with NPL that the
literal meaning of BERE'SHIT is "at a beginning" with no construct
chain. But this cannot mean "one of many beginnings" but in this
context can only mean "in the beginning" in an absolute sense.

Peter Kirk


______________________________ Reply Separator
_________________________________
Subject: Re: SV: Gilgamesh
Author: <lmartin AT vol.com> at Internet
Date: 17/01/2000 11:24


Niels Peter Lemche wrote:

> One of the basic parts of the training at universities is to tell people to
> read a text in context. You cannot isolate one verse from it context and
> claim that you can interpret it out of context.

Dear Niels,
Your statement above is condescending. We all know that texts must be read
in
context.

> Gen 1:1 can be translated in
> several different ways, e.g. because the first word does not say in the
> beginning but as it stands in the Leningradiensis (and Aleppo for that
> matter) 'at a beginning'.

Gen. 1:1 does not say "at a beginning." The reason BeReShiTH does not have
the
article is that it is in construct. It takes its definiteness from the word
following. The construct used with a finite verb is attested many times in
the
HB and
it is always definite. Thus, Gen. 1:1 says, "In the beginning of God's
creating
the
heavens and the earth." The statement may be interpreted in several ways,
but G
od's
creation of heaven and earth cannot be excised from verse one or from the
whole
chapter.
--

Lee R. Martin
Pastor, Prospect Church of God, Cleveland, Tennessee
Instructor in Hebrew and Old Testament
Church of God Theological Seminary
http://earth.vol.com/~lmartin/





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