Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Thomas L. Thompson" <tlt AT teol.ku.dk>]

> When considering such literary functions of be-yom in the garden story,
> one might not only do well to note that this phrase opens the Babylonian
> creation myth: enuma elish, but that yom is also used with interesting
> fate-filled overtones in Genesis 3,8's le-ruach ha-yom.
> Thomas
> 
> Jerry Blaz wrote:
> I have always understood that the expression "byom" to be a summation of a
> change in the status of Adam and Eve from innocence to responsibility with
> its fate of mortality.  It seems that the other instances you bring also
> involve a summation of status with change.  That is my "take on the BETH."
> 
> At 03:27 PM 8/22/00 -0500, you wrote:
> >I looked up "in the day" (byom) and found that the phrase is used pretty
> >loosely thoughout Genesis, not necessarily as a 24 hour day. While not
> >entirely satisfactory, I guess it does provide some explanation for the
> >phenomenon...
> >
> >Genesis 2:4  These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth
> when
> >they were created, in the day  that the LORD God made the earth and the
> >heavens,
> >Genesis 2:17  But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou
> shalt
> >not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely
> >die. {thou shalt surely...: Heb. dying thou shalt die}
> >Genesis 3:5  For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your
> >eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
>