Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Ian Hutchesson <mc2499 AT mclink.it>]

A few last things on this 24 hour day "debate":

1) to assume that the writer somehow thought of days before day #4 as of
some other length than the usual morning to morning day, how is it
indicated in the text: surely the writer would not simply switch
significance of such a term without helping his readership; and

2) to assume anything other than basically 24 hour days nullifies the
institution of the Sabbath as the seventh "day" (which seems to be one
motive for the text's writing), for some of these other days suddenly
become arbitrary in length (though presumably of vast time periods -- for
those who want their cake and eat it too). "You don't have to celibrate the
Sabbath on the seventh literal day -- the writer of Gen 1 wasn't being
literal!" "Oh, really?"

Hopefully I can let this subject go unless someone wants to contribute a
little substantive evidence for a metaphorical interpretation.


Ian