Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Raymond de Hoop <rdehoop AT tref.nl>]

> Dave wrote
>Okay, which other of the "ordinary creatures" has the capability of
>speech, knows what God has commanded the man and questions
>it, lies to the people and all the rest?  I think you're the one reading
>"ordinary" into the text, because it's obvious in the context that this
>critter does things that no other critter does, has knowledge
>beyond what any other critter has, and has the capability of moral
>judgment that no other critter apparently has.  So perhaps you can
>explain to me how this constitutes "ordinary."  If we take the
>introductory statement in isolation, well sure, he looks
>ordinary enough.  But if we look at his actions, it's pretty obvious
>that he's anything but ordinary as compared to the other animals.
>
>
Well, aparently this "not ordinary creature" became extinct after the
paradise. In fauna books I cannot find anything about a serpent, "going
upon his belly, eating dust", which "has knowledge beyond what any other
critter has, and has the capability of moral judgment that no other critter
apparently has". Neither do I know of a satan, "going upon his belly,
eating dust".

So, lets stick to B-Hebrew on this list, not to dogmatics. And I conclude
that Hebrew N.CH.SH means "serpent, snake" and not "satan". Every
interpretation going beyond that is not dealing with B-Hebrew, and is on
the wrong place on this list.

Raymond





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Dr Raymond de Hoop
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E-mail: rdehoop AT tref.nl