Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Peter Kirk" <Peter_Kirk AT sil.org>]

Dear Rolf,

The interpretation of Genesis 1:1-3 preferred by Rashi and several list
members, if it were unambiguous, would provide your counter-example, as they
interpret WAYYO'MER in verse 3 as the main verb following an extended
adverbial phrase of time. A waw conjunction is not normally found after a
time phrase and before a verb. In fact, can anyone find ANY examples of
this, with any verb form? To put it another way, this interpretation demands
that in verse 3 there is a WAYYIQTOL form in a non-sentence-initial
position.

Now when I questioned some months ago whether this was a possible sentence
structure, I remember that some examples were found. Please can someone
quote these examples again, i.e. any sentence in which an adverbial phrase
precedes a WAYYIQTOL verb which it modifies.

This makes me happy because if we do get even one example I have managed to
falsify one of Rolf's claims, and if we don't get any examples I can safely
conclude against Rashi's interpretation, on the grounds that it is based on
a unique grammatical construction as well as a conjectural emendation of
bara' to baro'. ;-)

Peter Kirk

----- Original Message -----
From: "Rolf Furuli" <furuli AT online.no>
To: "Biblical Hebrew" <b-hebrew AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
Sent: Sunday, September 03, 2000 5:22 PM
Subject: Re: veqatal and adverbs

<snip>

... The enclitic WAWs can in *all* instances be explained as mere
> conjunctions. You can falsify this claim by pointing to just one example
> where a conjunctive meaning is not possible.
>
<snip>