Biblical Hebrew Forum

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

Thank you for bringing in Isaiah 45:18, which has the phrase (concerning God
and the earth)

LO)-TOHUW B:RF)FH. (lo-tohu bra'ah)

This is surely rather significant in relation to Genesis 1:2 as it seems to
directly contradict the understanding that God caused the earth to be tohu
webohu. Of course we cannot be sure of the temporal relationship between the
two passages. But I would suggest that "Isaiah" is here making a deliberate
echo of Genesis 1:2 and also showing his own understanding of that verse.
Perhaps this is even evidence that in his time this verse was understood in
different ways, and Isaiah is showing his support for one of those ways. Of
course that does not mean that Isaiah was necessarily correct. But he might
have been.

Peter Kirk

----- Original Message -----
From: <Tsadowq AT aol.com>
To: "Biblical Hebrew" <b-hebrew AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, September 06, 2000 7:07 PM
Subject: Re: Gen 1:2 "was"/"became"


> Hello,
>
> In a message dated 09/06/2000 11:41:55 AM Mountain
> Daylight Time, brocine AT earthlink.net writes:
> << There are indeed examples in which hyh clearly
> means *became* that do not have lamed on either
> an "indirect object" or a "direct object."
>
> Gen 19:26, 21:20, 25:27, Exo 8:13, to
> name a few. Gen 19:26 goes like this:
>
> vatthi netsib melax
> "And she became a pillar of salt." >>
>
> Thank you for acknowledging that an exegetical
> analysis of this passage does not deny us the
> possibility of an Earth which "became" void and
> without form.
>
> In a message dated 09/06/2000 11:41:55 AM Mountain
> Daylight Time, brocine AT earthlink.net writes:
> << It is a bit radical to think "the earth *had become*
> tohu and bohu," isn't it?>>
>
> What about Isaiah 45:18?
>
> Did God *create* in *vain*?
>
> Best Regards,
> Glen
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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