Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Ian Hutchesson" <mc2499 AT mclink.it>]

>Ian, if you really want to talk about only verse 1, independent of its
>context on the basis that it is a self-standing unit, why did you offer
>to Paul the following translations of verses 1-3 in which verse 1 is
>syntactically linked to verse 2? 

Paul asked for a rendering  and I gave two (which you 
say are "not impossible").

I could have supplied a third:

"In the beginning when God created the heavens and the 
earth, the eath was without form and void, darkness 
was on the deep and the wind of God was hovering over 
the waters. And God said, "Let there be light."

>If verse 1 is not a separate unit, it
>can only be understood in its context, which is what I was discussing.

One works from the data first, then puts it in context.

>But I am not going to do so any more.

By your saying that my rendering was not impossible, 
I take it that you don't exclude the position on 
linguistic grounds, which is essentially what I was 
looking for.


Ian