Biblical Hebrew Forum

[<david.kimbrough AT charter.net>]

Dora,

Well to begin with, as was noted by Karl, in Deuteronomy 32 
the verb (RXP  - Piel - imperfect) is used to describe the 
an eagle landing on or taking off from it?s nest, which 
although it is a large bird, will hover (or flutter) 
momentarily as it settles down or takes off.  The imperfect 
implies an incomplete action, which matches how an eagle 
hovers. There is a gentleness implied as the eagle taking 
off from  her nest, so not to harm her brood. So if ruwakh 
is read as spirit, and the verb ((RXP  - Piel ? participle) 
is then *had been hovering* over the surface of the waters.  
The participle would seem imply an unbroken continuity of 
action, like God and unlike the take off of an eagle, which 
is momentary. That is not too wild a reading I think.

However, ruwakh can also be breath or wind.  So maybe 
instead of God?s spirit, it is God?s breath that flutters 
figuratively and gently over the face of the water.  I for 
one have never understood the difference between God and 
God?s spirit.  This reading is certainly less conventional.
 


> From: "Dora Smith" <villandra AT austin.rr.com>
> Date: 2004/06/04 Fri PM 11:42:46 GMT
> To: "Karl Randolph" <kwrandolph AT email.com>, 
>         "Hebrew" <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
> Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Gen 1:2
> 
> Keepijng the eggs warm?!   It has to make sense in 
context, folks!
> 
> Seriously, this wouldn't be the place where the Bible 
mentions dry bones
> rattling or dancing around, would it?
> 
> So what would be your idea of what the Spirit of God did?   
Glided?  (Eagles
> do that.)
> 
> Yours,
> Dora Smith
> Austin, Texas
> villandra AT austin.rr.com
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Karl Randolph" <kwrandolph AT email.com>
> To: "Hebrew" <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
> Sent: Thursday, June 03, 2004 11:27 PM
> Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Gen 1:2
> 
> 
> > Dora:
> >
> > One of my first questions after joining this group was 
the definition of
> RXP.
> >
> > In Deuteronomy 32 it is used for an eagle, which is a 
big, heavy bird,
> which doesn't hover (except possibly metaphorically). In 
Jeremiah it is used
> of bones when he was dejected.
> >
> > Peter Kirk found a source in a cognate language that 
indicates that RXP
> refers to nesting. Thus we can see the action of the 
eagle settling itself
> on its young while they are still small, to keep them 
warm. Similarly, when
> a person is depressed, as Jeremiah indicates he was, his 
bones felt heavy
> like lead set down and not to be moved. And the first of 
the three uses has
> the Spirit of God settling down upon the cold, hard, 
lifeless and still ball
> that was the earth.
> >
> > Karl W. Randolph.
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Dora Smith" <villandra AT austin.rr.com>
> >
> > > According to one of my Hebrew texts, it means 
hovering, as in what a
> bird
> > > does over a nest.
> > >
> > > It says, "the root of this verb is [rosh chet pey]", 
meaning "hover
> over"
> > > such as a bird does over the nest.  The leter Tet 
indicates thius verb
> is
> > > feminine singular (she) perfect tense.  The letter 
"s" is a type of verb
> > > conjugation to be discussed later. (this always 
helps)  This verb can
> > > literally be translated as "she did hover".  The 
"She" of this word is
> the
> > > ruach, which is a feminine word.  While most consider 
teh "Spriit" is a
> > > "he", Biblically, it is a "she".
> > >
> > > Yours,
> > > Dora Smith
> > > Austin, Texas
> > > villandra AT austin.rr.com
> > --
> > 
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David Kimbrough
San Gabriel