Biblical Hebrew Forum

["C. Stirling Bartholomew" <jacksonpollock AT earthlink.net>]

Sergio,

On 2/8/05 12:44 AM, "Sesamo m." <sesamox AT hotmail.com> wrote:

> I'm not an expert but since the context is dealing with the physical
> Creation, shouldn't this be treated as the literal dawn light?

Yes, the text is dealing with the physical creation and literal dawn light
is the obvious referent.

> Thiefs, 
> murderers and other wicked people used to act in the darkness, so the dawn
> light forced them to stop their wicked acts. Could it be interpreted that
> way?

There is a temporal issue here. Time seems to be non-linear in this text
which isn't atypical of ancient poetry. The time of creation is mixed up
with the daily dawn so that certain events are mentioned that fit into the
creation time frame which are mixed up with other events that are associated
with the daily rising of the sun. The light of day sending the wicked into
hiding isn't appropriate for a creation time frame.

Another way of looking at this is a rapid shift, back and forth, from the
cosmic to the mundane frame of reference. Again, this isn't atypical of
ancient poetry. 

> 
> A Spanish paraphrase renders verses 12-15 more or less like this: "Have you
> ever in your life given orders for the dawn to come out and the day to
> begin? 

I have a question about the phrase "given orders."  Does this reflect the
cosmic or the mundane frame of reference. Are we talking about the creation
of day and night and the appointing of times of Genesis? This being the
cosmic frame of reference. Or are we talking about a command that is given
for the daily rising of the sun? This translation leaves this issue somewhat
ambiguous and perhaps the MT leaves it that way as well. But I doubt that
the original audience would have been confused on this point. I think the
command given is positioned within the cosmic frame of reference and that
some of the results or side effects of the daily rising of the sun are
within the mundane frame of reference and that the original audience would
not have found this confusing.


greetings,
Clay Bartholomew