Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Peter Kirk <peterkirk AT qaya.org>]

On 26/09/2005 12:31, Vadim Cherny wrote:

> > Well, I see two (well, in fact about 6 continuing into verse 9) 
> > successive clauses with WAYYIQTOL verbs, which is what I mean by a 
> > chain of WAYYIQTOLs. There is no evidence for a break in the chain in 
> > the middle of verse 7.
>
>
> Only if we assume the correct orthography. But suppose the pause after 
> ha-adam (comma) is the break?
>
> > Anyway, the object which was breathed in this middle clause is not 
> > dust, but the breath of life.
>
>
> Only in VSO pattern. Imagine, however, "dust of the earth blew in his 
> face, [the face of] the living being. And the man existed for a living 
> soul." That is, he existed to irrigate.
> I mean, Peter, I don't defend that translation 100%. But I don't 
> believe that narrators of the Torah were so stupid as to insert two 
> contradictory accounts of creation in two adjacent chapters. So I am 
> inclinded to read Gen2:7 not as creation, but as sending the man 
> forward to a task, and that task seems to be irrigation. With that 
> exegetical need in mind, I try to read Gen2:5-7.
> Making a man ou of dust, breathing life into his nostrils, and putting 
> two contradiction creations nearby seems to make no less tortured 
> reading.
I see your point about two accounts of creation, but of course there is 
no inconsistency. But read what verse 7 actually says very literally, I 
follow the Hebrew word order here:

A and formed YHWH God the man(obj) dust from the ground
B and (he/it) blew in his nostrils breath of life
C and became the man to soul living

Clause A must mean that God formed humanity - and so must be a second 
creation story

Clause B, according to the regular rules, must have God as the subject, 
or just possibly the breath of life. In principle "his nostrils" could 
be God's own, but more probably refers to the man. There is no way that 
"dust" could be the subject, and, since dust does not have nostrils, no 
other part that dust could play in this clause.

--
Peter Kirk
peter AT qaya.org (personal)
peterkirk AT qaya.org (work)
http://www.qaya.org/