Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

b-hebrew - Re: [b-hebrew] Genesis 2:5

b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Biblical Hebrew Forum

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: "Vadim Cherny" <VadimCherny AT mail.ru>
  • To: "Peter Kirk" <peterkirk AT qaya.org>
  • Cc: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Genesis 2:5
  • Date: Fri, 30 Sep 2005 11:30:35 +0300

Vadim, you may not live in Manhattan either, but you obviously don't live in a sun-dry land. As Martin probably knows from Australia and I have also seen, there are very dry parts of Australia and other countries (even of Russia, actually, near the Caspian coast) where lots of small bushes grow. And the same is true of many parts of the Middle East.

The answer consist of several parts.

First, I doubt that siah means "bush." That meaning is rare and dubious, with clear etymological connection to the root. I would talk the first phrase as, "all small talk in the fields was not [no more]."

Second, herbs indeed don't grow well in sun-dry land.

Third, the writer used a common hyperbole. When one says, "All is lost," he rarely implies "all." When we hear, "All fish had gone from that pond," the person is aware that a few likely remained. "All herbs of the field would grow not" seems applicable to draught.

Fourth, the common translation "yet" is very misleading. Arabic cognate tarem, on the contrary, means something like "cease."

Fifth, for watering of the whole earth geshem is much more appropriate. Matar seemingly implies that on the whole land there was not even a drizzle.

Vadim Cherny




Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page