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b-hebrew - Re: [b-hebrew] Alter's translation (Was: Daniel 6:27 (time indefinite) II)

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  • From: Peter Kirk <peter AT qaya.org>
  • To: Harold Holmyard <hholmyard AT ont.com>
  • Cc: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Alter's translation (Was: Daniel 6:27 (time indefinite) II)
  • Date: Tue, 22 Nov 2005 12:56:37 +0000

On 22/11/2005 03:33, Harold Holmyard wrote:

B. M. Rocine wrote:

(actually it was me quoting Alter)


“When God began to create heaven and earth, and the earth then was welter and waste and darkness over the deep and God’s breath hovering over the waters, God said, ‘Let there be light’. And there was light.”


HH: "When God began to create the earth, and the earth then was welter and waste, with darkness over the deep and God's breath hovering over the waters, God said, 'Let there be be light." And there was light."


That is considerably better, except that presumably you omitted "heaven and" accidentally, although I still don't like "welter". Also "then" seems strange if this part is intended to be governed by "when". But why didn't Alter write this? Was it because of the hyper-literalism that the vav prefix must always be translated "and"? No, because he has omitted completely the vav prefix at the start of v.3 - which for me is a good reason to reject also Alter's exegesis by which vv.1-2 is a complex subordinate clause and prefer the traditional "In the beginning God created..." But we discussed that one at great length a few years ago. No, it seems that Alter is simply more interested in keeping his "quirky" literary style than in getting the substance of the translation correct.

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





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