Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

b-hebrew - Re: [b-hebrew] When God began to create...

b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Biblical Hebrew Forum

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: "Rolf Furuli" <furuli AT online.no>
  • To: <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] When God began to create...
  • Date: Wed, 23 Nov 2005 19:43:44 -0000

Dear Karl,

Colophons in ancient times is found at the ends of the tablets or documents, as is the case in the cuneiform tablets. So you have a good case for your view that this is the case of Genesis as well.

Best regards

Rolf Furuli
University of Oslo

----- Original Message ----- From: "Karl Randolph" <kwrandolph AT email.com>
To: "b-hebrew" <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Wednesday, November 23, 2005 4:48 PM
Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] When God began to create...


Bryan:

)LH TWLDWT at the ends or beginnings of the sections?
I have heard from different sources (unfortunately in
lectures, not on paper) that it was a literary style that went
out of practice mid second millennium BC whereby the
author and title were added onto the end of literary works.
Thus the sequential time frame of creation, which only
God would know, was given the title "These are the
bringing forths (This is the narration ...) of the heavens and
the earth, in the day YHWH God made earth and heaven."

Thus Genesis 2:4 reflects a different document than 2:5,
and therefore cannot fit the pattern that you claim (unless
those lecturers I heard were wrong).

That they are today at the beginnings of following sections
is the result of the relatively modern division of chapters
and verses, made by people who did not know that
ancient practice.

Karl W. Randolph.

----- Original Message -----
From: "B. M. Rocine" <brocine AT twcny.rr.com>
To: "b-hebrew" <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] When God began to create...
Date: Wed, 23 Nov 2005 09:07:43 -0500




Karl Randolph wrote:

> Genesis 2:4 is one of the poetic verses, with a mirror image
> poetry loosely built into it. Therefore, the second part doesn't
> split off to make a dependent clause.
>
> Further, Genesis 2:4 is the summing up verse that closes the
> first chapter, it is not part of the second chapter at all.
>

Hi Karl,

I think you will find that the _'elleh toledot_ statements are at the
beiginnings of their respective sections of Gen, not the ends.

It doesn't matter to me if you want to keep 2:4a together with 2:4b.
2:4b still grammatically depends on what follows, not what precedes.

IOW, the _'elleh toledot_ statement is more like a heading than an
integral part of the narrative. The story really begins with 2:4b, and
the plotline begins with 2:7.

Shalom,
Bryan

--
B. M. Rocine
Living Word Church
6101 Court St. Rd.
Syracuse, NY 13026
(W): 315.437.6744






Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page