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  • From: Harold Holmyard <hholmyard AT ont.com>
  • To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Gen 1:1-3 (was "Gen 1:2- And the earth . . .")
  • Date: Sat, 15 Apr 2006 08:38:57 -0500

Peter Kirk wrote:

On 15/04/2006 01:07, Harold R. Holmyard III wrote:

...
HH: The real question with the traditional reading ("In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth") is the absence of a definite article with "in" followed by "beginning": BR)$YT. ...


It is also worth noting that this definite article would be marked only in the subtleties of vowel pointing, with qamets for the definite version rather than sheva as found in the Masoretic text. But then the LXX rendering EN ARCHi without the definite article points to an early undertanding of R)$YT as indefinite, but not a construct as "created" (actually rendered as just EPOIHSEN, "made") is a main verb, not subordinate to EN ARCHi.


HH: The LXX rendering EN ARCHi without the definite article need not point to an early understanding of R)$YT as indefinite. The Greek often leaves out article in situations such as this (arguing for the possibility that Hebrew might as well?). Here is Smyth's Greek Grammar:
http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0007&query=head%3D%23332

§1127. The article is omitted in many adverbial designations of time, mostly with prepositions (except hêmera_s by day, nuktos by night).

Thus, peri mesa_s nuktas about midnight, hama heôi just before daylight, hôrai hetous at the season of the year. So with orthros daybreak, deilê afternoon, hespera_ evening, ear spring; and ek paidôn from childhood. Most of the above cases are survivals of the older period when the article had a demonstrative force.

§1128. The article is very often omitted in phrases containing a preposition: en archêi tou logou in the beginning of the speech D. 37.23 , exô belôn out of reach of the missiles X. A. 3.4.15 , Êiona tên epi Stru_moni Eion on the Strymon T. 1.98 .

Yours,
Harold Holmyard





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