Biblical Hebrew Forum

["B. M. Rocine" <brocine AT twcny.rr.com>]

Hi Yonah,

Well, since we got a "WOW" out of you, let me press the issue.

You accept that the wayyiqtol sentence is story line.  Explain how the 
expression of a state or condition such as "they were naked" can be part 
of a story line.

I think you are right that the sentence with the wayyiqtol verb is part 
of the story line, but *your English sentence* sounds like background 
instead.

My English sentence does sound like story line.

I seem to be disagreeing with your translation, but it is really more 
than that.  I think I disagree with you about what the Hebrew sentence 
means.

Shalom,
Bryan



Yonah Mishael wrote:
> On 10/5/06, B. M. Rocine <brocine AT twcny.rr.com> wrote:
> > Hi Kelton,
> >
> > Re Gen 2:25, they came into being naked.  That means from the start,
> > from their being created, they were naked.  The verse is not just saying
> > that they were naked (read verbless clause, sheneyhem `arumiym).  It is
> > stating that they came about or came into being naked (read wayyiqtol
> > clause, vayyihyu sheneyhem `arumiym).
> >
> > Re 2Chr 20:25, we can read it "three days transpired (vayyihyu)
> > plundering the spoil..." or "Those plundering the spoil did their thing
> > (vayyihyu) three days..."  I think the word order recommends the former.
> >
> > Shalom,
> > Bryan
>
> WOW. I read Karl's comment above as well as yours, Bryan, but I think
> that this is stretching. This verse is not saying that "God created
> them naked," althought this is surely how they came to be naked. It is
> simply saying that "they were naked" as part of the story line because
> it became important that both (1) the serpent was also (RWM (in this
> instance, "crafty" or the like) and (2) their nakedness became the
> sign to them that they knew good and evil. Hence, God asking them, MY
> HDYS LK KY (YRM )TH [מי הגיד לך כי עירם אתה] -- "Who has told you that
> you [were] naked?" I cannot agree that there is any sense of
> "becoming" in Genesis 2:25 when it was announced that the two were
> naked.
>
> The fact that they were both naked and "felt no shame" L) YTB$$W was
> part of the main storyline, and this explains why HYH was elevated and
> placed in the WYQTWL form. This form elevates what would normally be
> only a verbless clause into primary material and separates it from
> what came before ("for this reason a man shall leave his father and
> mother etc....").
>
> Regards,
> Yonah

--
B. M. Rocine
Living Word Church
6101 Court St. Rd.
Syracuse, NY 13026
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