Biblical Hebrew Forum

["K Randolph" <kwrandolph AT gmail.com>]

Yodan:

I was not trying to impose any particular midrash that you might have.
I just caution that we ought not read our own biases and beliefs into
the text, otherwise called eisegesis.

On 11/29/06, YODAN <yodanco AT yodanco.com> wrote:
> I completely disagree with the concept you state.  What does it mean
> "correctly understand" -- does anyone today know what "correctly understand"
> means when it comes to Biblical (or another ancient) text?  True, some
> interpretations are very far from the text - they are called midrashim.  But
> interpreting a text written in Biblical Hebrew (and I mean by this not only
> the technical/grammatical aspects of the language) -- why isn't the
> understanding I offered a valid one?  Surely you are not saying that I don't
> understand the Hebrew meaning of the verse.
What I say is that what you offered is midrash, not text. You add
something that the text does not have. It is not necessarily wrong,
just not there in the original.

> Think about this -- if one is told today that they are terminally ill
> (usually this is accompanies by some time-frame prognosis), isn't this the
> beginning of death itself?  Isn't this even worse than death?  Sure, we all
> know that we will die.  But only when one is told that they have a terminal
> disease it is when they become aware of this fact at a different level than
> before.  Adam apparently wasn't even aware that he is mortal. The revelation
> he is can mean death.
Adam didn't realize he was mortal, because he wasn't mortal. Mortality
came about because of disobedience. Disobedience was expressed by
eating the fruit.

> Anyway, you may agree or disagree -- I'm not planning to argue this. I just
> offered my understanding of the text and consider am baffled why anyone
> would consider THIS  Biblical phrase to possibly a clumsy lie. But this is a
> free country and each person can interpret anything in any way they wish.
Please understand that I in no way am trying to restrict your freedom
to interpret any way you wish, whatever midrash you want to add. All I
discussed is what the words themselves mean.

Karl W. Randolph.