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b-hebrew - Re: [b-hebrew] Gen. 2:16-17 :: idiom or clumsy lie

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  • From: "K Randolph" <kwrandolph AT gmail.com>
  • To: YODAN <yodanco AT yodanco.com>
  • Cc: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Gen. 2:16-17 :: idiom or clumsy lie
  • Date: Wed, 29 Nov 2006 19:42:22 -0800

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.




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