Biblical Hebrew Forum

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

Anthony:

On 10/27/07, A Becker <ABecker AT nerdshack.com> wrote:
(skip quote)
>
> The wayyiqtol, here WYCR, is usually used in narrative sequences to show
> sequence of actions. So the most straightforward way to read the next verse
> is "then...formed." Of course this will go down the road to the "Does
> Genesis really contain two creation accounts?" debate. Those who believe in
> the unity of Genesis 1 and 2 take the wayyiqtol here in a different sense.
> Thus the New World Translation, for example, rather than say "And Jehovah
> God proceeded to form" as it would normally do, translates here "Now Jehovah
> God was forming" as if the action of forming animals was still in the
> process. Similarly the ESV, which is really an evangelical rewrite of the
> RSV, has "Now out of the ground the LORD God had formed" (RSV: So out of the
> ground the LORD God formed; notice the difference?). This rendering takes
> the action of forming animals as having happened previously (see also NIV).
> What translations such as these are trying to do is harmonize Genesis 2 with
> 1 so that the creation of animals follows the creation of man. Of course
> these translations all have justification for why they translate the way
> they do and it is for you to review those arguments to see which one makes
> the most sense. My point is this: to ask the list about the context in this
> passage is going to cause some problems as people view that context
> differently.
>
Of course there were two different creation accounts; the first ended
in Genesis 2:5, the other spread over Genesis 2:6–5:2.

The question is, did they contradict? Or did they just deal with
different aspects of creation?
>
>
> However, on my reading of the context I see that in verse 18 God sees Adam
> is alone and so decides to make "a helper fitting for him." Then God creates
> the animals, but out of them Adam does not find that helper (vs. 20). So
> then God creates woman (vs. 21) and Adam rejoices that he now has such a
> helper (vss. 23, 24). While the word LBDW merely relates that Adam was alone
> and in itself does not say anything about Adam's feeling of loneliness, I
> think that loneliness is at least implied in the text by the concern of God
> that Adam is all by himself and so tries to make for Adam a helper who is
> fitting for him ultimately succeeding with the creation of Eve.
>
You have added to the text, a "Then ...." The text, as written, leaves
open the possibility that the animals were formed after, ... or
before.
>
>
> I spent too much time on this and will leave others to answer you animal
> question.
>
>
>
> Anthony
>
Karl W. Randolph.