Biblical Hebrew Forum

["A Becker" <ABecker AT nerdshack.com>]

K Randolph wrote:

> 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 really don't see how translating the WAW as "then" is "add[ing] to
the text" since, as I said, the most straight forward way of understanding
the wayyiqtol (WYCR) in verse 19 is that the act of forming the animals is
temporally successive to God's concern that Adam is alone in verse 18. I
guess understanding a logical succession here as the RSV does with
"So...formed" would be equally justified. It is true, however, that
"then...formed" brings out the temporal succession more concretely than a
simple "and...formed" would. This, however, is not "adding" to the text but
merely bringing out what is already there.

 

A Becker