Biblical Hebrew Forum

[James Christian <jc.bhebrew AT googlemail.com>]

Hi

2009/9/30 Gerry Folbre <gerry AT wetmountainvalley.us>

> K Randolph:  Hello.
>
> I am very new at posting on this forum, and I hope that I am posting my
> observations in the correct manner.  Please let me know if I have
> committed an error.
>
> Translating Genesis 1:3 in a "word-for-word & bound morpheme inclusive"
> manner, this is how I perceive the Kethib, Masoretic, BHS text to read:
> 1:3  Then He said, Elohiym, "Become light": And it became light.
>
> Does that match the source Text that you are employing?
>

The Hebrew I started this thread with was ויאמר אלהים יהי אור ויהי אור. I
got it from here http://www.tanach.us/Tanach.xml#Gen 1:2 This site hosts the
Westinster Leningrad Codex which closely resembles the text of the Leningrad
Codex which is one of the major texts that BHS was based on.

As a literal translation, I think you've hit the nail on the head. However,
the question was more related to good idiomatic translation rather literal
translation. The question was along the lines of what would a native English
speaker say in a similar situation. Of course, this is a very difficult
question because similar situations don't arise in English (i.e. no English
speaker I've ever met thinks he can command light into existence). So, it's
an interesting question that is not easy to resolve. The formula 'Let there
be...' was an invention of William Tyndale. Before Tyndale Wycliffe
translated 'Light be made' which reflects the sense of the passive
imperative in the LXX and the vulgate translation.

Any thoughts about how to best translate this in good idiomatic English?

James Christian


>
> Gerry Folbre
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