Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Robert Newman <ousboui AT googlemail.com>]

Hi Doug,
The "division" mentioned at Gen 10:25 refers to a noteworthy event during
the lifetime of Peleg, therefore it is hard to see how it could to refer to
the distribution of animals around the planet or to the formation of the
earth itself. In the Hebrew Bible "earth" sometimes refers to 'the people of
the earth'. You will find an example of this at Ps 96:1. This may well be
the case at Gen 10:25.

This 'division' during the days of Peleg may well refer to the separating of
people into language groups as described in Gen 11, and mentioned at Gen
10:5.

Gen 10:25 reminds me of De 32:8. There 'the sons of Adam' (or sons of
earthing man) are said to have been 'parted from one another'. In which case
this verse may be a parallel to Gen 10:25. Interestingly the earlier part of
De 32:8 reads in the Septuagint hOTE DIEMERIZEN hO hUYISTOS EQNH - "When the
Most High was dividing the nations" which indicates that the translators of
that version understood the Hebrew to mean something like "When the Most
High sprinkled the nations [as through a sieve]." instead of "gave the
nations as an inheritance".

My comments are based in part on the footnote and cross references to De
32:8 in the New World Translation.
Hope this helps.

Robert Newman


Doug wrote:
Perhaps i should begin by an apology for dashing in where angels fear to
tread , I love your emails back and forth about all sorts of areas of
Heberew , sometimes that have quite a bit of value for me , I am sure they
are valuable to you all

Now my query is hebrew language related in that I want to know , if possible
, does Gen 10:25 when speaking of dividing the earth actually mean what it
says , and thus explaining the different languages world wide , and the
differernt animals , Kangaroo , in Aus ' Zebra in Africa , etc.

Did the existing "earth" as a round ball divide into different areas , can
we safely believe that this is what is written and thus this is what it is
meant to be from what is written here in Gen 10:25 , or will your ability to
rip it into segments of constanants make this implausible.

doug belot