Biblical Hebrew Forum

[fred burlingame <tensorpath AT gmail.com>]

Karl:

Thanks for your message.

Please allow me to respond.

1.  Genesis 2:17:

ומעץ הדעת טונ ורע לא תאכל ממנו כי ביום אכלך ממנו מות תמות

generally translates by the academic community, in pertinent part, here (and
elsewhere across the masoretic text), as: "evil," and not "displeasing." The
"tree of knowledge of good and displeasing," represents not, the
english rendering here (and elsewhere in the old testament), commonly
accepted.

2. The hebrew verb root of the noun שלום , generally translates as to make
whole or complete by payment.

Deuteronomy 23:1

כי תדר נדר ליהוה אלהיך לא תאחר לשלמו כי דרש ידרשנו יהוה אלהיך מעמך והיה בך
חטא

generally translates in pertinent part as "pay" vows.

3. The first of two couplets (double parallelism) in Isaiah 45:7, contrasts
light and darkness. The second of the two couplets hence, likewise implies a
crisp and clean contrast.

4. All of the above circumstances argue for and support an english rendering
of "good and evil" in Isaiah 45:7, versus your proposed contrast "fullness
and displeasing."

regards,

fred burlingame


On Mon, Oct 25, 2010 at 8:53 PM, K Randolph <kwrandolph AT gmail.com> wrote:

> Fred:
>
> There’s a further problem with your “translation”, namely the meanings of
> the words.
>
> שלום actually has the meaning of “fullness”.
>
> רע has the meaning of that which is displeasing, and not all that is
> displeasing is evil.
>
> Karl W. Randolph.
>
> On Sun, Oct 24, 2010 at 6:05 PM, fred burlingame 
> <tensorpath AT gmail.com>wrote:
>
>> Hello Yigal:
>>
>> Sorry ...
>>
>> I wasn't trying to suggest in my post, what you perhaps imply that I was
>> stating: aka "God evil." But I can see how my post might be construed that
>> way.
>>
>> I was trying to suggest, what your translation of the remainder of the
>> verse
>> implies (taken as a whole with the other part of the verse i quoted): aka
>> that the verse recites in english translation: "God creates both good and
>> evil."
>>
>> So, yes, it is better to reproduce the entire verse.
>>
>> regards,
>>
>> fred burlingame
>>
>
>
>