Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Ishnian" <ishinan AT comcast.net>]

Dear George,

I agree of course that RQY( and $MYM are two independent nouns. When two such 
nouns are in a construct construction,  they form a unity. In many, or 
perhaps most cases, the second noun modifies the first i some way. Which 
RQY(? The RQY( of the heavens. You yourself has given the literal translation 
"over the surface of the firmament of the sky," which confirms this 
modification.

In rare cases we find an appositional contruct, but there should be something 
in the context that would justify this rare interpretation—that the  the 
second noun does not modify the first, but that both nouns are put on an 
equal footing. If we have an appositional construct here, you still have 
problems with your arguments of distinction between RQY( and $MYM. An 
appositional construct would have the meaning: "the RQY(, that is, the 
heavens." In other words, the heavens would be identical with the RQY(.  You 
wrote to Ishnian: "The birds fly through the sky, but the sky that is under 
the רקיע, which stands as a dome-like roof above everything." These words are 
contradicted by an appositional genitive, where the two words are identical 
and not distinct. Where does the preposition "under" come from? What you need 
is an ablativic genitive. But would you argue for the existence of such a 
genitive in this case?


Best regards,


Rolf Furuli
Stavern
Norway.


Tirsdag 4. September 2012 12:06 CEST skrev George Athas 
<George.Athas AT moore.edu.au>:


  Rolf,

  The two elements that make up the construct phrase רקיע השׁמים are two 
independent nouns. That they are in construct does not mean they are to be 
equated any more than the expression בית יהוה equates a house with YHWH. The 
two independent nouns have two distinct semantic values within distinct 
semantic domains.

  The real question I think you're asking is what is the nature of the 
construct here. How exactly does רקיע relate to שׁמים? Are they being equated 
in a way that we have an appositional construct? Well, in the case of Gen 1, 
yes I think there is an appositional construct. The רקיע is obviously closely 
related to the שׁמים such that the רקיע is seen as that which divides waters 
above from waters below and which is given the name שׁמים in Gen 1.6–8. The 
רקיע is that which the birds fly across the surface of in Gen 1.20. If the 
רקיע referred purely to the space between the waters above and the waters 
below — what we could call the sky/atmosphere — there would be no need to 
talk about its surface. And yet, just as the תהום has a surface such that 
darkness and the wind/spirit can hover across it (Gen 1.2), so the birds fly 
across the surface of the רקיע.

  The רקיע is evidently a surface that can be touched, just like the תהום.


  GEORGE ATHAS
  Dean of Research,
  Moore Theological College (moore.edu.au)
  Sydney, Australia


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