Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Yigal Levin <Yigal.Levin AT biu.ac.il>]

Ishnian,

You’re missing my point. I don't care what the raqia' is made of. But this, 
too, is a translation. As a translation, it reflects the translator's 
understanding of the text, which my or may not be correct. The only way to 
really understand the text is to discuss the word in the context of the 
original language. 

Yigal Levin

-----Original Message-----
From: Ishnian [mailto:ishinan AT comcast.net] 
Sent: Tuesday, September 04, 2012 12:04 PM
To: Yigal Levin
Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] A VISUAL EXPRESSION OF A THEOLOGICAL IDEA 
OFTHESKY/HEAVEN




> Ishinan,
>
> You quoted me out of context. I was referring to your translation of Gen. 
> 1:20, in which "raqia'" was translated "open firmament". Of course 
> there are Hebrew words that mean "open", the basic one being "patuax".
>
> What you did not do was to answer the question - what makes that 
> particular (in my opinion - not so good) translation "official" as you 
> called it.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------



I haver a better source:

From the manuscript called Mt. Sinai Arabic Codex 151, which was created in 
AD 867. It includes the biblical text, marginal comments, lectionary notes, 
and glosses, as found in the manuscript.  It is the oldest Arabic translation 
with commentary supplied by the translator. It includes the Biblical text, 
marginal comments, lectionary notes, and glosses, as found in the manuscript. 
It was discovered at St. Catherine monastery in Mt. Sinai in the 1800's.

BTW, I am personally involved in its ongoing Arabic research for publication.

The Hebrew term raqiy` = the Arabic al-raqiy` = the heaven or the sky, one 
and the same.  Arabic definition below: (It will not be sent to the list on 
account of the format)

في الصحاح: والرَّقِيع سماء الدنيا وكذلك سائر السموات


والأَرْقَعُ والرَّقِيعُ:اسمان للسماء الدُّنيا لأَنّ الكواكب رَقَعَتْها، سميت 
بذلك لأَنها مَرْقُوعة بالنجوم، والله أَعلم، وقيل: سميت بذلك لأَنها رُقِعت 
بالأَنوار التي فيها، وقيل: كل واحدة من السموات رَقِيع للأُخرى، والجمع 
أَرْقِعةٌ، والسموات السبع يقال إِنها سبعة أَرْقِعة، كلٌ سَماء منها رَقَعت 
التي تليها فكانت طَبَقاً لها كما تَرْقَع الثوبَ بالرُّقعة

My best regards, and  hopefully this will be my last say on this subject.


Ishinan Ishibashi


>
> Yigal Levin
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Ishnian [mailto:ishinan AT comcast.net]
> Sent: Tuesday, September 04, 2012 9:43 AM
> To: Yigal Levin
> Cc: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
> Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] A VISUAL EXPRESSION OF A THEOLOGICAL IDEA 
> OFTHE SKY/HEAVEN
>
>
>
> ISHINAN: ....... a great variety of applications one of them is being 
> 'empty' or 'open' which would make more sense .
>
> YGAL : there is no word in the Hebrew that corresponds to "open".
>
>
> ISHINAN: What about req, riq, reqam, etc., occurs in the literal sense 
> of "void " in (Genesis 31:42; Job 22:9)?
>
>      מב  לוּלֵי אֱלֹהֵי אָבִי אֱלֹהֵי אַבְרָהָם וּפַחַד יִצְחָק, הָיָה 
> לִי--כִּי עַתָּה, רֵיקָם שִׁלַּחְתָּנִי; אֶת-עָנְיִי וְאֶת-יְגִיעַ 
> כַּפַּי, רָאָה אֱלֹהִים--וַיּוֹכַח אָמֶשׁ. 42 Except the God of my 
> father, the God of Abraham, and the Fear of Isaac, had been on my 
> side, surely now hadst thou sent me away EMPTY. God hath seen mine 
> affliction and the labour of my hands, and gave judgment yesternight.'
>
>
>
> Ishinan Ishibashi

>
> >
>
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