Wednesday, July 18, 2018

Genesis Ch. 1:1-5 Translation Work

1 בְּרֵאשִׁ֖ית בָּרָ֣א אֱלֹהִ֑ים אֵ֥ת הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם וְאֵ֥ת הָאָֽרֶץ׃




“In the beginning Elohim created the heavens and the earth.”




- בְּרֵאשִׁ֖ית: (n feminine singular - רֵאשִׁ֖ית) = beginning
- בָּרָ֣א: (v Qal Perfect 3rd Mas. Sing. – ברא) = he created




2 וְהָאָ֗רֶץ הָיְתָ֥ה תֹ֙הוּ֙ וָבֹ֔הוּ וְחֹ֖שֶׁךְ עַל־פְּנֵ֣י תְה֑וֹם וְר֣וּחַ אֱלֹהִ֔ים מְרַחֶ֖פֶת עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הַמָּֽיִם׃




“but the earth was formless and empty, and darkness (was) on the face of the deep. And the Elohim’s Spirit moved on the face of the waters.”




- הָיְתָ֥ה: (v Qal Perfect 3rd Fem. Sing. - היה) = it was
- תֹ֙הוּ֙: (n masculine singular - תֹּהוּ) = formless
- וָבֹ֔הוּ: (n masculine singular - בֹּהוּ) = empty
- וְחֹ֖שֶׁךְ: (n masculine singular - חֹשֶׁךְ) = Darkness
- תְה֑וֹם: (n feminine singular - תְּהוֹם) = the deep
- מְרַחֶ֖פֶת: (v Piel Participle - רחף) = to hover
- הַמָּֽיִם: (n masculine singular - מַיִם) = waters




3 וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֖ים יְהִ֣י א֑וֹר וַֽיְהִי־אֽוֹר׃


“And Elohim said, ‘Let there be light!’ and there was light.”


- וַיֹּ֥אמֶר:(v Qal Imperfect 3rd person masculine singular - אמר) = He said
- יְהִ֣י:(v Qal Imperfect 3rd person masculine singular - ) = it came to pass, it happened
- א֑וֹר:(n feminine singular - אוֹר) = light



4 וַיַּ֧רְא אֱלֹהִ֛ים אֶת־הָא֖וֹר כִּי־ט֑וֹב וַיַּבְדֵּ֣ל אֱלֹהִ֔ים בֵּ֥ין הָא֖וֹר וּבֵ֥ין הַחֹֽשֶׁךְ׃


“And He saw that the light was God, and He divided the light from the darkness”


- וַיַּ֧רְא:(v Qal Imperfect 3rd Person Masculine Singular - ראה) = He saw
- וַיַּבְדֵּ֣ל:(v Hiphil Imperfect 3rd Person Masculine Singular - בדל) = He divided
- בֵּ֥ין:(prep. - בַּיִן) = between




5 וַיִּקְרָ֨א אֱלֹהִ֤ים׀ לָאוֹר֙ י֔וֹם וְלַחֹ֖שֶׁךְ קָ֣רָא לָ֑יְלָה וַֽיְהִי־עֶ֥רֶב וַֽיְהִי־בֹ֖קֶר י֥וֹם אֶחָֽד׃ פ


“And called the light ‘Day’ and the darkness He called ‘night’.  And there was an evening and a morning.  Day One.”


- וַיִּקְרָ֨א:(v Qal Imperfect 3rd Masculine Singular - קרא) = he called
- י֔וֹם:(n masculine singular - יוֹם) = day
- לָ֑יְלָה:(n masculine singular - לַיְלָה) = night
- עֶ֥רֶב:(n masculine singular - עָ֫רֶב) = evening
- בֹ֖קֶר:(n masculine singular - בֹּ֫קֶר) = morning
- י֥וֹם אֶחָֽד:“a first day.”


(all but the last two of the seven days of creation are marked by cardinal numbers, lacking the definite article, while most English translations insist on translating them as ordinal numbers. Steinmann notes that cardinal numbers are occasionally used as ordinals, but this only has precedent when counting the days of a month or the years of a king’s reign. And the use of cardinal numbers in a list of countables is unattested elsewhere in the Old Testament. The use of cardinal numbers may imply that the creative days were not in immediate succession of each other, and may not be in their actual order of occurrence. - (Steinmann, Andrew E. אחר as an Ordinal Number, And the Meaning of Genesis 1:5 p 582)

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