B-Hebrew: The Biblical Hebrew Forum

These are the two common readings of the latter part of Genesis 1.

The Heaven and the Earth
The Heavens and the Earth

One problem with the second reading, If the first noun is plural, why is the second noun singular?

The Heavens and the Earths

Septuagint - τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν

οὐρανόν- Noun singular masculine accusative
γῆν - Noun singular feminine accusative
τὸν - Definite singular masculine accusative
την - Definite singular feminine accusative

Latin - caelum et terram

Caelum - Noun singular masculine accusative
Terram - Noun singular feminine accusative

את השמים ואת הארץ
τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν

-ים = um, όν

את ה in later dialects was shorted into 'Ta' and T- in Punic


Caelum , οὐρανόν and שמים
These words look very far from each other, however מ & λ can interchange
for example, שמאל=εὐώνυμος and שמש=sōlis

οὐραν > שραν > משαν > שמים

-Cognates-
שמש : ξάνθ "Yellow", σμῇς "Shiny"
שמים : σημεῖον "sign from heaven, omen, constellation'

The English word 'EARTH" begins with an initial E, this is possibly the remnant of the article, ה/ἧ
and the word is identical too הארץ and ἧ ἔρῃ (ἔρασδε, ἔραζε).

ברא - ἐπώρα, ἐφώρα, ἐνώρα 'oversee, observe'
בראשית - πρῶτος, πράτης, πρωτεύς 'Before, first, first principle

בראשית ברא אלהים את השמים ואת הארץ
πρῶτος ἐνώρα ἡρῷον τὸν σημεῖον καὶ τὴν ἔρῃ
'oversees the heaven and the earth'

ברא = ἐνώρα "See, oversee, remark, observe"

ב - ἐν'
רא - ὥρα

Gen 1:4
וירא אלהים
καὶ ὥρα ἡρῷον
καὶ διορᾷ ἡρῷον (י/δι)

Thus the root word of ברא is ראה.

Gen 1:10 ויקרא אלהים ליבשה ארץ

יקרא = χρᾷ, ἔχραε 'proclaim'
אלהים = ἡρῷον
יבשה = διψῇ, διψάς διψάων 'Thirsty, of things dry and parched'
ארץ= ἐρᾷς

ויקרא אלהים ליבשה ארץ
καὶ ἔχραε ἡρῷον τὦ διψῇ ἐρᾷς

Josephus translates his own version of Genesis 1:1

Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἔκτισεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν ( Josephus)
Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἐποίησεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν (Septuagint)

The Septuagint also translates ἔκτισεν from ברא which is often paired with חדש
and this is the cognate of ἔκτισεν (κτίσις, κτίζω) that so-named Cadiz and Carthage.

Isaiah 65:17
For, behold, I create new (חדשים) heavens and a new (חדשה) earth
and the former (ראשנות) shall not be remembered.

ראשנות - Former (πρῶτος, πρᾶτος, προτέρων)

The root is πρό (before) and relates too πρός (towards) and these words are in relation too the position of
the Head, Thus are all the prepositions in Hebrew and Greek the cognate of ראש/κράς?

http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/morph?l=Kras
https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/le ... 7218&t=KJV

ראש - Head
κράς - Head

In Hesiod, the word κέρας is the 'arm or branch of a river' and the word ראשים is used in Gen 2:10, for this very meaning, ראשים : κέρασιν

According to the Lexicon entry for ראש, 'From an unused root apparently meaning to shake' , this is why people should not rely
on Strong's Lexicon.

ראשי ההרים : κρᾶσι ὁ ὀρῶν 'Tops of mountains'

ראש /κράς - Head, down from the head, peak, from the top, from head to foot.
קרן/κέρας - the horn of animal, musical instrument, drinking horn, arm or branch of a river, wings or bands of an army

These words are phonetically similar and semantically wide apart.

Job 1:17 - The Chaldeans made out three bands (ראשים)
Herodotus 9:26 - Wing of the army (κέρας)

The Lexicon should have an additional entry for ראש (Branch of a River, bands of Man) and root this from קרן

ראש (III)- gall, venom, bitter, poisonous
- κρᾶσις ` mixing, blending of things which form a compound, as wine and water,
- πικράς ` Of taste, pungent, bitter, sharp
- ἐκέρασα ` Mix, blend, compound, mingled wine