Jason Hare wrote:Hebrew doesn't infrequently use connectors in ways that we wouldn't expect in English. For example, what is the purpose of אשר in the following verse?
Jeremiah 49:34
אֲשֶׁ֨ר הָיָ֧ה דְבַר־יהו֛ה אֶל־יִרְמְיָ֥הוּ הַנָּבִ֖יא אֶל־עֵילָ֑ם בְּרֵאשִׁ֗ית מַלְכ֛וּת צִדְקִיָּ֥ה מֶֽלֶךְ־יְהוּדָ֖ה לֵאמֹֽר׃
Thanks Jason. That is a new use of asher to me. It seems to be exclusive to Jeremiah (14:1; 46:1; 47:1 & 49:34) where there is not an antecedant for asher.
The first use of the phrase אֲשֶׁ֨ר הָיָ֧ה דְבַר־יהו֛ה אֶל in Jeremiah is in 1:2, where it has an antecedent.
The other 2 places it is used are:
Daniel 9:2 uses the phrase with an antecedent when referring to Jeremiah.
And 1Ki 18:31 uses it with with an antecedent referring to Jacob.
The unusual 4 uses in Jeremiah seem to inidcate a distinct way of the Lord's word coming to Jeremiah.
I don't think it is without meaning, and I prefer that it be translated (not untranslated) like:
That which came as the word of the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet concerning Elam, at the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, saying, (Jer. 49:34 NAS)
Jason Hare wrote:Genesis 3:5
כִּ֚י יֹדֵ֣עַ אֱלֹהִ֔ים כִּ֗י בְּיוֹם֙ אֲכָלְכֶ֣ם מִמֶּ֔נּוּ וְנִפְקְח֖וּ עֵֽינֵיכֶ֑ם וִֽהְיִיתֶם֙ כֵּֽאלֹהִ֔ים יֹֽדְעֵ֖י ט֥וֹב וָרָֽע׃
the "and" here is a waw-consecutive, which has the meaning of "then":
In the day you eat of it, then your eyes will be opened.
The "and" beginning Gen 1:2 is attached to the subject, indicating a break in the narrative.
Jason Hare wrote:Leviticus 26:26
בְּשִׁבְרִ֣י לָכֶם֮ מַטֵּה־לֶחֶם֒ וְ֠אָפוּ עֶ֣שֶׂר נָשִׁ֤ים לַחְמְכֶם֙ בְּתַנּ֣וּר אֶחָ֔ד וְהֵשִׁ֥יבוּ לַחְמְכֶ֖ם בַּמִּשְׁקָ֑ל וַֽאֲכַלְתֶּ֖ם וְלֹ֥א תִשְׂבָּֽעוּ׃
Notice that the Leviticus verse uses an infinitive construct and then has a vav in the subsequent clause ("when I break... and ten women will bake..."). The vav there must be left untranslated. It's the exact same thing in Genesis 1.
The "and" here is the same as Gen 3:5. In my breaking to you the staff of bread, then 10 women shall bake ...
Different than Gen 1:1-2.