Re: בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים
Posted: Thu Nov 16, 2017 10:51 pm
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.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׃
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)
the "and" here is a waw-consecutive, which has the meaning of "then":Jason Hare wrote:Genesis 3:5
כִּ֚י יֹדֵ֣עַ אֱלֹהִ֔ים כִּ֗י בְּיוֹם֙ אֲכָלְכֶ֣ם מִמֶּ֔נּוּ וְנִפְקְח֖וּ עֵֽינֵיכֶ֑ם וִֽהְיִיתֶם֙ כֵּֽאלֹהִ֔ים יֹֽדְעֵ֖י ט֥וֹב וָרָֽע׃
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.
The "and" here is the same as Gen 3:5. In my breaking to you the staff of bread, then 10 women shall bake ...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.
Different than Gen 1:1-2.