Reading Genesis 1-2 in Hebrew - Bibal.Net

Reading Genesis 1–2 in Hebrew
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������û��������������������œ•��—transliteration:
way-yOµ'-mer 'È-lO-hÓµm y¸-hÓµ rA-qÓµ-av
B¸-tÙµk ham-mAµ-yim, “and Elohim said, ‘Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters.” The
verb here is Qal perfect 3 rd sg. masc with wau-conversive from the root rm' (“say”) with £yih»lÈ'
(“Elohim”) as subject. The verb yihÃy is Qal imperfect 3 rd sg. masc from the root hyh (“be[come]”)
used as a jussive. The masc. noun avyiqAr (“extended surface, firmament”) has no real equivalent
in current English. It refers to the “vault of heaven” in the cosmology of the ancient Near East
and was apparently seen as solid, and supporting the “waters” above it. The old word
“firmament” is as good as any. Another possibility is “sky dome.” On the furtive Paµtax in avyiqAr,
see the discussion of ax˚r in 1:2 above. The preposition Ùt–⁄b (“in the midst of”) is a combination
of the preposition –b (“in”) and the substantive ∆wKAtµ (“midst”). The “waters” (£«y–Amµ ah) were
envisioned to be above the firmament, on the earth, and also beneath the earth.
�������������„ �����û��������������������—transliteration:
wÓ-hÓµ mab-DÓµl B µn maµ-yim lA-mAµ-yim, “and let it
divide between the waters and the waters.” When the wau-conjunction is prefixed to the verb yihÃy
the sequence of two successive occurrences of shewa becomes a long vowel Ó. The verbal form
lyi–d�bam is the Hiphil (causative) sg. masc. participle from the root ldb (“be divided, separate”).
The preposition §y–Eb (“between”) is used here together with the preposition l (“to”) to express the
idea of between the waters here and the waters there. Note the lengthening of both the first and
second vowels in the word £«yΩflmAl. Before words stressed on the first syllable, the preposition l is
optionally vocalized with A. The lengthening of the second vowel is because the word is in
pause (i.e., the last word in the sentence).
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˜���������‘������������������•œ•��—transliteration:
way-yaµ-vaW 'È-lO-hÓµm 'et-hA-rA-qÓµ-av, “and Elohim made
the firmament.” The letter W is to be distinguished from H. The verb WavC¬yaw is Qal imperfect 3 rd sg.
masc. with wau-conversive from the root hWv (“make, do”) with £yih»lÈ' (“Elohim”) as subject.
The definite direct object marker -te' is connected to the masc. noun avyiqAr (“firmament”) by
maqqEp. The s¸gÙlt‰ ( Ç ), which is located above the v at the end of the word aÇvyiqArAh, is one of
the stronger disjunctive accents and appears only when the verse has three sections.
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����������•œ•�—transliteration:
way-yab-DEµl B µn ham-maµ-yim '·-Heµr
miT-Taµ-xat lA-rA-qÓµ-av, “and he separated between the waters that were under the firmament.”
The verb is Hiphil (causative) imperfect, 3 rd sg. masc. from the root ldb (“be divided,
separate”). The construction §yEb˚ ... §y–Eb (“between” … “and between”) designates space
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