Reading Genesis 1-2 in Hebrew - Bibal.Net

Reading Genesis 1–2 in Hebrew
the root (“go, come”) with the 3 rd sg. fem. pronominal suffix Ahñ (“her”). The preposition -le'
(“to”) indicates direction—G-d brought the woman to the human.
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�����π���������˜����������������œ•���2:23�
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�����“‘���›�������„ ������û�ƒ����������������������������
�œ•��—transliteration: way-yOµ'-mer hA-'A-dAµm
zOµ't haP-Paµ-vAm vEµ-cem mE-v·-cA-maµy ˚-bA-WAµr miB-B¸-WA-rÓµ, “and the human said, ‘This one this
time is bone from my bones and flesh from my flesh.” The verb here is Qal imperfect 3 rd sg.
masc. with wau-conversive from the root rm' (“say”) with £AdA'Ah (“the human”) as subject. The
fem. sg. demonstrative pronoun tO'z (“this”) stands in apposition to the substantive £avLapah (“the
occurrence”) with the meaning “now at length.” The definite article here carries demonstrative
force. As J. G. Herder put it long ago, the man reacts with a “jubilant welcome” to the creation of
woman. Note that the ' here in the word tO'z is silent and that this word is repeated three times
in this verse, referring to the woman in each instance. The verb “to be” is understood. The
phrase yamAc‹vEm £ecev (“bone from my bones”) parallels that of yirAW–¯bim rAWAb˚ (“flesh from my flesh”).
Note the different vowels in the two occurrences of the preposition §im (“from”), both of which
have assimilation of the n˚n; for there is compensatory lengthening of the vowel when the
following guttural cannot be doubled. Note also the different vowels in the affixed personal
pronouns with yañ in the first instance and yiñ in the second. In the first instance the pronominal
suffix is affixed to the construct form of the plural £yimAc‹v (“bones”).
�����������������������—transliteration:
l¸-zOµ't yiq-qA-rEµ' 'iH-H‰µ, “indeed, (as for) this one, it will be
called Woman ...” The l attached to the feminine demonstrative pronoun t'z (“this”) appears to
be emphatic. It is not clear why the verb that follows is masculine. The verb is Niphal imperfect
3 rd sg. masc. from the root 'rq (“call”). The fem. noun hLAHi' (“woman”) is a sound play on the
word Hyi' (“man”), though the two words are apparently not related etymologically. The word
hLAHi' is derived from the root Hn' (“be delicate, soft”) whereas the word Hyi' is derived from the
root Hy' or Hw' (with apparent meaning “be strong”).
�����“‘���›�������„ ������û�ƒ—transliteration:
KÓµ mE'ÓµüH luqAxAh-zOµ't, “for from man this one has been
taken.” The verb ���›���� [for ���› –����] is Pual (passive) perfect 3 rd sg. masc. from the root xql
(“take”) with “this one” (i.e., Woman”). The preposition §im (“from”) is prefixed to the noun Hyi'
(“man”) with assimilation of the n˚n and compensatory lengthening of the vowel because the
following consonant cannot be doubled. The dot in the z here is the conjunctive daghesh. When
a word ending in an unstressed ñA(h) or ñeh is followed by one beginning with a stressed
syllable, a daghesh may be placed in the first consonant of the second word. Though there is
etiological concern in Genesis 2, this does not make the narrative itself a name etiology. The
narrative is not concerned with the origin of mutual attraction of the sexes as such but with the
complementary relationship between man and woman. It concerns the great importance of the
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