Comments on: Professor Ellen van Wolde and bara in Genesis

By: Joel H.

Joel H. — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 18:31:06 +0000

This ended up marked as spam, so I just saw it this morning. Thanks for providing the link! I used it to create a review of her paper here.

By: Review: Professor Ellen van Wolde on bara in Genesis « God Didn't Say That

Review: Professor Ellen van Wolde on bara in Genesis « God Didn't Say That — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 18:28:33 +0000

[...] already pointed out why I don’t think she can be correct, but I did so with the caveat that I hadn’t read [...]

By: Andy W.

Andy W. — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:43:35 +0000

http://www.ru.nl/aspx/download.aspx?File=/contents/pages/4719/oratievanwoldedef.pdf&structuur=homepage

By: Andy W.

Andy W. — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:05:53 +0000

It seems bad style to guess from a report by a journalist what a scientist has to say. Her original text is available (search for oratievanwoldedef.pdf) and answers many of the above concerns.

By: Joel H.

Joel H. — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 12:49:38 +0000

Therefore the words opening Genesis may be translated ‘God in the beginning created the substance of the heavens and the substance of the earth’, i.e.the prima materia or the first elements out of which the very worlds were created.

I think this is more of an interpretation than a translation.

By: Joel H.

Joel H. — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 12:07:55 +0000

Ezekiel has two numbering schemes. According to one, nivreita is in 21:30; according to the other, 21:35.

Thanks for checking. Spell check lets me know when I type a word wrong (usually) but there’s no verse checker, and it would be really easy for me to type a number wrong and never know it.

By: Dan

Dan — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 11:43:04 +0000

Hi, “Ezekiel 21:35″ should it not be “Ezekiel 21:30″.
Anyway I was reading your reply , because you use a lot of scripture to prove a point and not just one verse.

By: michael hobbis

michael hobbis — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 10:54:06 +0000

The opening words of Genesis “Bereshith bara Elohim eth hashshamayim…” are according to a noted 19th century Hebrew scholar Dr Adam Clarke (1838) revealing for the following reasons;- The verb bara,he created, being joined in the singular number with Elohim the plural noun, so the unity of the trinity is exemplified. Moreover the particle eth not only descibes the things created but also the sum and substance of the very created things themselves. Thus, I might construct/create a table, but for me to create the substance of the wood itself from nothing is in the prerogative and power only of God. Interestingly eth also contains the first and last letters of the Hebrew; or as in the Greek Alpa and Omega I AM the beginning and the end.Therefore the words opening Genesis may be translated ‘God in the beginning created the substance of the heavens and the substance of the earth’, i.e.the prima materia or the first elements out of which the very worlds were created. Thus confirming Hebrews chapter 11: 3, “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.” It seems to me that by bringing our attention to these things Professor van Wolde has not only provoked the “robust debate” that she desired; but has rather shot herself in her intellectual foot.

By: c. stirling bartholomew

c. stirling bartholomew — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 20:48:17 +0000

Joel,

The evidence from the LXX is posted on my blog:

http://alternate-readings.blogspot.com/2009/10/genesis-one-does-bara-mean-seperated.html

By: John Hobbins

John Hobbins — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 19:34:41 +0000

Hi Joel,

Nice post, to the point. I’m just discovering your blog now. Very nice. Here’s one more link for your readers:

http://ancienthebrewpoetry.typepad.com/ancient_hebrew_poetry/2009/10/a-response-to-ellen-van-wolde-on-genesis-1.html