Yet, none of these translations recognized Genesis 1:1 as one of these constructions. Not surprisingly, the ancient translators of the Septuagint (Greek), the Vulgate (Latin), and the Targums (Aramaic), amongst others, recognized these types of grammatical constructions and frequently translated them as relative clauses. The most recent editions of the respected Hebrew grammars by Gesenius and Joüon together list over 200 examples of these types of substantival clauses in Biblical Hebrew, 3 which tells us that they are not a minor nuance of the language. .” What makes the dependent-clause translation more preferable to the traditional translation with its historical preponderance? Is this type of substantival clause a grammatical construction that was unfamiliar to the ancient translators? .” Employing this same grammatical principle, the JPS renders the verse with a dependent clause, “When God began to create heaven and earth. ![]() ,” or “In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth. These proponents contend that the clause “God created the heavens and the earth” in Genesis 1:1 can function like an object of a preposition if we take the first part of the verse to be “In the beginning of.” This treatment of the passage could in a sense be rendered as “In the beginning of God creating the heavens and the earth. For instance, in the sentence, “I know you are watching me,” the clause “you are watching me” is functioning as a direct object of the main verb “know,” a function usually reserved for nouns and pronouns. 2 In both English and Hebrew, a substantival clause is an entire clause that functions like a noun. Proponents of the dependent-clause translation argue that according to the grammar of the Hebrew, Genesis 1:1 should be understood as a type of substantival clause. Rather, in this rendering Genesis 1:1, along with Genesis 1:2, describe the context in which the first act of creation takes place: the creation of light in Genesis 1:3 No longer is Genesis 1:1 the first act of creation. This change in translation produces a change in interpretation. It renders Genesis 1:1, along with 1:2 and 1:3a, in a manner similar to the Jewish Publication Society (JPS) version of 1985, “1 When God began to create heaven and earth-2 the earth being unformed and void, with darkness over the surface of the deep and a wind from God sweeping over the water-3a God said, ‘Let there be light.’” 1 According to this dependent-clause translation, it is not possible to interpret the idea of an absolute beginning of the universe or a creation out of nothing since the rendering treats the earth in Genesis 1:2 as being in existence before God’s first act of creation, light. In order to answer these questions, let us first lay out this retranslation of Genesis 1:1, the “dependent-clause” translation. Considering the historical weight of the traditional translation, what is the compelling evidence for this change? Did earlier translators misunderstand the Hebrew text? Have there been new developments in the understanding of Hebrew grammar that would cause modern scholars to reject what past scholars and translators affirmed? The Other Translation ![]() However, a growing number of Hebrew scholars are now saying, “No!” For many of them, their reason for doing so is not based upon their interpretation of this verse, but their retranslation of it. ![]() Does the traditional translation describe the absolute beginning of the universe? Does it communicate the idea that the heavens and the earth were created out of nothing? Throughout history, Jews and Christians have overwhelmingly said, “Yes!” 15 Ishmael is born.The traditional translation of Genesis 1:1 is well known, “ In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” It is called the traditional translation because it has been the dominant rendering of Genesis 1:1 since the Greek Septuagint, the first major translation of the Hebrew Bible (into Greek), produced by Jewish scholars in the third century BC. 7 An angel sendeth her back to submit herself, 11 and telleth her of her child. 6 Hagar, being afflicted for despising her mistress, runneth away. Hebrew OT - Transliteration - Holy Name KJV Bereshit / Genesis 16ġ Sarai, being barren, giveth Hagar to Abram.
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