Friday, January 06, 2012
The advantage of knowing Hebrew
“No reader of Genesis has literally been expelled from the Garden of Eden. No reader has seen firsthand the cherubim and whirling, flaming sword east of the tree of life. And yet, Genesis clearly invites its readers to adopt Adam and Eve as metaphorical representations of themselves. In fact, it is a casualty of translation that the Hebrew אדם ['adam] and חוה [ḥavah] are typically rendered ‘Adam’ and ‘Eve’, when in fact their names literally are ‘Humanity’ and ‘Life’. Few readers of the English Bible are aware of this connection, and thus they fail to realize how the text itself invites them to see these characters less as historical figures and more as metaphorical representations of the human race. Once one understands the driving metaphor WE ARE EXPELLED FROM PARADISE [emphasis his], however, suddenly the remainder of Genesis and even our own lives make much more sense.”—From Fratricide to Forgiveness, page 125
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10 comments:
Where is the quote from? I'd like to share it on my own blog, too!
I have found it interesting that in the LXX, only in Gen 2:16 do they start transliterating Adam, until they translate the Hebrew word as man. I tend to think that the Jeiwsh scholars who wrote the LXX had a better handle on understanding Genesis.
James,
Sorry about that, the link to the source dropped out. I've put it back in.
James
Thanks!
Far be it from me to denigrate the need to know Hebrew! But I have to point out that the poster's understanding of these names is only one interpretation. They can be understood as personal names that only later began to be used hypostatically for "Humanity" and "Life." There is nothing in the context that demands his understanding of these names. In short, we're still left with hermeneutics to resolve the problem. Knowledge of the originial languages is a great advantage. But that knowlege doesn't solve all problems.
Kirk
Challenge yourself. Google First Scandal.
Kirk,
That's very true. Knowing the languages doesn't usually solve the hermeneutical and exegetical issues. But it sure does preach well! : )
James
literally the word adam can mean earth & the word eve - chaia - not hava - means life or living. ahava is the word love. you've made an error. language is an exact science & not subject to interpretation. best to know hebrew to read the bible - so much is lost in the translations.
Anonymous,
It appears that you don't know Hebrew or how it is transliterated. "Chaia" as you have it is another way of transliterating the ח which I transliterated with an h with a dot under it: ḥ. I'm not sure where you get the "i" sound, as the ו is usually transliterated as either a "w" or "v". "Ahava" is from a totally different root: אהב which is usually transliterated 'hb. The "b" is aspirated into a "v" sound when it is preceded by a vowel.
I suggest you put away your Strong's dictionary and purchase a first year Hebrew grammar.
James
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