Thanks for writing.
You question the numerical phenomena found in the opening words of the
Bible, suggesting that they may be fairly commonplace among the Hebrew
verses.
Let me admit immediately that the number found associated with every
Hebrew or Greek word (its 'characteristic value') cannot be regarded as
'random' in the generally-accepted sense. Yet one's first reaction is to
regard it as an object of pure chance: in respect of the OT, something
which sprang into being with the introduction of alphabetic numeration
c.200 BC - a piece of uninformative flotsam. A close examination of the
7 Hebrew words of Genesis 1:1, of course, suggests otherwise. The
geometrical and symbolic implications in particular present us with what
can be fairly described as a 'standing miracle'. While its echoes extend
into the next verse, they appear to go no further. It is not until we
come to Genesis 8:14 (which closes the Flood narrative) that we again
meet a verse having the same value as Genesis 1:1, and possessing many
other interesting associations with it.
For all I know, the value of every word is significant. However, God has
given each of us the ability to appreciate only the 2- and 3-D features
displayed in these verses. In respect of these, we are certainly not
'peering through a glass darkly'!
After many years of study, I can affirm that such matters are not
commonplace.
Regards,
Vernon
Vernon Jenkins MSc
[musician, mining engineer, and formerly Senior Lecturer in Maths and
Computing, the Polytechnic of Wales (now the University of Glamorgan)]
http://homepage.virgin.net/vernon.jenkins/index.htm
http://www.compulink.co.uk/~indexer/miracla1.htm
Quoting my note to Glenn Moton, David Campbell wrote:
>
> >Hi Glenn,
> >
> >My apologies for not responding earlier. I have been rather busy
> >assembling a further module for my personal website entitled 'Inner
> >Conviction'. This demonstrates further remarkable features of the
> >opening words of the Hebrew Scriptures - in particular, the numerical
> >interdependence of its words. The analysis enables us to get a handle on
> >the extreme odds against such a structure arising by chance.
>
> One thing that will be important with this is to demonstrate that this is
> unusual for Hebrew. I do not know the patterns of the language, but
> obviously if most Hebrew sentences have numerical patterns, then the
> presence of such patterns in Gen. 1:1 is not as surprising.
>
> David C.