`
I repeat my earlier statement:
All I can say ultimately is that /min/ has been equated with descent so
often that most people believe the nonsense.
It is amazing the extent to which even scholars absorb the commitments of the milieu.
In justification, I ask you to look at the identical usage in Numbers 11 and Deuteronomy 14, where it applies only to those terms which cover more than one entity. In modern usage, we distinguish ravens and crows, with a term to cover both of them (and some other smaller black birds), corvids. But Spanish has only one term for both, though other European languages apparently make a distinction. There is also a matter of curiosity of how "after" may be used of the first specimen of a species or genus.
I would note that my early edition of NIV has a footnote on Genesis 1:1 that "was" could be understood as "became." This is not in any of the other recent translations I have, and does not occur in the Spanish version. I take it that NIV is giving a nod in the direction of the old Scofield version for those who hold to the gap theory. As far as I could look, "became" has no justification in Hebrew.>>
I agree with David that "according to its (sometimes their) kind" has reference to the various kinds of a particular basic form, not a reference to reproduction.
In this regard, it is helpful to know that anthropologists have found that when it comes to classifying animals, proto-scientific peoples by and large begin with three basic life-forms at the top of their taxonomy: FISH, BIRD, and SNAKE. After that they may develop WUG (worm + bug) and MAMMAL.
In the OT, beginning with Gen 1:25 (cf. IKg 4:33 [H 5:13]; Ezek 38:21) it is evident that the animal taxonomy employed begins with FISH, BIRD, SNAKE (remes), and MAMMAL (behemah). In the Flood account FISH are not in view; so, the three remaining life-forms are mentioned: BIRD, SNAKE, and MAMMAL (Gen 6:7, 20; 7:8,14; 8:17, 19).
The question of the meaning of mīn relates directly to these four basic life-forms since the OT specifically speaks of every FISH "according to their kind" (Gen 1:21), every BIRD "according to its kind" (Gen 1:21) every SNAKE "according to its kind" (Gen 1:25) and MAMMAL "according to its kind" (Gen 1:25).
In statements beginning with a lower taxonomic category, the the meaning is the same: "various kinds of" that lower category.
However, Dave, you will have to keep looking on "was" meaning "become". It can mean "become" without the following lamedh, but his is very rare. (don't ask me for the references, but they are in my file somewhere.)
Paul S.
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Received on Wed Oct 11 18:15:47 2006
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