RE: [asa] The Hebrew for the Making of Man

A better way of looking at the fourth day is as a day of "ordination"
rather than as a day of creation. The sun, moon, and stars God created
are included in the phrase, "heaven and earth" which God created on Day
One. These were appointed by God as measures of time and to delineate
the seasons on Day Four for the sighted creatures which God began
creating starting on Day Five. To call Day Four a "4th-day creation of
sun, moon, and stars" confuses the issue, and the Hebrew word "bara" for
"create" is conspicuously absent on Day Four. Why would we use it when
the writer of Genesis didn't?

Dick Fischer

Dick Fischer, Genesis Proclaimed Association

Finding Harmony in Bible, Science, and History

 <http://www.genesisproclaimed.org/> www.genesisproclaimed.org

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From: asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu [mailto:asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu] On
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Sent: Saturday, February 02, 2008 12:01 AM
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Subject: Re: [asa] The Hebrew for the Making of Man

Here is more on what I gather is the "standard" scholarly interpretation
of why Gen. 1:16 does not use the Hebrew words for Sun and Moon, and the
general polemical nature of the way the 4th-day creation of sun, moon,
and stars is stated.

Quoting Conrad Hyers book on Genesis 1-3 "The Meaning of Creation" (p.
21):

-------------------

This religious meaning is conveyed very pointedly in Genesis 1:14-19 by
the way in which sun, moon, and stars are treated. The normal Hebrew
terms for sun and moon (shemesh and yareah) are not used, for they are
closely related to the Canaanite (Ugaritic) terms for the sun-god and
moon-god. The Hebrew term for sun is also related to the Akkadian term
for the sun-god (shamshu). Thus descriptive terms having no possible
association with divinity are used instead: "the greater light (ma'or
gadol) to rule the day" and "the lesser light (ma'or qaton) to rule the
night" (vs 16).

The reference to the stars represents the same kind of linguistic usage.
The stars are mentioned almost as an afterthought, and in the most
minimal manner possible: "he made the stars also." ... The stars and
planets (both are included under the term) and especially Venus, the
evening and morning star, were important zones of divinity in ancient
religion. The development of astrology added further to this importance.
... It is relative to *this* problem of the supposed relationship
between human fates and the stars that the biblical discussion of the
stars is offered; namely, no discussion at all. The stars are mentioned
in the barest and most offhand manner possible, in contrast with their
prominence in polytheistic religion and astrology.

------(end of Hyers quote)------------

Certainly the religion of the Canaanites was a real and present danger
which God (in inspiring Genesis 1) might want to "put in its place" (not
divine, just some lights that the one God made) for the edification of
his people.

Allan (ASA Member)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Dr. Allan H. Harvey, Boulder, Colorado | SteamDoc@aol.com
"Any opinions expressed here are mine, and should not be
attributed to my employer, my wife, or my cat"

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Received on Sat Feb 2 10:25:33 2008