The Eden Proverb 2004 by Gerry L. Folbré III Research

Transcription

1 (a) Genesis 2: 23 mighty strength surpassing my strength עצם מעצמי and sensations surpassing my sensations ובשׂר מבשׂרי The opening two clauses of Genesis 2: 23 read as follows: Interlinear symbolic Translation Genesis 2: 23 a, b BHS Masoretic received Text ו י אמר ה א דם and he says the I (consciousness) of blood פעם ה זאת this one it is clearly עצמ י מ עצם mighty strength surpassing my strength בשׂר י מ בשׂר ו and tidings/sensations surpassing my sensations ויאמר האדם זאת הפעם עצם מעצמי ובשׂר מבשׂרי (b) עצם bone Etymology of verb root עצם be vast mighty numerous 1 verb stem עצם defend protect strengthen 2 masculine noun עצם might strength 3 feminine noun עצם bone, self substance 4 1. BDB pg BDB pg BDB pg & GHL pg BDB pg When the BHS received Hebrew text is rendered without vocalization, the feminine noun traditionally rendered bone, עצם so called from its firmness and strength, 1 can just as well be the masculine noun for might and strength. It is the 1 GHL pg I- 1

2 masculine noun which this study chooses to translate in Genesis 2: 23 ; strength surpassing my strength. (c) בשׂר flesh Etymology of verb root בשׂר to bear good tidings bear bad tidings 1 masculine noun בשׂר flesh, body of humans of animals 2 feminine noun בשׂרה tidings good tidings bad tidings the body 3. BDB pg BDB pg of sensation BDB pg. 142/3 The Hebrew masculine noun for flesh בשׂר used in Genesis 2: 23 is describing the five physical senses of the human flesh/body. The five physical senses sight, smell, hearing, touch, and taste bear good and bad tidings/information to the brain and consciousness. Thus, symbolically, the masculine noun בשׂר denotes those sensations, those tidings. The bound morpheme preposition prefix traditionally translated from,מ is here translated, In comparisons: above, beyond, more than; in preference to, above. 2 It is used in similar fashion in The Eden Narrative, Genesis 3: 1 and 3: 14, and throughout the rest of the Old Testament a vast number of times. Thus, the consciousness of blood says, This one is clearly might surpassing my might, and tidings surpassing my tidings... י (d) this one _ he זאת Interlinear Translation Genesis 2: 23 c BHS Masoretic received Text 2 BDB pg I- 2

3 ל זאת י _ _קרז אשׁה regarding this one he shall be called woman לזאת יקרא אשׁה The preformative 3 rd person masculine pronoun prefix, _ י he, 3 pointed out in the above table, cannot be referring to the feminine demonstrative pronoun זאת this one. זאת is feminine and _ י is masculine. Grammatically, the masculine and feminine genders are not generally mixed in this fashion. Traditional scholarship knows this, and so translates this phrase without translating the preformative 3 rd person masculine pronoun prefix at all. The traditionally accepted version of this phrase reads, This one shall be called woman 4 However, it has been determined above that the masculine noun for might/strength and the masculine noun for flesh/sensations are what the feminine demonstrative pronoun זאת this one is referring to. Therefore, the 3 rd person masculine preformative prefix pronoun _ י, he is in direct reference to the masculine nouns for might and flesh. Furthermore, it was the masculine noun for עזר helper that was used in Genesis 2: 18 & 20, and the two terms used to describe God, יהוה אלהים are also 3 GHG pg d. 4 NRSV. 10-I- 3

4 masculine in gender. The feminine demonstrative pronoun זאת this one refers specifically to that which God has built from closely joining His creative feminine side to the human masculine flesh. (e) מאישׁ לקחה on account of I am she is received The final clause of Genesis 2: 23 reads as follows: Symbolic Interlinear Translation Genesis 2: 23 c BHS Masoretic received Text כי מ א ישׁ for on account of I exist זאת לקח ה she is received this one כי מאישׁ לקחה זאת Traditionally, the masculine noun אישׁ has been translated man. However, as explained previously, not only is man not missing a rib, but the Hebrew term traditionally translated rib is never used to denote a human rib anywhere else in the Old Testament. It was the creative side of God which was summoned on account of the human archetype that was in need of a strong helper. So now, within the realm of deep sleep we learn that this creative side of God enables the consciousness of blood to attain self-awareness. Thus, the preformative 1 st person singular bound morpheme substantive exist 6 ; thus, I am. A ישׁ I 5 is prefixed to the verb substantive א is the part of speech which expresses something that exists, either material or immaterial. 5 GHG pg b. 6 BDB pg I- 4

5 I think and so therefore I am. Prior to receiving the side of God the human archetype, the consciousness of blood, was comprised of instinct and emotion. Now, with the side of God, the human archetype, the consciousness of blood thinks and so therefore it is. (f) לקחה she is received The verb לקח means both to take, as well as to receive. Due to the context of the Eden Narrative which has been developed by this study, here, at the conclusion of לקח Genesis 2: 23 denotes receive as to take a bride; or to receive, take instruction, that is, to receive mentally 7 ; and in the case of Genesis 2: 23, both translations are applicable. (g) Conclusion The interpretive translations of Genesis 2: read as follows: 22 And God builds with the side which was summoned for the human archetype, into a support; and God brings her unto the consciousness of blood. 23 And the consciousness of blood says, This is clearly might surpassing my might, and sensations surpassing my sensations, so it shall be called woman, for on the basis of self awareness she is received as the one. 7 BDB pg 542/3 4 f. 10-I- 5

6 When the Hebrew feminine noun for woman is understood as being derived from verbs which are synonymous with the verb root and stem of the masculine noun for helper, the Hebrew word for woman emerges as a profound metaphor of all that is procreated by the human species. One of the very first functions of the human creative intellect in new human life is to create in that carnal being a sense of self-identity, selfawareness. Thus, Genesis 2: 24 reads: (h) Genesis 2: Upon the grounds of these conditions the self-aware will leave its father and its mother, and will cleave with its creative intellect and they will become in regard to one flesh; (one body of senses). The traditional version of Genesis 2: 24 is generally translated in a manner that supposedly depicts the literal monogamous marriage of a man and a woman. However, in patriarchal cultures a literal man does not leave his family to join with his literal wife. It is the woman, upon becoming the wife of a man, who leaves her father and mother. Thus, the traditional translation is not even accord with patriarchal customs. Furthermore, Hebrew patriarchs Abraham, Jacob, David, Solomon, etc. etc. all had a legal wife, as well as any number of other wives and concubines. Therefore, the idea of becoming one flesh cannot be referring to the physical aspects of marriage, as traditional scholarship suggests. Hebrew patriarchs did not abide by monogamous marriage. 10-I- 6

7 (i) Genesis 2: 25 The final verse of Genesis Chapter 2, 2: 25, reads as follow: 25 And the two of them were ערומים sensible/ prudent/ cautious, the consciousness of blood and its creative intellect, but they were not yet troubled. The Hebrew plural substantive ערומים is the exact same substantive employed in Genesis 3: 1 ; the very next verse. _ים is the masculine plural suffix which is attached to substantives. 8 When scribed without the plural termination ערום of Genesis 2: 25 is identical to the term employed in Genesis 3: 1 where ערום is used in association with ערום the sensibility of the serpent. However, traditional scholarship renders naked in Genesis 2: 25, but in ערום Genesis 3: 1 is traditionally rendered crafty. This study, however, renders ערום sensible, prudent, cautious 9 in both cases. The causative verb at the conclusion of Genesis 2: 25 is not used anywhere else in the Old Testament. The verb בושׁ means: to fail in hope and expectations, to be troubled, disturbed, confused, to disappoint, to disgrace, to be ashamed. 10 Traditional scholarship employs to be ashamed, since it conforms to the context of the traditionally accepted version of the Eden text. This study, however, employs troubled, 8 GHG pg. 400/1 124 q. 9 BDB pg BDB pg. 101 & GHL pg I- 7

8 disturbed since this translation conforms to what here is regarded as the actual, or close to the actual, translation of The Eden Proverb. (j) אשׁה woman/wife & אישׁ man/husband Within the realm of deep sleep, the dream-time, the metaphorical אשׁה woman is the pro-creative aspect, the imaginative mind, of blood, i.e. mortal human consciousness. When the the I/ego consciousness of האדם imaginative mind is joined אשׁה to האדם the consciousness of blood, i.e. the flesh, the human archetype becomes self-aware, א : אישׁ I ישׁ exist. Thus, אישׁ is the metaphorical husband/mate of the metaphorical אשׁה woman/wife. There is only the feminine gender, and the masculine gender; the same as with the Hebrew language and script. The feminine gender is the creative, nurturing half, and the masculine gender is the strong bone, flesh, and appetites half of the human archetype; whether an archetype of the human species as a whole, or of any individual human being. It is for this reason that האדם the human archetype and אשׁתו its metaphorical wife are employed as the two divine characters who attain the human power of reason knowing good and bad within the realm of deep sleep. But the knowledge of good and bad has not yet been attained at the conclusion of Genesis 2: 25. Thus, at the end of chapter 2, האדם the metaphorical human archetype ואשׁתו and its metaphorical 10-I- 8

9 wife are becoming sensible but are not yet disturbed, troubled, or confused. Children who are too young to know what is good for them and bad for them are not disturbed, troubled, or confused. האדם and אשׁה are also metaphorical archetypes of such children. Compare the above to the following excerpt from Deuteronomy 1: 39 ; Interlinear interpres Translation ו _כם טפ _ ו _כם בני אשׁר and your little ones and your children who לא _ו ידע טוב ו רע not they know good/right and bad/wrong Deuteronomy 1: 39 excerpt BHS Masoretic received Text וטפכם --- ובניכם אשׁר לא ידעו --- טוב ורע--- In the JPS Genesis Commentary, Professor Sarna makes this observation: It should also be noted that good and bad, exactly in the Hebrew form used here [in the Eden narrative], occurs again only in Deuteronomy 1: 39 [shown above]. There the context leaves no doubt that not to know good and bad means to be innocent, not to have attained the age of responsibility. 11 This portion of The Eden Proverb now focuses on Genesis 3: 20 & 21, the two verses which describe the end of the deep sleep which was initiated in Genesis 2: JPS pg I- 9