Genesis 2:9
וַ יַּצְמַח יְהוָה אֶלֹהִים מִן הָ אֲדָמָה כָּל עֵץ נֶחְמָד לְ מַרְאֶה וְ טֹוב לְ מַאֲכָל וְ עֵץ הַ חַיִּים בְּ תֹוךְ הַ גָּן וְ עֵץ הַ דַּעַת טֹוב וָ רָע
And Yahweh is causing to sprout elohim from out of the Red-one the whole of a wood, him-who-is-desirable to the sight,67 and a good one for a food,
and the Wood of the Living-ones68 is in the middle of the Enclosure,
and the Wood is the Perception of69 a good one and ruined-one.70
| 69 | These words are fill words not found in the Hebrew. Because “Perception/Knowledge” here has a definite article it is referring to something specific—something concrete, hence “tree of knowledge” seems forced whereas “the wood is the Knowledge of” seems more syntactically appropriate as it not normal for Ancient Hebrew to compress so many nouns into one object, if it ever does. Syntax should take precedence over semantics, since semantics are based on syntax and not the other way around. There is a “dual-life” associated with this wood as well. Tradition has always played the primary role in how humanity has read these texts. Could we have completely missed the cryptic intentions of these writings? |