Genesis 6:5
And Yahweh is seeing that abundant is the ruined-one231 of the Red-one in the Earth, and the whole form232 of the plans233 of his heart is only a ruinous one of the whole of the Hot-one.
| 233 | Strong’s #4284, machashabah or machashebet. Plural feminine noun, plans, inventions, device, projects, designs. This appears as commissioned “artistic designs” in the Temple (Ex. 31:4, etc). The feminine singular form machashebah (recall the unowned/untaken feminine pairing with the masculine) only appears in two places, And now, say now toward a man of Judah and upon the those sitting in Jerusalem, to say thus has said Yahweh, behold-me forming upon you all a ruined-one, and planning upon you a plan [machashabah], turn back now a man from his road of the Ruined-one, and make well the roads of you all and the acts of you all. Jeremiah 18:11 literal King Nebuchadnezzar king of Babel has counseled upon you all a counsel and has planned upon you a plan [machashabah]. Jeremiah 49:30 literal There is a bad thing and good thing coming. The design is God’s good, For Myself have known the Plans whom Myself is planning upon you—an oracle of Yahweh—plans of complete-one and not to ruined-one, to give to you all an end and a rope [#8615].” Jeremiah 29:11 literal The author chose the feminine adjective and noun abundant ruined-one whereas in all previous instances ruined-one is in the masculine and refers to the tree. Ra and Ra’at (the Hebrew for ruined-one) are another set of masculine-feminine word pairings. The masculine forms could have been used, yet God chose the feminine. He seems to draw a distinction between the abundant ruined-one of Adam and the ruined-one of Adam’s heart. Compare Matt. 15:19, “For out of the heart goes out thoughts of harm, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies”. And “Therefore, if you, being evil…” Matt. 7:11. Take note of the feminine rabbah, abundant. This is an interesting, and carefully placed word as will be seen (see note on Gen. 7:22). |