Textual Criticism and Hebrew Exegesis
Lapide's engagement with the Hebrew text and its root meanings throughout Genesis 1, comparing LXX, Aquila, Symmachus, Theodotion, and Onkelos. Key terms: bereshit (in the beginning), bara (he created), elohim (God), tohu vebohu (formless and void), rakia (firmament), merachephet (hovering), tselem (image), erets (earth), iammim (seas).
Chapter I (The Six Days of Creation)
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In the Beginning: Nine Interpretations
— Aquila translates bereshit as "in the heading" (in summary); the Hebrew reshit derives from rosh (head).
"Fifthly, Aquila translates 'in the beginning' as 'in the heading,' that is, in summary, all things at once comprehensively, or in a mass."
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Verse 2: And the earth was without form and void
— Hebrew tohu vebohu explained: solitude, emptiness, void; compared with LXX (invisible and unordered), Aquila (vanity and nothing), Symmachus (idle and unformed), Theodotion (emptiness and nothingness), Onkelos (desolate and empty).
"In Hebrew it reads, the earth was tohu vevohu, that is, the earth was a solitude, or emptiness and void"
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Verse 2: And the earth was without form and void
— Hebrew merachephet: St. Basil, Diodorus, and Jerome testify it refers to birds hovering over eggs.
"the Hebrew is merachephet, which, as St. Basil, Diodorus, and Jerome testify in the Hebrew Questions on Genesis, refers to birds when, hovering over their eggs and chicks"
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God (Elohim): Thirteen Definitions
— The etymology of Elohim: from el (strong) and ala (he adjured, bound).
""God" in Hebrew is elohim, which is derived from el, that is "strong," and ala, that is "he adjured, obligated, bound""
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Verse 10: And God called the dry land Earth
— Etymology of erets (earth): from ratsats (to trample), ratsa (to will/desire), or ruts (to run); and iammim (seas) from maim (waters) or hama (to roar).
"'Earth' in Hebrew is called 'erets,' either from the root 'ratsats,' that is, to trample, because it is trodden upon and inhabited by men and beasts"