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Genesis 2:4–9 is one of the most famous— and most dramatic—passages in the Bible, describing the creation of man and of the tree of life and the tree of knowledge. Let’s use what we have learned of Hebrew to read this text:
µa;r]B;hiB] År,a;h;wÒ µyIm’V;hÕ twOdl]wOt hL,ae 4 µyIm;v;wÒ År,a, µyhil¿aÔ hw:hyÒ twOc[} µwOyB] År,a;b; hy 5 al¿ yKi jm;xÒyI µr,f, hd,C;hÕ bc,[eAlk;wÒ µd;a;,wÒ År,a;h;Al[Ô µyhil¿aÔ hw:hyÒ ryfim]hi hol,[}y” daÔwÒ 6 hm;d;a}h;Ata, dbo[}l’ ÷yIaÕ hm;d;a}h;AynEP]AlK;Ata, hq;v]hiwÒ År,a;h;A÷mi rp;[; µd;a;h;Ata, µyhil¿aÔ hw:hyÒ rx 7 yhiyÒw” µyYIjÕ tm’v]nI wyP;aÕB] jP’YIw” hm;d;a}h;A÷mi µyhil¿aÔ hw:hyÒ [FÕYIw” 8 hY:jÕ vp,n 9 rx:y: Å[ewÒ lk;a}mÕl] bwOfwÒ ha,r]mÕl] dm;j]n< Å[eAlK; [r;w: bwOf t[ÔD'hÕ Å[ewÒ ÷G:hÕ JwOtB] µyYIjÕh'
(4) el-leh to-ledot hash-sha-ma-yim veha-ah-rets be-hib-bar-am, beyom asot a-do-nay e-lo-him er-ets ve-sha-ma-yim. (5) ve-chol seach has-sa-deh te-rem yih-yeh va-ah-rets vechol eh-sev has-sa-deh te-rem yits-mach, ki lo him-tir a-do-nay e-lo-him al-ha-ah-rets ve-a-dam ah-yin la-avod et-ha-a-da-ma. (6) ve-ed ya-aleh min-ha-a-rets ve-hish-qah et-kol-pe-nay ha-a-da-ma.(7) vay-yi-tser a-do-nay e-lo-him et-ha-a-dam a-far min-ha-a-da-ma vay-yip-pach be-ap-pav nish-mat chay-yim, va-yehi ha-a-dam le-ne-fesh chay-yah. (8) vay-yit-tah a-do-nay e-lo-him gan-be-e-den miq-qe-dem, va-ya-sem sham et-ha-a-dam ah-sher ya-tsar. (9) vay-yats-mach a-do-nay e-lo-him min-ha-a-da-ma kol-ets nech-mad le-mar-eh ve-tov le-ma-achal, ve-ets ha-chay-yim be-toch hag-gan ve-ets ha-da-at tov va-rah.
You may consult any English translation, but for instructional purposes we will follow a more literal translation: “(4) These [are] the generations of the heavens and the earth in their being created in [on] the day that the Lord God made earth and heaven, (5) and every plant of the field not yet would be in the earth and every herb of the field not yet would sprout, for he, the Lord God, had not caused rain [to fall] on the earth, and a man did not exist to work the ground (6) but a mist would go up from the earth and water all the face of the ground. (7) Then the Lord God formed the man [of] dust from the ground and he blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living soul. (8) Then the Lord God planted a garden in Eden in the east and he placed there the man whom he had formed.(9) And he, the Lord God, caused to sprout from the ground every tree desirable for appearance and good for food, and the tree of life [was] in the midst of the garden and the tree of the knowledge [of] good and evil.”
Infinitive constructs
In verse 4, note marbhb The form consists of the preposition b + a Niphal infinitive construct from the root arb, + a suffixed form of the third masculine plural pronoun, mya. We have not previously met infinitive constructs in Hebrew; they consist of an infinitive to which has been added a prefix or a suffix. Note the following infinitive forms for strong roots in Qal and the derived verbal patterns:
Qal
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rwm
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“To guard”
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Niphal
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rmh
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“To be guarded”
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Piel
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rbd
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“To speak”
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Hiphil
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dyqph
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“To appoint”
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Hitpael
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ldgth
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“To show oneself proud”
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Infinitive constructs do not appear in the Pual and Hophal patterns. Note the other infinitive constructs in our passage: verse 4, t/c[} and verse 5, dwb[l.: Note that the latter has the preposition Lamed (l) prefixed to it, just as marbhb has a prefixed b. We translated marbhb literally as, “in their being created.” A more appropriate rendering would be, “when they were created.”
Pronominal suffixes
marbhb also has a pronominal suffix, which is derived from the forms of the independent pronouns. You are aware of pronominal prefixes and suffixes used with verbs. Below are suffixed forms of pronouns used with singular nouns and infinitives:
Plural
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|
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Singular
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Wn eà
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Wnj]’na}
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we
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y i
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ykinOa; or ynIa}
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I
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µk, ]
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µt,a’
|
you (m.)
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û; ]
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hT;a’
|
you (m.)
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÷k, ]
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÷T,a’
|
you (f.)
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û] e
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T]a’
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you (f.)
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µ ;
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µhe
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they (m.)
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w
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aWh
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he, it (m.)
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÷ ;
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÷he
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they (f.)
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H ;
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ayhi
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she, it (f.)
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These forms differ when used with plural nouns:
Plural
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|
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Singular
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ny eà
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Wnj]’na}
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we
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y ‘
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ykinOa; or ynIa}
|
I
|
µk,y e
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µt,a’
|
you (m.)
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û;y eà
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hT;a’
|
you (m.)
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÷k,y e
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÷T,a’
|
you (f.)
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û]yI ‘à
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T]a’
|
you (f.)
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µh,y e
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µhe
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they (m.)
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wy ;
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aWh
|
he, it (m.)
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÷h,y e
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÷he
|
they (f.)
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h;y ,à
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ayhi
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she, it (f.)
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Can you find the other pronominal suffix in this passage? (Hint: it’s in verse 7.)
Genesis 2:4–9 is one of the most famous— and most dramatic—passages in the Bible, describing the creation of man and of the tree of life and the tree of knowledge. Let’s use what we have learned of Hebrew to read this text: