<< > Focussing on the 1st line, the Hebrew construction (waw consecutive:
_ki
hu'
>'amar wayehi_) suggests that the action of the second verb follows that of
the first
>with nothing intervening. It would be good for somebody with greater
Hebrew expertise
>than I to comment on this both in regard to Gen.1 and Ps.33.
I too would be interested in hearing more of this. >>
Even though CA Briggs, an editor of the classic Hebrew lexicon, B(riggs)DB
expresses George's tentative opinion of the meaning of the waw consecutive in
Psalm 33:9 and I agree on historical grounds that an immediate creation is
the historical-grammatical, i.e. original meaning of both Psalm 33:9 and the
various phrases in Gen 1; and further that placing a time gap longer than
24-hours between the command and the fulfillment is an unnatural reading of
both Gen 1 and Psalm 33:9, nevertheless, I do not believe Glenn's reading can
be falsified by the Hebrew grammar per se.
In order for the Hebrew grammar to falsify Glenn's reading, there would have
to be a rule that an imperative or jussive when followed by a waw consecutive
expressing the fulfillment of that command does not allow any time to
intervene between the command and the fulfillment. I do not profess to know
any more about Hebrew grammar than George does; but, I have done a little
checking and I find no such rule. In addition, such a rule seems improbable.
That is, if a king ordered, e.g. the building of a temple and in time it was
built, it seems to me that there would be no reason the Hebrew grammar could
not use a waw consecutive and say, "He spoke and the temple was built."
Further, there is a partial parallel to Psalm 33:9 in Psalm 105:34. The
latter says, "He (God) spoke (same verb and form as in Psalm 33:9) and came
(waw consecutive) the locust…". But, when you go back to Exodus 19:13 and
look at the details, you read, "…and the Lord directed an east wind on the
land all that day and all that night; and when it was morning, the east wind
brought the locusts." Clearly there is a time gap (and the use of means) in
Ps 105:34 between "He spake" "and the locust came." The most that could be
claimed is that the action which in time resulted in the effect began
immediately upon the issuing of the divine command.
Paul S.