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NASB | Genesis 2:1 Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Genesis 2:1 So the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts (inhabitants). |
Bible Question:
I know the liberal theologians view Gen 1 and following as poetry, in order to deny it as true history, but are there conservative theologians who view chapter one as poetry and not prose? (Not that poetry makes the account any less historical) In my translation the curse in chapter 3 is translated as poetry, as well as Adam naming Eve in chapter 2, but chapter 1 is not translated in a poetic format in my translation (NASB). I see the creation account as brief prose, not poetic verse. Are there any Hebrew scholars out there? Peace, Lionstrong |
Bible Answer: Lionstrong, I don't dispute your point about liberal theologians. But they do the same things with passages that are not poetic, but prose. They just deny the factual basis or accuracy of prose passages. As you note, the poetic translation of Genesis 2 in your bible does not undermine the truth of Genesis 2. On the other hand poety is a very effective and concise way of packing a lot of truth into a few words. There are conservative theologians who see Genesis 1 as poetry. Again keep in mind there were originally no chapter and verse divisions. Genesis 1 is so familiar to us, we tend not to read it carefully. If we read the whole chapter a out loud, we will noticing its poetic structure and rhythm even in English. Try going back and underlining phrases that are repeated throughout the chapter. There is a poetic beauty there. Repetition to make a point is a characteristic of Hebrew poetry. Just look at the Psalms. However, I am not holding myself out as a Hebrew scholar. Emmaus |