1

Exegesis of Genesis 1:1, 2:

A synthesis of several papers written for doctoral courses at William Carey International University October, 2006

CONTENTS ! Introduction "resuppositions "urpose and si#nificance of this paper Overview 2! $%e#esis of &enesis ' , 2 Interpretive summary of &enesis "rinciples of biblical e%e#esis (ummary of )alph *! Winter+s interpretation of &enesis An $%amination of the value and le#itimacy of )alph *! Winter+s interpretation of &enesis ' , 2 in li#ht of the biblical conte%t and the history of the e%e#esis of the passa#e ,! Word (tudies from &enesis ' , 2 -e#innin# .reshit/ Created .bara/ 0eavens and earth .hashamayim weet haaretz/ $arth .aretz/ Was .hayeta/ Tohu wabohu 1! 0ermeneutical Applications Warfare missiolo#y as the theme of the -ible -e#innin#s of a theolo#y of disease

INTRODUCTION "resuppositions "urpose and si#nificance of this paper Overview

Bereshit bara elohim et hashamayim weet haaretz wehaaretz hayeta tohu wabohu wehosek al-pene tehom weruach elohim merachepet al-pene hammayim In the be#innin# &od created the heavens and the earth! As for the earth, it was destroyed and desolate .tohu wabohu/, with dar2ness on the face of the deep, but the (pirit of &od stirrin# over the face of the waters! .&enesis ' , 23 ori#inal translation from the 0ebrew/!

Presuppositions (omethin# is wron# in this world! 45ature, red in tooth and claw,6 is a pattern acted out at all levels of life, from micropredators to macropredators3 from disease caused by microbes to social diseases caused by humans such as war, slavery or apartheid! .(ee 7c5eil 896':1/! Intelli#ent evil is at wor2, distortin# &od+s ori#inal #ood purposes! All of life needs to be oriented to the war a#ainst evil that is the theme of human history, fi#htin# a battle that be#an with (atan+ ;all! 0umans were created to <oin &od in rescuin# Creation from the 2in#dom of dar2ness, includin# the physical and social results of intelli#ent evil, and in brin#in# transformation that represents the advance of &od=s 2in#dom! )alph Winter+s call to the evan#elical world to include fi#htin# disease as an aspect of mission .200:a' >0/ echoes biblical themes that have their ori#in in &enesis '2! In this Winter is also echoin# $dwin ?ewis who said in 81>, a spea2er who called upon the American people to cease believin# in &od because seventeen million persons now livin# would die of cancer would have made a much better and a much wiser use of his time had he called upon the American people to join with God in the fight

3 against cancer @emphasis addedA by the use of the very means which &od is see2in# to put into their hands for this purpose, because the only way in which &od can use the means is throu#h human minds and human hands! 4We are laborers to#ether with &od!6 . 81>' 18, :0/ A presupposition of this paper is that &enesis ' B, sets the tone and theme for the entire -ible! At some point followin# &od+s ori#inal #ood creation, 0is intentions were undercut and the disastrous result is described as tohu wabohu in &enesis '2! &od+s response was to overcome evil .tohu/ with #ood .tob/! As the Creation story repeatedly points out re#ardin# 0is initiatives' 4&od saw that it was #ood!6 Che whole earth is under <ud#ment by default due to the fall of (atan and the subseDuent fall of Adam and $ve! .4Che whole earth lies in the power of the evil one6 accordin# to Eohn :' 8!/ Correctin# the root causes of the evils around us is the <ob of &od+s people in whatever area of reality they find themselves! We need to follow the pattern shown in &enesis to wor2 toward overcomin# the root causes of conditions that are the opposite of &od+s #ood intentions, whether physical diseases such as cancer or AI*(, or social diseases such as wars or apartheid! If the interpretation of tohu I present in this paper is accepted, then &enesis becomes an illustration of the theme of the entire -ible' fi#htin# bac2 a#ainst opposition to &od+s will, overcomin# evil with #ood, actin# out the answer to the prayer Eesus tau#ht 0is disciples, 4Chy Fin#dom come, Chy will be done on earth as it is in heaven!6 As believers demonstrate what &od+s will is and what 0e is li2e, the peoples of the earth will be attracted to follow that 2ind of &od! Purpose and signifi an e of t!is paper 7uch disease consists of brea2down, disorderin#, disinte#ration .tohu wabohu/ at the cellular level, e!#! cancer cells! Applyin# the findin# of this paper, that tohu is a metaphor for anythin# contrary to &od+s will, to &od=s intent to reverse such cellular tohu wabohu, is presented here as a candidate for the be#innin#s of a theolo#y of disease! O"er"ie# Chis paper ta2es an e%e#etical approach to e%plorin# the conte%t and implications of the terms tohu and tohu wabohu and concludes that &enesis '2ff is the theolo#ical basis for fi#htin# evil, includin# disease! A detailed discussion of the term tohu shows that in every occurrence of this term in (cripture the conte%t indicates somethin# that is the opposite of &od+s #ood intentions for creation, and this condition is always corrected throu#h a <ud#ment of some sort, followed by a demonstration of &od+s will! .(ee chart in the Appendi%!/ Anythin# that brin#s order out of chaos is a step toward restorin# &od+s will on earth! Chis is the ori#in of a theolo#y of disease! .*isBease is the opposite of ease3 the opposite of order3 the opposite of &od+s intentions G tohu!/ In &enesis , how does &od respond to the condition described as tohu wabohuH Che first few verses show the pattern for the rest of the chapter and #ive the 2ey to the entire -ible! (omethin# opposite to &od+s intentions e%ists and is described in &enesis '2! Che author of &enesis shows in the rest of the first chapter how &od #oes about demonstratin# 0is intentions for the

4 earth which are the e%act opposite of the chaotic conditions! 0e does this by emphasiIin# a definite pattern in the creation story that is #iven to enable &od+s people to imitate him in overcomin# evil with #ood! Chese verses show that &od has evil under control and patiently counterBacts and replaces it with acts of creativity, includin# the creation of humans to <oin 0im in fi#htin# bac2 a#ainst forces that oppose 0im! As a description of the conseDuences of opposin# &od+s intentions, the fi#ure of speech, tohu wabohu, also contains within itself the solution to addressin# the root problem that causes that opposition! -elievers have the privile#e of allowin# &od+s (pirit .ruach elohim/ to wor2 throu#h them to demonstrate 0is #lory, by brin#in# order out of chaos and by overcomin# evil with #ood .0ebrew, tob, a word play with the similarBsoundin# tohu/! Che rest of the -ible e%plains how to overcome andJor avoid tohu, opposition to &od, at various levels .physical, personal, family, social, political/ or it shows what happens when tohu is not overcome .the visible chaotic result can then be called tohu wabohu/! Che whole theme of (cripture is to fi#ht bac2 a#ainst the opposition to &od+s intentions! Chis is the biblical worldview demonstrated throu#hout Israel+s history, in the prophets+ interpretation of that history, in Eesus+ activity and words, and in "aul+s description of livin# in the Fin#dom! Where &od+s Fin#dom does not yet e%ist, tohu rei#ns, with visible evidence of conditions contrary to &od+s will .includin# disease and violence/, and missionary activity is needed to continue Christ+s mission of destroyin# the wor2s of &od+s adversary, the devil! .(ee Eohn ,'>!/ "hilip Een2ins summariIes this mission in his new boo2, The New aces of !hristianity" Belie#ing the Bible in the Global $outh' 4In his acts of healin#, Eesus was not <ust curin# individuals, but tramplin# diabolical forces underfoot, and the si#ns and wonders represented visible and material to2ens of Christ+s victory over very real forces of evil!6 .2006'88/ Overcomin# tohu, opposition to &od+s will, is central to the mission of the -ody of Christ, the Church! 7ission en#a#es this opposition at all levels of e%istence' personal, family, societal, in applied science and medicine, biolo#y, environmental science, and across cultures throu#h mission activity! TohuKwherever it is foundKis not &od+s will! *emonstration of &od+s will and &od+s #lory is the responsibility of the -ody of Christ, so that all peoples can come to 2now and obey 0im, in fulfillment of the &reat Commission! 7edical missionary )obert 0u#hes, in (hillon#, India from 8,8L68, wrote in his <ournal, 4this 2in#dom of disease, death, i#norance, pre<udice, fear, malnutrition and ab<ect poverty @isA most surely a 2in#dom which ou#ht to be overthrown by the 2in#dom of our &od6 .)ees 200,/! Where does this opposition to &od come fromH *istortions of human social relations, distortions of nature .4natural disasters6/, distortions by disease' these are the cate#ories represented by three of the horses of the apocalypse .war, famine, and pla#ue/, all leadin# to death .)ev! 6',B>/! At the end of this planet+s history, the )ider on the white horse will conDuer these demonstrations of tohu, opposition to &od+s will .see )evelation 8/! In the meantime, why does &od permit the obvious evil we see now in nature and in 4man+s inhumanity to man6H Why has &od allowed people throu#hout history to torture others or shun them as nonBhumanH Is &od pleased when a tsunami wipes out hundreds of thousands of people without warnin#, or a hurricane destroys a ma<or city, or an earthDua2e buries children alive in the rubble of their schoolH Is &od #lorified by what #reatly troubled *arwin, that a particular 2ind of wasp lays its e##s inside a caterpillar so that when the e##s hatch, the larvae eat their way out of the caterpillar while it is still livin#H *o diseases such as cancer, AI*(, malaria, and small po%, that literally eat people alive, ori#inate from or#anisms desi#ned by a perfect and

5 #ood CreatorH What went wron#H 4Che creation waits in ea#er e%pectation for the sons of &od to be revealed! M We 2now that the whole creation has been #roanin# as in the pains of childbirth ri#ht up to the present time .)omans >'20B22!6

E$EGESIS O% GENESIS 1:1, 2 Interpretive summary of &enesis "rinciples of -iblical $%e#esis (ummary of )alph *! Winter+s Interpretation of &enesis An $%amination of the Nalue and ?e#itimacy of )alph *! Winter+s Interpretation of &enesis ' , 2 in ?i#ht of the -iblical Conte%t and the 0istory of the $%e#esis of the "assa#e

All cultures have to answer the Duestion, 0ow shall we brin# order out of chaos .in the physical world, in society, in a family, in a relationship/H Or as ;rancis (haeffer has put it, 40ow shall we then liveH6 0ow should mission and international development wor2ers address the issue of distortions of &od+s will within a cultureH What is &od #oin# to do about the evil in this worldH 0ow does &od e%pect 0is people to liveH 4Che ability of future #enerations to ma2e the te%t answer their Duestions, without distortin# it beyond reco#nition, is part of the -ible+s power!6 .Wildavs2y 8>1' 2/ Che hermeneutical tas2, followin# the e%e#etical tas2 of findin# out what the te%t ori#inally meant, is to 4learn to hear that same meanin# in the variety of new or different conte%ts of our own day!6 .;ee and (tuart 88,' / In answer, then, to the Duestions above that are of concern to missionaries and international development wor2ers, I offer followin# interpretive translation of &enesis ' B: followed by a #eneral interpretive summary of the rest of the chapter! Che rationale for the choices made in translatin# each word of the 0ebrew in verses and 2 as well as two ma<or terms in verse , is e%plained in detail in the course of this paper! Che value of this interpretation of &enesis is in its ability to help crossBcultural wor2ers address the stumblin# bloc2 of the 4problem of evil,6 and to point toward the be#innin#s of a biblical theolo#y of disease!

Interpreti"e Trans&ation of Genesis 1:1'( and Su))ar* of Genesis 1

6 &enesis ' B: In one of &od+s new be#innin#s 0e reBfashioned everythin# in nature as we 2now it because the land had been destroyed @by an asteroidal collisionHA and left desolate after &od+s <ud#ment on conditions contrary to 0is will! -ut &od had not #iven up on the land and its people! Che (pirit of &od was stirrin# over the deep chaos that was blan2eted by dar2ness! .(uddenly/ &od said, 4?et there be li#ht,6 and there it wasO &od saw that the li#ht was #ood and 0e separated the li#ht from the dar2ness! 0e called the li#ht 4day6 and the dar2ness 4ni#ht!6 (o after evenin#, there was mornin#, one day! (ummary of the rest of the chapter Che ne%t thin# &od did was to ma2e some basic structural divisions, to be followed later by fillin# in the details! 0e wasn+t in a hurry to #et everythin# ready at once! Instead 0e wor2ed within the framewor2 of evenin#s and mornin#s toward 0is #oal of ma2in# a land habitable for humans, who could then continue wor2in# with 0im accordin# to 0is e%ample of how to wor2 and live well! $ach day saw increasin# order brou#ht out of the chaos! Within the rhythm of evenin# followed by mornin#, &od divided the upper and lower waters, undoin# their min#lin# and ma2in# it possible to distin#uish what was #ood and helpful from what was bad and not conducive to life! 5e%t he provided for some stability by separatin# dry land from the lower waters! Che e%istence of the land made it possible for basic subsistence and now plants and fruit bearin# trees were created! 5e%t, purpose was #iven to the heavenly bodies .their re#ular cycles had become visible as the mur2y atmosphere cleared/ to mar2 the times and seasons in a predictable way, loo2in# ahead toward the need of humans to remember how to ta2e care of the land and to remember to honor their Creator, on whose behalf they would be stewards of the land! After that, movin# creatures in the water, air and land populated the area, with increasin# de#rees of ability to choose how to use their mobility! ;inally everythin# was ready for &od+s masterpiece and helperKthe first humans whom 0e made to help him continue the process of brin#in# order out of chaos .and defeatin# evil/! &od #ave our first parents freedom of choice, hopin# they would choose to wor2 with 0im in obedience, followin# the pattern 0e had demonstrated in the process of ma2in# their land ready for them! Che seventh day was set aside for them and for us to follow &od+s e%ample of restin# from wor2! &od wanted 0is people to reflect on their relationship to 0im and to reco#niIe their need to submit to 0im as the #ood, orderly, allBpowerful, and soverei#n ruler who is in control of all! @5ote' Che tone and lan#ua#e of this chapter reflect the characteristics of &od as bein# orderly and in control, so the opposite of this orderliness, the chaos &od was calmly combatin#, has to be learned about elsewhere in (cripture!A Prin ip&es of +i,&i a& Exegesis 4Che openin# verses of &enesis are amon# the most difficult to interpret in the entire Old Cestament!6 .;retheim 868': / Che purpose of this paper is to e%amine the value of )alph Winter+s interpretation of &enesis ' , 2 for missions and international development, and to establish the le#itimacy of his interpretation within the history of the e%e#esis of &enesis ! Althou#h Eewish social historian Aaron Wildavs2y has stated .in re#ard to the possibility of #leanin# historical insi#hts from the Old Cestament/, 4there is no lac2 of Pdata+ in the -ibleKonly, in view of human limitations, an absence of creativity amon# interpreters6 . 8>1' 2/, it will be obvious that there is no lac2 of creativity in Winter+s interpretation of the data!

7 In approachin# an interpretation of &enesis , with a primary focus on the first few verses, the e%e#etical principles that will be followed first need to be set out! $ach of the principles listed here will be briefly e%plained and a sample application #iven from the first chapter of &enesis before movin# into a detailed study that uses these principles to understand &enesis in a new li#ht! $%e#etical "rinciples' ! ;ind out what the te%t ori#inally meant! 2! ?earn to hear that same meanin# within new conte%ts, of our own day and in other cultures .hermeneutics/! ,! As2 the ri#ht Duestions of the te%t! 1! -e clear about the nature and manner of inspiration and revelation of the te%t! :! Investi#ate the conte%t of &enesis a! 0istorical conte%t b! ?iterary conte%t i! &enre .includin# fi#ures of speech/ ii! (tructure iii! ?e%ical conte%t' meanin#s of words in similar conte%ts and #rammatical usa#e .philolo#ical approach/ c! -iblical conte%t 6! $n#a#e in the hermeneutical circleJspiral 9! $valuate the contributions of commentators throu#hout history as each of the above aspects is considered! ! ;ind out what the te%t ori#inally meant 7ost commentators on the -oo2 of &enesis have reco#niIed the importance of first discoverin# the author+s purpose and what the ori#inal audience would have understood by what was written! Cwo hi#hly respected Old Cestament scholars have stated this very well, one from the evan#elical and one from the Eewish tradition' 4Che primary tas2 of the -iblical scholar is to unfold the meanin# of the te%t of (cripture as it was ori#inally intended to be understood by the writer of that te%t!6 .Faiser 890'1>/ 4Che aim of this commentary is to e%plain, with the help of an historicoB philolo#ical method of interpretation, the simple meanin# of the biblical te%t, and to arrive, as nearly as possible, at the sense that the words of the Corah were intended to have for their reader at the time when they were written!6 .Cassuto 811' / Chis primary tas2 reDuires ac2nowled#in# the limitations of loo2in# bac2 from a contemporary western worldview at te%ts written in ancient times! Che worldview of the writer of &enesis was not that of the western scientific culture of today! We should not e%pect that the human author and ori#inal audience of &enesis 2new or cared about our present day scientific astronomy, #eolo#y, biolo#y, etc!, as 0enri -locher . 8>1'29/ and (tanley Ea2i . 882b/ emphasiIe! Cerrence ;retheim #ives another perspective by callin# attention to evidence in &enesis that the biblical writer had preBscientific interests in showin# an awareness of classification of plants and animals and by addressin# Duestions about how the earth was created! -ut the answers #rew out of 42nowled#e of the natural world available to them in their culture!6 .;retheim 200:'29/ Che principle must be 2ept in mind that what was understood by the ori#inal author and audience is what the te%t still means! As ;ee and (tuart put it, 4a te%t cannot mean what it never meant!6 . 88,' 8/ If the author did not ori#inally intend to teach scientific truths, it should not be viewed in

8 any a#e as teachin# scientific truths, which are always in process and sub<ect to chan#e! 4Co claim that &od created the world and all that e%ists is a matter of faith, M .see 0ebrews ',/ and is not the result of scientific investi#ation!6 .;retheim 200:'29/ -locher, Ea2i and others feel stron#ly that the e%e#esis of &enesis must 4free itself from e%cessive concern with science!6 .-locher 8>1'29/ Ea2i spea2s of the 4concordist trap6 that commentators throu#hout the a#es have fallen into while tryin# to harmoniIe the current state of science with what they thin2 &enesis is teachin#! ;or the most part, these authors, includin# those in the Qoun# $arth camp today, miss important theolo#ical truths and the 2ey role of &enesis in the -ible because they are focused on tryin# to ma2e it mean somethin# it was never intended to mean! In cautionin# a#ainst readin# into the te%t meanin#s that were not ori#inally there, ;ee and (tuart mention the 7ormon practice of baptiIin# for the dead .based on their readin# of Corinthians :'28/ and the prosperity doctrine of the charismatic movement .ta2en from , Eohn 2/ as e%amples of those who have started with 4the here and now and have read into the te%ts meanin#s that were not ori#inally there!6 . 88,' >/ Che creation science interpretation of &enesis is an additional e%ample of this type of 4eise#esis!6 -ased on the presupposition that a biblical account of the creation of the world must be scientifically accurate .or rather, specifically, the &enesis account/, they have loo2ed for scientific accuracy in ancient literature and have found it necessary to claim that science is wron# in some respects to support their theory! Chis is what happened in &alileo+s time, resultin# in widespread disrespect for &od+s Word! Chis paper will not spend much time on the 4problem6 of science and (cripture! Instead, the approach ta2en here will follow the e%e#etical principles listed earlier with the aim of discoverin# from the te%t itself what its ori#inal author and audience understood it to mean! 4Che 2ey tas2, finally, both for that time and for our own, becomes that of inte#ratin# materials from various fields into a coherent statement about the created order! In effect, &enesis invites every #eneration to en#a#e in this same process!6 .;retheim 200:'2>/ Eohn (ailhamer stated his intention and approach that this paper will also follow' 47y desire in this boo2 is to ma2e clear what I am convinced is the central messa#e of the first two chapters of &enesis! @In this paper the concern is primarily with the first two verses!A A lar#e part of that tas2 will be dealin# with wellB worn opinions about these chapters! In many cases those opinions are correct and must be incorporated into a proper interpretation3 in other cases they are not correct and need to be replaced with a new understandin#!6 . 886'21/ Only after the first tas2 is completed, of uncoverin# the ori#inal meanin# of the te%t, can the Duestion be addressed, 4what does &enesis mean for a specific culture todayH6 2! ?earn to hear that same meanin# in the variety of new or different conte%ts of our own day .hermeneutics/ ;indin# the relevance of the te%t for today in a variety of new conte%ts is how ;ee and (tuart define the hermeneutical tas2, which comes only after the first step of e%e#esis has been done! . 88,' >/ 5athan (arna draws attention to the distinctive patterns of thou#ht and ways of spea2in# of the ancient Israelite people! Co understand their writin#s we need to be careful not to confuse their way of spea2in#, includin# metaphorical lan#ua#e, with the reality behind the metaphor! 4Che two have to be disentan#led from each other and the idea conveyed must be translated into the idiom of our own day!6 . 866',/ Che true meanin# of the biblical te%t for today, for any culture, is what &od

9 ori#inally intended it to mean when it was first spo2en! All societies have to answer the Duestion, 0ow shall we brin# order out of chaosH "eople tryin# to be submitted to &od in any culture need to find their own particular implications for how to live in ri#ht relationship with &od within that culture! Che principles of &enesis are timeless and apply in all cultures in addressin# these and other Duestions! Che last section of this paper will apply these hermeneutical principles in arrivin# at a missiolo#y and theolo#y that concern how the -ody of Christ should address disease! ,! As2 the ri#ht Duestions of the te%t ;ee and (tuart state that the secret of e%e#esis is as2in# the ri#ht Duestions of the te%t! . 88,' / Eohn (ailhamer . 886'>2/ and ?eon Fass .200,'26/ as2 many inductive Duestions of &enesis , such as the followin#' What is the meanin# of the phrase translated 4in the be#innin#6H Why this 2ind of be#innin#H Is it lo#ically or peda#o#ically necessary for what comes ne%tH 0ow is the cosmolo#y of the chapter related to ethical or political issuesH *oes the acceptance of &od+s later commandments depend on first reco#niIin# &od+s power as creatorH What is the overall purpose and theme of the "entateuchH 0ow do these early chapters prepare us for understandin# and appreciatin# all that follows in the "entateuchH 1! -e clear about the nature and manner of inspiration and revelation of the te%t! Appreciatin# the si#nificance of what &enesis says or implies in relation to these and other Duestions reDuires an ac2nowled#ment that &od was involved in a process of revealin# himself and 0is plans to the writer or editor of &enesis ! )alph Winter is addressin# the issue of the means of revelation when he insists that the author of &enesis could not have intended &enesis ' to refer to the creation of the whole world as we now 2now it, because at that time there was only a limited awareness of the e%tent of the e%tent of the land! In re#ard to what the biblical authors were able to 2now and write about, Ale%ander 0eidel #ives this translation of ;ranI "ieper of Concordia Cheolo#ical (eminary .(t ?ouis, 7issouri, 821, Christliche *o#mati2 I, p! 2>1/' 4As the 0oly &host employed the style which he found in the individual writers, thus 0e also utiliIed the historical 2nowled#e which the writers already possessed!6 .0eidel 8: ' ,6/ And yet, in the process of inspiration, includin# meditation by the writer of (cripture on actual historical events .possibly even eyewitness accounts of the events described in &enesis @Winter 200:c' A/, &od conveyed truths that are timeless and wider than what the author was able to 2now and be aware of! $dwin ?ewis points out the need to find the underlyin# #eneral truth of revelation and separate that from the historical conditions by which the revelation came! 4If we can accomplish that, we will arrive at principles that will be true for any time or anywhere in the world!6 .$! ?ewis 81>' 21/ Eust as the #ospel must always come to people clothed in a culture, so the ori#inal revelation and word of &od to human2ind could only come clothed in humanity! 4&od+s Word to us was first of all 0is Word to them! If they were #oin# to hear it, it could only have come throu#h events and in lan#ua#e they could have understood!6 .;ee R (tuart

10 88,' >/ &enesis is the be#innin# of that revelation, clothed in the human limitations of the ancient Israelite culture! Eesus came much later, in fulfillment of the promise in &enesis ,' :, as the revelation and Word of &od! 0e came clothed in a human body and lived within the limitations of the Israelite culture of 0is time! ;rom the first to the last, &od+s (pirit was superintendin# the process of inspiration .4all (cripture is #iven by inspiration of &od6/ <ust as &enesis '2 shows the (pirit of &od superintendin# the preparation for the days of Creation! Chrou#h the selection of authors within a chosen culture, the (pirit superintended what would be written so that it would convey what &od wanted to reveal in ways that would be valid for all time and all peoples! )evelation :'8 shows that &od wants to be 2nown by all cultures and each is able to contribute somethin# to the composite of humanity+s 2nowled#e of &od! -ut in 0is soverei#nty and wisdom, &od chose the culture of one people, Israel, to mold for the purpose of communicatin# himself to the rest of the world! -eyond the words of the inspired authors, &ordon Wenham spea2s of the form in which &od+s revelation was preserved' 4Chese li2ewise were conditioned by the culture of the time and place!6 . 8>9' 21/ 0e #oes on to refer to the obvious chan#es that occurred in Israel+s cultural e%pression of their faith as a result of their e%perience of the $%ile! Chese modifications, includin# an increased awareness of &od+s adversary, were necessary before the (pirit, superintendin# the course of history and inspiration, would decide the 4fullness of time6 had been reached for &od to send the ultimate revelation of himselfKEesus, the human and divine Word of &od! Catholic theolo#ian 0enricus )enc2ens #ives a #ood e%ample of the doctrine of inspiration in &enesis! 4&enesis will mean more to us if we loo2 at it in the li#ht of the doctrine of inspiration! Chrou#h this Israelite spea2in# to his compatriots, &od is spea2in#Kto them and to us! 0e is not sayin# more to us than 0e was sayin# to them, thou#h we can of course understand more and better than they could, now that 0e has spo2en fully in Christ!6 . 861' 2/ :! Investi#ate the conte%t of &enesis Che conte%t of &enesis includes its historical, literary, and biblical conte%t, with subdivisions within each of these cate#ories! a! %istorical conte&t Within the historical conte%t, the Duestion of authorship can be considered briefly! Che position ta2en in this paper is that even if the somewhat discredited documentary hypothesis .see Cassuto 811'29/ were accepted .that &enesis was patched to#ether from various sources/, we could still, as Fass says, 4#ive the redactor the benefit of the doubt and assume that he 2new precisely what he was about!6 .200,' 1/ In the end, the Duestion of inspiration reDuires a decision of faith, and whether &od inspired a sin#le author or a sin#le editor is irrelevant! Che final product of the -oo2 of &enesis is what we have to deal with in decidin# how to respond to its truths! Chrou#hout the rest of this paper when the Duestion of authorship arises, the assumption will be that 7oses wrote the -oo2 of &enesis alon# with the rest of the Corah or "entateuch! Chis is the position ta2en by the respected Old Cestament evan#elical scholar -ruce Walt2e . 88 '23 200 '2,/, by (ailhamer . 886'21/, -locher . 8>1',1/ and many others! What was #oin# on in Israel that called forth such a documentH Che occasion for the writin# of a boo2 is part of its historical conte%t which also includes the time and

11 culture of the author and his readers, as well as relevant #eo#raphical and political factors! .;ee R (tuart 88,' 8/ As Walt2e . 88 '23 200 '22/, Fass .200,'8/, -ernard Och . 88:'2/ and others have shown, &enesis #ave Israel the history of its ori#ins and its connection to the Creator and ?ord of history! It introduces the Corah, the biblical teachin# about how human bein#s are to live! In other words, &enesis can be ta2en as an introduction to the documents 7oses was providin#, under &od+s #uidance, as a sort of constitution for the emer#in# nation of Israel! As Walt2e says, 4every political and Jor reli#ious community must have a memory of its history that defines and distin#uishes it!6 .200 '22/ And 4to under#ird @theA covenant @at 7t! (inaiA, an inspired 7oses #ave Israel this creation story allowin# only one &od, Creator of heaven and earth, who alone deserves worship, trust and obedience!6 .Walt2e 88 '2/ Che people comin# out of the chaos of slavery in $#ypt would have seen the creation account as &od+s demonstration of brin#in# order out of chaos, turnin# dar2ness into li#ht! -ernard Och sees &enesis , the prolo#ue to the Corah, as affirmation that S&od has #iven the history of 0is people its meanin# throu#h creation!S . 88:'2/ Che nation of Israel emer#ed in the historical conte%t of many other ancient 5ear $astern peoples, all of whom were polytheistic! Israel+s distinctive mission was to announce that there is one &od, Qahweh, who was #ivin# them the ?and 0e had ori#inally created, as a sendin# base to ma2e 0im 2nown to all peoples! Che creation account in &enesis reflects the literary forms and mythical ima#ery of these other nations, but it contrasts with them radically! .A! )oss 886'2,/ Cassuto feels 4it is not possible to understand the purpose of @&enesis A without constant reference to the lore and learnin#, the doctrines, and traditions of the nei#hborin# peoples!6 . 811',2/ 0ow the &enesis account differed, and where other biblical accounts of creation were similar but with different meanin#s will be e%plored in the word studies of &enesis '2! b! 'iterary !onte&t Che meanin# and purpose of a passa#e of (cripture cannot be determined without careful consideration of the literary conte%t! Chis includes determinin# the #enre, the structure of the boo2 or passa#e, the meanin# of words and their #rammatical usa#e .the philolo#ical approach/, what fi#ures of speech are used, as well as its place within the rest of the -ible! Identifyin# the #enre of a passa#e is important since it will determine the way words and fi#ures of speech are understood! 4Che indications of the literary #enre of a te%t affect its overall readin# by showin# that the laws of #enre have affected its writin#!6 .-locher 8>1' 8/ Commentators #enerally assi#n &enesis to the #enre of narrative literature .W! Faiser 890'6 3 Alter 8> ' 23 Wenham 8>9',93 A! )oss 886' ,/, althou#h -locher considers it to be a composite of narrative and other types of prose with a hi#her de#ree of structure than is usual for narrative stories! . 8>1':2/ Walt2e a#rees with -locher that &enesis is a 4literaryBartistic representation of the creation! Co this we add the purpose, namely, to #round the covenant people+s worship and life in the Creator, who transformed chaos into cosmos, and their ethics in 0is created order!6 .Walt2e 88 '8/ -iblical narratives are selective in what they tell about within the conte%t of the overall story of the -ible! In The (rt of Biblical Narrati#e, )obert Alter states, 4biblical

12 narrative M is selectively silent in a purposeful way!6 . 8> ' :/ A narrative such as the creation account tells only one part of the overall picture of &od+s purposes in history! ;ee and (tuart elaborate on this trait of biblical narrative' 4we have to learn to be satisfied with that limited understandin#, and restrain our curiosity at many points, or else we will end up tryin# to read between the lines so much that we end up readin# into stories thin#s that are not there!6 . 88,'> / Chis caution is particularly appropriate for &enesis ! Che structure of &enesis chapter is established throu#h a pattern of repeated words and occurrences, or#aniIed around the framewor2 of the si% days of creation! &od+s creative word, the report of it+s bein# effective, 0is evaluation of the created entity as 4#ood6 .in most cases/, and the numberin# of each day are the most obvious elements of the structure of this chapter! &od said M &od saw M &od separated M &od called M &od made M &od blessed M &od finished M ! Chere is a stately rhythm in the orderliness of &od+s creative acts! In re#ard to this or#aniIin# structure, Wenham is disappointed that 4one device which our narrative uses to e%press the coherence and purposiveness of the Creator+s wor2, namely, the distribution of the various creative acts to si% days, has been seiIed on and interpreted overBliteralistically!6 . 8>9',8/ Amon# other literary elements, &enesis has a rhetorical pattern in common with other biblical te%ts in which first the main parts are listed, followed by fillin# in the details with the main particulars of those parts! .Ea2i 882',/ Chis is obvious in the parallels between the first set of three days and the second set of three days, in which details about the main parts of creation are filled in, in the same order as they were first listed! ;or instance, days one and four deal with li#ht and the li#htBbearin# heavenly bodies3 days two and five deal with the division of the upper and lower waters and the creatures populatin# those areas, while days three and si% deal with the dry land and those creatures livin# there! Che care with which the author has structured the chapter is also evident at the more detailed level of his choice of words! 45othin# is here by chance3 everythin# must be considered carefully, deliberately, and precisely!6 .von )ad' 89,' ,9/ Umberto Cassuto, by his own valuation, was the first commentator on &enesis to #ive particular attention to the detailed literary rules followed by the -ible in various #enre, and to ta2e into consideration all the lin#uistic details of the te%t, includin# #rammar and fi#ures of speech, for arrivin# at an understandin# of the author+s intention! .4Chis is the first commentary ever written on these sections of the "entateuch in accordance with the principles that I have outlined above @literary, lin#uistic and historical principlesA!6/ . 811' HH/ -locher adds a warnin# a#ainst twistin# the #rammar to mean somethin# we wish the te%t would mean! . 8>1'1,/ Chat warnin# will need to be considered seriously in the analysis of &enesis ' , 2! A characteristic of biblical narrative literature, accordin# to )obert Alter . 8> ' 98/ is the importance of the way words are used! -ecause the biblical narrative leaves out so many details that mi#ht have been included, the author+s choice of words and phrases that are included can be particularly si#nificant in determinin# the purpose and meanin# of the narrative passa#e within the overall biblical story! )epetition of words or phrases is common and points toward the theme the writer is developin#! When a narrative is short and to the point, as in &enesis , anythin# selected by the author for inclusion is meanin#ful and helpful for interpretin# the passa#e! c) Biblical conte&t

13 Che overall biblical story is the ultimate conte%t for any passa#e of (cripture! Althou#h (tanley Ea2i ob<ects to callin# &enesis a narrative, because he doesn+t see in it a plot with characters in conflict . 882'2,/, the chapter is uniDue in standin# at the be#innin# of the -ible, servin# as a prolo#ue to the biblical story! It #ives the settin# for the biblical drama and sets the sta#e for the plot that be#ins soon enou#h with the entrance of the serpent in the &arden! It #ives the necessary bac2#round to 2now why, in &enesis 2, &od commissions Abraham to 4bless6 all the nations of the earth! Interpretin# (cripture throu#h the lens of other (cripture is advocated by &re#ory -oyd, in $atan and the *roblem of +#il! 4If we accept the plenary inspiration of (cripture, the &enesis account should be read as a piece of the whole mosaic of (cripture+s view of creation, not as the whole picture itself!6 .200 '220/ 0enri -locher . 8>1' 9/ also encoura#es ma2in# use of (cripture to illumine difficulties in other (cripture passa#es, ta2in# advanta#e of their 4common inspiration!6 Chis principle allows for interpretin# &enesis '2 in the li#ht of other biblical accounts of creation which contain some of the cosmic battle themes present in the historical literature of the ancient 5ear $ast! Walt2e .200 '1,/ a#rees that &enesis needs to be interpreted in li#ht of the whole -ible and as2s, 4what is the entirety of the -ible all aboutH6 )alph Winter would answer that Duestion by sayin# the -ible is the story of the battle for our planet between the powers of dar2ness and the 2in#dom of &od! &od+s purpose throu#hout (cripture is missiolo#ical in nature' to defeat evil wherever it is found and in this way to brin# about the #lorious triumph of 0is Fin#dom amon# all the peoples of the earth! .200:c'8/ Chis is the conte%t in which the prolo#ue of the -ible must be understood! 6! $n#a#e in the hermeneutical circleJspiral In followin# the processes described above, the student of (cripture will be increasin# in understandin# of the te%t! E! "! ;o22elman . 89:'9/ describes the hermeneutic circle that starts with an assumption or intuitive <ud#ment! 0is own initial assumption, that the stories of &enesis have the status of a literary wor2 of art, had to be validated by the results of his interpretive wor2! With those results, a fresh hypothesis can be made and the hermeneutic circle continues! Walt2e uses the term 4spiral,6 which mi#ht be a better term since there is a #oal in the e%e#etical process of achievin# increased understandin# of specific portions of (cripture! Walt2e uses this term to describe the dialo# the interpreter has with the te%t! 4One approaches the te%t with ideas about its techniDues and principles, which the te%t then proves or disproves!6 .200 ',,/ -locher #ives a wise caution re#ardin# the assumptions we start with in the hermeneutic spiral when he says, 4we have the ri#ht to brin# our prior 2nowled#e of reality to bear only as far as we can presuppose it in the human author of the biblical te%t!6 . 8>1'26/ ?eon Fass .200,' 1/ lists his assumptions at the start of his efforts at an interpretation of &enesis' ! Chere is a coherent order and plan to the whole 2! Che order of the stories is of more than chronolo#ical si#nificance ,! $very word counts 1! One can approach the te%t in a spirit of inDuiry, even if one comes as a result to learn the limitations of such philosophic activity! 9! $valuate the contributions of commentators throu#hout history as each of the above aspects is considered!

14 &erman theolo#ian Wolfhart "annenbur# summariIes the interpretive effort as 4a creative act, an attempt to achieve a synthesis!6 . 890' 8/ Chis paper will attempt to achieve a synthesis of the interpretation of &enesis ' , 2 within its historical and literary conte%t, and ta2in# into account the history of the e%e#esis of &enesis chapter ! As (ailhamer says, 4interpretations, whether ancient or modern, must be evaluated by how well they enable us to e%plain the te%t! *o they help us understand what the te%t meansH Or do they overloo2 important features of the te%tH6 . 886' 60/ Che hermeneutic circle or spiral that I will follow in this paper starts with the assumption that )alph Winter+s interpretation of &enesis ' , 2 is le#itimate within the historical and literary conte%t! Che paper will follow the e%e#etical principles outlined here while drawin# upon the contributions from various commentators to help illumine the meanin# of &enesis ' , 2 within a warfare missiolo#ical theolo#y of (cripture! Su))ar* of Ra&p! -inter.s interpretation and on erns )alph Winter has several concerns that led him, independently of other scholars, to propose a preB&enesis ' creation and to speculate that the first chapter of the -ible may be describin# a local rather than a cosmic 4creation!6 Chere is support from evan#elical commentators for each of these positions, althou#h Winter is uniDue in postulatin# both a new be#innin# after a preB&enesis ' creation and a local creation! Winter sees &enesis ' as a local new be#innin# in the 7iddle $ast after a ma<or disaster, such as an asteroidal collision, had wiped out life in that part of a preB&enesis ' creation! Chis disaster would have been the result of <ud#ment, as is the case prior to other biblical new be#innin#s such as the ;lood, the callin# of Abraham, and the comin# of Eesus the 7essiah! Che ori#in and ;all of (atan .see $Ie2iel 2>' 2B 9/ and the e%istence of the vicious life forms seen in the fossil record .Winter 200:c/ all belon# to this preB&enesis ' creation! 2 &enesis shows &od preparin# the land for a new humanity, made in 0is ima#e for the purpose of wor2in# with 0im to brin# order out of chaos and to defeat the intentions of the adversary! Winter+s ma<or concern that he addresses in his interpretation of &enesis is to show that the battle between #ood and evil has been present from before the 4be#innin#6 and human2ind was created to <oin that battle! Included in that battle is the mandate to fi#ht disease alon# with other evils in wor2in# with &od to restore order to his #ood creation and to restore 0is #lory and reputation! /n Exa)ination of t!e 0a&ue and 1egiti)a * of Ra&p! D2 -inter.s Interpretation of Genesis 1:1, 2 in 1ig!t of t!e +i,&i a& Context and t!e 3istor* of t!e Exegesis of t!e Passage Fey Duestions need to be as2ed in evaluatin# Winter+s interpretation of the first verses in the -ible' ! Is it le#itimate to say that there was a preB&enesis ' creationH .&rammatically and conte%tually is this a possible interpretationH 0ow do other new be#innin#s in the -ible shed li#ht on this hypothesisH What do respected scholars sayH/ 2! Is it le#itimate to consider &enesis to be a local creation in si% daysH .&rammatically and conte%tually is this a possible interpretationH What do respected scholars sayH What li#ht does this interpretation shed on other parts of (criptureH/ ,! 0ow do these two interpretations lead to a better understandin# of the reality

15 of the adversary and the creation of a new human couple to wor2 with &od in combatin# the adversaryH Che missiolo#ical value of these speculations, if they can be validated throu#h proper e%e#esis, is the provision of a foundational interpretation of (cripture that 4enlar#ens and refocuses our understandin# of Christian mission today!6 .Winter 200:c' / Winter+s interpretation provides the basis for viewin# 4humanity in a wartime 2in#dom as an a#ent on &od+s side doin# whatever can #lorify 0im!6 .200:c'8/ 0is approach #ives the intellectuals of the world an interpretation that won+t offend them or turn them away from faith by unnecessarily attributin# evil to &od or by unnecessarily contradictin# scientific understandin#s! Winter+s e%planation of &enesis ' , 2 addresses two ma<or intellectual problems arisin# from interpretations of &enesis that 2eep many thin2in# people from believin# the rest of the -ible! 0ow to reconcile widely respected scientific understandin#s with the creation story and how to account for the obvious presence of evil in a world &od created and called 4#ood6 are missiolo#ical problems that ultimately must be addressed if certain #roups of people are to be reached with the faith of the -ible! Chese two issues will be considered in reverse order! Che problem that arises if room is not made for (atan+s e%istence before &enesis ' , is illustrated by the position of -asil of Caesera .,00L,9>/, as Duoted by W! 0! &roh in his paper presented at the Euly, 200: "ascal Conference, 4CreationBCheolo#y, -iblical 0ermeneutics and 5atural "hilosophy in Western Christianity!6 4In creation M there is nothin# li2e evil! It is impossible for evil to stem from &od! $vil in its proper sense has ta2en its ori#in from our ;all!6 .200:' >/ Che Duestion immediately arises, What about the ;all of (atanH Also, who does -asil thin2 the serpent was or representedH When was the serpent createdH Unless one is willin# to attribute the ori#in of the tempter to the si% days of creation, which -asil obviously is not, the alternative is that the adversary whom the serpent represents must have e%isted before the creation events of &enesis ! In Winter+s understandin# of the basic story of (cripture and history, &od+s adversary rebelled a#ainst 0im at some indefinite time before the new 4be#innin#6 spo2en of in &enesis ' ! At the time of his rebellion, (atan had responsibility for rulin# this world! Chis position is supported by 5ew Cestament understandin#s' Eohn 2', ' 4now the prince of this world will be driven out!6 Eude 6' 4M an#els which 2ept not their own principality, but left their proper habitation, incurred the wrath of &od!6 .5otice the disre#ard for separation and boundaries, basic concepts that are built into the Creation story!/ $phesians 6' 2' 4our stru##le is M a#ainst the authorities, a#ainst the powers of this dar2 world and a#ainst the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms!6 Colossians ' ,' 4he has rescued us from the dominion of dar2ness and brou#ht us into the 2in#dom of the (on he loves!6 Farl Femp .200,'81/ e%plores the implications of $Ie2iel 2>' B : with re#ard to the nature of (atan prior to the creation account in &enesis ! Un#er . 8> ':/ and Walt2e . 89:' 1 / a#ree that these verses apparently are tal2in# about a hi#hBlevel an#elic bein# before he sinned throu#h pride and became &od+s adversary! Chere seems to be some correspondence between (atan+s ori#inal role and the office of the hi#h priest! Cwelve precious stones are listed in connection with the fallen an#elic bein#+s prior state3 nine of these were included in the twelve stones of the hi#h priest+s breastplate described in $%odus 2>' 9B20, althou#h in differin# order! It would seem to be a fair assumption that in a preBcreation state these stones had spiritual si#nificance about the role of the

16 2in#Bli2e or priestBli2e an#elic bein# who fell! In the description of the &arden of $den in &enesis 2 .which is where $Ie2iel 2> says this fallen an#el had been at one time/, the beauty of the #old and ony% is mentioned! 4?ater biblical literature su##ests that the purpose of such descriptions is to show the #lory of &od=s presence throu#h the physical beauty of the land!6 .(ailhamer 886'91/ Apparently there is also a postBcreational si#nificance to these stones, as seven of the twelve listed in $Ie2iel 2>, and nine of the twelve listed in $%odus 2>, are included in the foundation of the heavenly city of the new creation .)evelation 8' 8 ff!/! (piritual realities are reflected in Israel+s history, which often serves as a literal metaphor for spiritual truth! In this case the details of the stones in the hi#h priest+s breastplate seem to #ive a #limpse of the nature of the fallen an#elic bein# that e%isted before the creation described in &enesis ! $rich (auer . 862'9,/ postulates that (atan+s area of power had been #ranted to him le#ally before his fall and that &od+s plan to ta2e the rulership of the world bac2 from him had to be done 4le#ally6 in order to reflect 0is <ustice! Chis meant, accordin# to (auer, that &od would have to ta2e the rulership of the world bac2 without force, throu#h the free choices of neutral bein#s who would have to decide for themselves which ruler to follow! Chis was obviously a bi# ris2 for &od, as &re#ory -oyd points out! .200 '>6/ In effect, by creatin# humans and puttin# them in char#e of a local part of the world, &od was settin# up a counter Fin#dom and throwin# out a challen#e to (atan! Che serpent+s insinuation to $ve was (atan+s initially successful response to that challen#e! -ut &od struc2 bac2 with a lon#Bterm plan, first mentioned in &enesis ,' :, to defeat the dar2 prince of this world and restore the world to what it was ori#inally intended to be, under the rule of the CreatorBFin#! A biblical theolo#y needs to account for the role of the devil in the unfoldin# drama of creation and redemption, thus avoidin# attributin# evil to &od! Winter+s ma<or concern re#ardin# the need to reco#niIe the e%istence of (atan is missiolo#ical! In his understandin# of the ma<or theme of (cripture Winter hi#hli#hts the role of human2ind in <oinin# &od to defeat the adversary and redeem all creation for the purposes &od ori#inally intended for it, resultin# in the advance of 0is Fin#dom as 0is #lory is made 2nown in all the earth! Che e%istence of the adversary was well 2nown to the early Church ;athers! $laine "a#els shows that before Au#ustine and commentators after him, Ori#in was aware of intentional evil in the world opposin# &od+s will! 47any instances of human evil, as well as certain seemin#ly #ratuitous natural catastrophes, li2e floods, volcanoes, and earthDua2es, are insti#ated by Pevil daimones and evil an#els+6 @Contral Celsum 9!6>B>!, B,2! Tuoted by $laine "a#els . 88:' 1 /A (imple people, li2e those for whom 7oses wrote the boo2 of &enesis, have always noticed that evil is min#led with #ood in this world! 45othin# M can chan#e the fact that in our e%perience M there is #ood and there is evil!6 .Wenham 8>9'2 / 47an has always suspected that behind all creation lies the abyss of formlessness!6 .von )ad 89,':2/ Althou#h &enesis may have been written to simple, uneducated people, 7oses himself was an intellectual who had been wellBeducated in $#ypt! 0e left room in his orderly, calm presentation in &enesis of the ori#ins of the nation of Israel, for readers in all a#es to see that &od is not the author of evil! If a ma<or section of the Christian movement maintains a position that, by implication, attributes evil to &od, this becomes a si#nificant missiolo#ical problem that needs to be solved! One of the problems with the Intelli#ent *esi#n movement, as Winter has said, is that it 4neither ac2nowled#es nor e%plains the pervasive evidence of a fallen

17 creation, a distorted creation, an intelli#ently dama#ed creation!6 .200:b/ Chese realities spea2 of the need to rescue &od+s reputation! Chere is a need to e%plain 4how nature became so violent a scene and how bad thin#s may not always be the Pmysterious+ will of &od!6 .Winter 200:c/ 5atural disasters, for instance, are often unthin2in#ly called 4an act of &od!6 -ut these can better be seen as diabolical .-oyd 200 ',0,/ and should not be attributed to &od, who, as &enesis shows, created the world to be orderly throu#h a process of subduin# of chaos! As 0enry 7orris says, it would be monstrous to attribute to &od a creation that included vicious life when 0e called that creation 4very #ood!6 . 896'98/ In other words, there needs to be a (atan in the picture! -ut since 7orris puts all the vicious life after Adam+s ;all .because he, li2e -asil of Caesera, doesn+t have a (atan in the picture until then/, he has to postulate that virtually the whole scientific world is wron# so he can account for the vicious animal life recorded in the fossils which he claims fit into only a few thousand rather than a few million years! Chis hi#hli#hts the other aspect of Winter+s concern in relation to thin2in# people bein# turned away from the -ible by inadeDuate interpretations of &enesis ! -ruce Walt2e a#rees' 4;or the most part the attempt to harmoniIe the scientific data with a strai#htBforward readin# of &enesis is not credible and as a result the -ible+s messa#e is re<ected as a viable option in the mar2etplace of competin# world and life views!6 . 88 '2/ Walt2e #oes on to point out in his article on the #enre of &enesis that the author of &enesis 4was not #rapplin# with issues arisin# out of modern scientific attempts to understand the physical universe! 0e needed to brea2 the power of a#esBold reli#ious notions that still held many in thrall!6 . 88 ',/ If modern scientific concerns can be set aside, &enesis can be seen for what it was intended to be' a revelation to Israel that annihilated the symbols of the polytheistic worldview and #ave instead new and true symbols pointin# toward how to live well in covenant life with &od! Chis foundational basic theme of the openin# chapter of &enesis, as well as the theme of the entire Corah, is overloo2ed in attempts to harmoniIe an ancient literary te%t with modern science! &enesis is not a scientific description of how the whole world was created, contrary to Au#ustine+s belief! Au#ustine seems to be a source of misinterpretation of this chapter in more than one way! In addition to bein# the one who encoura#ed the habit of attributin# evil to &od .because he was overBreactin# to 7anichean dualism and didn+t want to #ive too much credit to (atan3 see -oyd 200 '281/, Au#ustine also worried repeatedly throu#hout his three commentaries on the -oo2 of &enesis about the 4how6 of creation! -y ta2in# &enesis for 4a true history of the ma2in# of the physical world6 .Ea2i 882'>,3 also see 0owell 200:'9/ Au#ustine sidetrac2ed many, perhaps a ma<ority, of subseDuent commentators! Ea2i emphasiIes the resultin# 4concordist trap6 repeatedly in his boo2, Genesis ,ne through the (ges! In his !onfessions, Au#ustine had a concern identical to )alph Winter+s' 40ow could the pa#ans believe those boo2s in matters concernin# the resurrection of the dead, and the 2in#dom of heaven, when they thin2 their pa#es are full of falsehoods on facts which they themselves have learnt from e%perience and the li#ht of reasonHS .Duoted by Ea2i @ 882'>,A/ Au#ustine never did resolve the dilemma caused by ta2in# &enesis as a true scientific history and tryin# to harmoniIe that with what scientists learn from e%perience and reason! Winter is tryin# to propose a le#itimate interpretation for the intellectuals of this a#e that will not offend them and that will not turn people away from faith due to foolish

18 denial of what is 2nown about &od+s -oo2 of 5ature! One way Winter uses that -oo2 of 5ature is to ta2e into consideration the scientific world+s discovery, at the time of the moon landin#, that the craters on the moon were caused by the impact of lar#e asteroids! 0e uses the scientific world+s realiIation that the earth has also e%perienced massive impacts from asteriods as a lens to loo2 at &enesis ! .200:a'18/ 0ow mi#ht 2nowin# that life was apparently wiped out in lar#e re#ions of the planet a number of times #ive a new understandin# of the 4tohu wabohu6 of &enesis '2H 4As our understandin# of the world chan#es, so does our understandin# of &enesis !6 .(ailhamer 886' 6,/ Eohn "ye (mith also saw a local disaster behind &enesis '2 . >61'2: /! Che local disaster and local creation theories will be e%plored in detail later in the study of this verse! 0avin# described the startin# hypothesis in the hermeneutical cycle of this study of &enesis ' , 2, and the reasons why this interpretation is helpful for missiolo#ical purposes, the study will continue by demonstratin# the le#itimacy of that interpretation point by point, throu#h word studies that include the e%e#etical elements of historical bac2#round, literary and immediate conte%t and other relevant Old and 5ew Cestament passa#es, with insi#hts from the history of e%e#esis to show how others have interpreted each point, who else has thou#ht of or disa#reed with Winter+s hypotheses, and showin# the variety of le#itimate interpretations throu#h the a#es of 2ey aspects of &en! ' , 2 .and parts of verses ,B:/! I will show at the conclusion of this hermeneutical spiral that )alph Winter+s understandin# of &enesis ' , 2 is an e%e#etically le#itimate interpretation of this passa#e and that his interpretation sheds li#ht on the nature of the missiolo#ical tas2 and the related tas2 of arrivin# at a theolo#y of disease! &enesis was written to show how to understand who &od is in contrast to a pa#an worldview! Che application for today is that &enesis introduces the theme of livin# out biblical faith in the conte%t of nonB biblical reli#iousJcultural traditions!

-ORD STUDIES %RO4 GENESIS 1:1,2 -e#innin# .reshit/ Created .bara/ 0eavens and earth .hashamayim weet haaretz/ $arth .aretz/ Was .hayeta/ Tohu wabohu

19 Bereshit bara elohim et hashamayim weet haaretz wehaaretz hayeta tohu wabohu wehosek al-pene tehom weruach elohim merachepet al-pene hammayim In the be#innin# &od created the heavens and the earth! As for the earth, it was destroyed and desolate .tohu wabohu/, with dar2ness on the face of the deep, but the (pirit of &od stirrin# over the face of the waters! .&enesis ' , 23 ori#inal translation from the 0ebrew/! In be#innin# a study of the first two verses of &enesis, 4we must hear @&enesis A as the be#innin# of a symphony whose interpretative and illuminative power transcends all cultural diversity! Chese pa#es come to us as the openin# pa#es of the -ible, and the -ible has demonstrated sufficiently that it is not <ust any ancient boo2!6 .-locher 8>1' 6/ Che first two verses of the -ible literally say, 4In be#innin# &od created the heavens and the earth! And the earth was @tohu wabohuA and dar2ness was over the surface of the deep, and the (pirit of &od was @doin# somethin#A over the waters!6 Che interpretive translation presented earlier in this paper for verses B: reads' 4In one of &od+s new be#innin#s 0e reBfashioned everythin# in nature as we 2now it because the land had been destroyed @by an asteroidal collisionHA and left desolate after &od+s <ud#ment on conditions contrary to 0is will! -ut &od had not #iven up on the land and its people! Che (pirit of &od was stirrin# over the deep chaos that was blan2eted by dar2ness! .(uddenly/ &od said, 4?et there be li#ht,6 and there it wasO &od saw that the li#ht was #ood and 0e separated the li#ht from the dar2ness! 0e called the li#ht 4day6 and the dar2ness 4ni#ht!6 (o after evenin#, there was mornin#, one day!6 7y ori#inal e%e#etical translation of &enesis ' ,2 from the 0ebrew reads' In the be#innin# &od created the heavens and the earth! As for the earth, it was destroyed and desolate .tohu wabohu/, with dar2ness on the face of the deep, but the (pirit of &od stirrin# over the face of the waters! Co e%plain the choices made in these translations and to show why nonBliteral translations li2e these are necessary for understandin# the missiolo#ical purposes of &od in history, this paper e%amines each of the 2ey words in detail! -eshit .-e#innin#3 (tron#+s U922:/ Che first word of the -ible, bereshit, immediately plun#es us into the issue of interpretation! Che fact that, in all the thousands of years since this word was chosen by the biblical author, there has not been complete a#reement on how to interpret it is an indication that we cannot e%pect to neatly classify and fully comprehend &od+s dealin#s

20 with human2ind! As "aul said in writin# to the Corinthians, 4now we see throu#h a #lass dar2ly6 . Corinthians ,' 2/! What is the si#nificance of this bein# the first word of the -ibleH In our e%e#etical assumptions we are postulatin# that every word of &enesis chapter was chosen with care and for a purpose! ?eon Fass as2s re#ardin# the -ible+s first creation story, 4Why this 2ind of be#innin#H6 .200,'26/ -locher+s statement that 4the first verse of &enesis brea2s with all the mytholo#ies of the ancient $ast,6 . 8>1'62/ is not Duite stron# enou#h! In fact, it is the first word of &enesis that throws out a challen#e to the worldviews of the ancient 5ear $ast! Che -ible be#ins with the word 4be#innin#6 which was a forei#n concept to the cyclic worldviews of all peoples of the world at that time! 0istory had a be#innin#' that was new newsO And if somethin# has a be#innin#, it will have an endin#! Chat was not in the worldview of the ancient peoples! Eac2 ;ine#an states that the bi# chan#e with Israelite doctrine 4was the revelation that time runs on from its be#innin# into a future that is always new and different! Cime moves toward some culmination, the ultimate intent of which cannot be outside the purpose of &od!6 . 862' 6/ In his boo2, $cience and !reation" rom +ternal !ycles to an ,scillating .ni#erse, (tanley Ea2i shows that this concept of purposeful history, traced to the very first word of &enesis, was the ori#in of the cosmolo#y that eventually made it possible for science to arise in EudeoBChristian western culture! -y contrast, there has been a stillbirth of science in all cultures throu#hout history that have had a cosmolo#y that reflects a view of nature cau#ht in an eternal cyclic treadmill! . 891',:6/ Only a belief in a be#innin# ori#inatin# from a rational, orderly Creator could #ive people the confidence to e%periment and systematically investi#ate the orderly laws by which the world operates! Chere is no parallel to this openin# word or sentence in 7esopotamian literature! .Walt2e 89:'221/ Che epics of the Ancient 5ear $ast traditionally opened with the eDuivalent of the 0ebrew word, 4beyom,6 meanin# 4on the day that,6 or 4when!6 .0eidel 8: '8:/ ;or instance, the -abylonian Creation $pic, the +numa +lish, be#ins, 4When on hi#h M6! 4Once upon a time6 mi#ht be an eDuivalent contemporary phrase! -ut the author of &enesis brea2s from that tradition and uses the word 4bereshit6 .literally 4in be#innin#6/ as an adverb 4standin# ma<estically alone6 .Ea2i 88>'2/ and without literary parallel at the be#innin# of the inspired Word of &od! While W! ;! Albri#ht tried to show early in the twentieth century that &enesis depended heavily on the 7esopotamian creation accounts, actually pointin# to the word bereshit as evidence for this dependency, Ale%ander 0eidel contradicted him by sayin#, 4in fact, it points in the opposite direction!6 . 8: '86/ It had to point in the opposite direction! 7esopotamian culture had no concept of a be#innin# and endin# to the world as they 2new it! In addition to conveyin# a sense of direction and purpose to history, the biblical conte%t of the openin# word of &enesis causes it to convey somethin# else! (omethin# e%isted before the be#innin#! ;rancis (chaeffer says, in his boo2, Genesis in $pace and Time, 4althou#h &enesis be#ins, Pin the be#innin#,+ that does not mean that there was not anythin# before that!6 . 892' 6/ In Eohn 9'21, Eesus prays M 4Qou loved me before the creation of the world!6 $phesians '1' 4@&odA chose us in him before the creation of the world!6 &od+s purposes for Eesus in redeemin# the world were established 4before the creation of the world!6 . "eter '20/ 4(omethin# e%isted before creation and that somethin# was personal and not

21 static3 the ;ather loved the (on3 there was a plan, there was communication3 and promises were made prior to the creation of the heavens and the earth!6 .(chaeffer 892' >/ In imitation of the first words of &enesis, the &ospel of Eohn says, 4In the be#innin# already was the Word and the Word already was with &od and the Word already was &od! Chrou#h him all thin#s were made!6 .(chaeffer proposes that Eohn ' B , should be translated with the &ree2 imperfect tense for 4was!6 @ 892'22A/ Che writer of 0ebrews affirms' 4In the be#innin#, O ?ord, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the wor2 of your hands! Chey will perish, but you remain3 they will all wear out li2e a #arment M6 . ' 0, /! Chis verse brin#s out an important implication of the word 4be#innin#6Kthere will be an endin#! Wisdom also e%isted before the be#innin# as seen in "roverbs >'2,ff' 4I @wisdomA was appointed from eternity, from the be#innin# @mereshitA, before the world be#an! When there were no oceans, I was #iven birthM when he mar2ed out the foundations of the earth, then I was the craftsman at his side!6 In addition to 4wisdom6 and the relationship between the ;ather and the (on that e%isted before the be#innin#, $Ie2iel 2> shows a fallen cherub+s e%istence before the be#innin# .presumed by many commentators, includin# 7errill Un#er, to be (atan @ 8> ':A/! 4Qou were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty! M Qou were blameless in your ways from the day you were created until wic2edness was found in you! (o I drove you in dis#race from the mount of &od and I e%pelled you, O #uardian cherub M Qour heart became proud M and you corrupted your wisdom6 .$Ie2iel 2>' 2, :B 9/! ;or the wider purposes of this paper it is important to note that <ust as 4wisdom6 assisted in creation from before the world be#an, it is le#itimate to hypothesiIe that (atan in his preBfallen an#elic state assisted in creation! It is also important to note the role of this created bein# in opposin# &od+s creative order after his fall! Chis opposition to &od+s #ood intentions for creation, tohu, and the results of the opposition, tohu wabohu, will be e%plained in detail later in this paper! &enesis chapter opens the biblical record by showin# &od+s intention to relentlessly oppose this opposition to his purposes by startin# over as often as necessary! )alph Winter sees &enesis ' as one of a number of new be#innin#s in the -ible .200:a'18/! $ach of these comes after a crisis that could be described as tohu, the opposite of &od+s intentions! A list of new be#innin#s in the -ible includes' V 5oah+s family rescued in the Ar2, followin# the destructive ;lood V Che callin# of Abraham, followin# the confusion of lan#ua#es V Che $%odus, followin# the 4nothin#ness6 and despair of slavery in $#ypt V Che restoration of the Eewish people to their land after deportation to -abylon V Che comin# of Eesus, followin# centuries of apostasy by Israel and the 100 years of an absence of hearin# from &od! Eesus+ comin# was accompanied by the chaos of 0erod+s slau#hter of the boy babies and Eesus+ demonstration of fi#htin# bac2 a#ainst tohu by castin# out many demons V "entecost, followin# Eesus+ death, resurrection and ascension and the resultin# confusion in the minds of the disciples V ;ollowers of Eesus becomin# new creations in Christ .2 Corinthians :' 9/, renewed after livin# lives of slavery to the #od of this a#e V Che new heaven and new earth, finally endin# the #roanin#s of creation and thousands of years of troubled history on this planet

22 4-e#innin#6 is a 2ey word for the biblical story and very appropriate as the first word of that story! Chis openin# word of the -ible leaves room for the eternal e%istence of &od prior to any earthly be#innin#! Che author of &enesis does not follow the e%ample of the other creation stories of the Ancient 5ear $ast that e%plain the ori#ins of the #ods! &od always e%isted from before the be#innin# and does not need to be e%plained! 4-efore anythin# be#an to be, &od was!6 .)enc2ens 861'>2/ -ut should the openin# word, bereshit, that includes the prefi% 4beth6 .and does not include the definite article, 4the6/, be translated 4in the be#innin#6 or 4in a be#innin#6H (hould we ta2e the first verse as an independent clause or as subordinate to the second or third verseH 0ere is where technical details of the conte%t #et complicated, with no consensus! Che two first verses of the -ible are so familiar that we rarely #ive them the attention they deserve! When we do be#in to thin2 about what they mean, we find that they are full of difficulties! We will have to spend a lon# time on them if we wish to do <ustice to their messa#e for their own a#e and restate it authentically for our own! -ecause of some unusual features in the 0ebrew, they are difficult even to translate! .&ibson' 8> *aily (tudy -ible (eries' &enesis, Nol! , Westminster, Eohn Fno% "ress3 accessed throu#h ?o#os -ible (oftware, pa#e un2nown/ &ordon Wenham provides the most complete list of the possibilities for the clause structure of &enesis ' B, . 8>9' / so his cate#ories will be used as the basis for a chart comparin# the views and rationale for those views of several ma<or commentators!

Options for Interpretin# the Clauses of &enesis ' B, and Niews of Commentators on $ach Option Gordon -en!a).s Categories 51678: 119 ! Nerse is a temporal clause subordinate to the main clause in verse 2' 4In the be#innin# when &od created M the earth was without form!M6 Co))entators. Opinions

! Wenham' this first view was proposed by Ibn $Ira but has little support! It presupposes the e%istence of chaotic preBe%istent matter before the wor2 of creation be#an!

23

2! Nerse is a temporal clause subordinate to the main clause in verse , .verse 2 is a parenthetic comment/' 4In the be#innin# when &od created .now the earth was formless/ &od said M6

2! Wenham' does not favor this view that was first proposed by )ashi! )ecent defenders' -auer, -ayer, 0errmann, 0umbert, (2inner, (peiser3 )(N, 5$-, 5A-, C$N! Chis interpretation observes that berehsit does not have the definite article 4the!6 It presupposes the e%istence of chaotic preB e%istent matter before the wor2 of creation be#an! W!;! Albri#ht pointed out the 4when M then6 translation for &en ' B, as a borrowin# of the -abylonian style from the $numa $lish! 4Chis proposal can be <ustified by the #rammar and can be illustrated elsewhere in the 0ebrew scriptures, but does not meet all the demands of the te%t as $! E! Qoun# has pointed out!6 .Faiser 890' :> / Fidner' &rammatically &enesis ' could be translated as introducin# a clause completed in verse , after a parenthetical verse 2' 4When &od be#an to create M .the earth was without form M/, &od said, ?et there be li#ht!6. 869' 1,/ -ut Fidner favors the fourth, traditional interpretation, which he considers to be eDually valid! )obert Alter' ;ollowin# the source criticism school of thou#ht, Alter assi#ns &enesis to the priestly 4"6 author and assumes that he be#ins his account, accordin# to the #eneral convention of openin# formulas for ancient 5ear $astern creation epics, with an introductory adverbial clause, 4When &od be#an to create heaven and earth M6 .Alter 8> ' 12/ Cerrence ;retheim Duotes, with approval, Che 5ew Eewish Nersion' 4When &od be#an to create the heaven and the earthKthe earth bein# unformed and void, with the dar2ness over the surface of the deep and a wind from &od sweepin# over the waterK&od said, ?et there be li#ht!6

24

,! Nerse is a main clause, summariIin# all the events described in the chapter! It is a title to the chapter as a whole!

Wenham' Chis view presupposes the e%istence of chaotic preBe%istent matter before the wor2 of creation be#an! -locher' points out that temporal phrases re#ularly occur without the article! . 8>1' 62/ All the ancient versions, the ?WW, Nul#ate, and most modern translations interpret verse , 4In the be#innin# &od created!6 Che apostle Eohn confirms this choice when he echoes the prolo#ue of &enesis in Eohn ' ! -locher states that he a#rees with Qoun#, Westermann, Walt2e, Cassuto, -eauchamp, and von )ad' 4in retainin# the readin# of the ancient versions! It avoids ascribin# a difficult construction to the te%t and is more suitable for the first verse of the -ible, the openin# of a ma<estic passa#e! PIn the be#innin# &od created+ acts as a title, as -eauchamp and others have seen!6 5ote' -locher does not distin#uish between those who see &enesis ' as a title that presupposes a creation before &enesis ' and those who see this verse in the more traditional view as the title for the description of the first act of creation! -oth of these views a#ree that the verse is an independent sentence! Walt2e e%amines le%ical and #rammatical ar#uments in #reat detail! 0e as2s, 4Is bereshit in the construct or absolute stateH If it is construct @such as, 4at the be#innin#,6 or 4from the be#innin#6A, then verse is a dependent clause! If it is in the absolute state the traditional renderin# will stand!6 . 89:' 222/ Althou#h Walt2e ac2nowled#es that bereshit is nearly always used in the construct state, he feels the one e%ception in Isaiah 16' 0 .4I ma2e 2nown the end from the be#innin#6/ shows that the word can le#itimately be considered to be in the absolute state in &enesis ' , with a temporal meanin#! 0e further ar#ues that if 7oses had

25 wanted to be unambi#uous he could have used the 4infinite construct6 as in &enesis 2'1' 4When they were created @behibaraA!6 Apparently Walt2e thin2s the author could have chosen to omit the word reshit and start the first verse as he ended the passa#e if his clear intention had been to be#in the passa#e as other ancient literature often be#an! 5ote' It would seem very sensible to use an ambi#uous #rammatical construction at the be#innin# of a section of (cripture that &od 2new would be understood in many different ways down throu#h history! Walt2e sees no problem with the absence of the definite article! 0e refers to Ale%ander 0eidel who states that terms li2e reshith .be#innin#/, rosh, .be#innin#/, /edem .olden times/ and olam, .eternity/, 4when used in adverbial e%pressions, occur almost invariably without the article, and that in the absolute state!6 . 8: ' 82/ Walt2e considers even more convincin# that the word should be understood as an absolute is the fact that 4all ancient versions .?WW, Nul#ate, ADuila, Car#um On2elos/ construed the form as absolute and verse as an independent clause!6 . 89:' 22,/ Walt2e concludes that the chaotic state described in verse 2 e%isted before the creation spo2en of in the -ible, and he understands verse as an independent clause and verse 2 as a circumstantial clause connected with verse ,! 4Accordin# to this view, verse is a summary statement, or formal introduction, which is epe%e#eted in the rest of the narrative! It appears to this author that this is the only viewpoint that completely satisfies the demands of 0ebrew #rammar!6 . 89:' 22:, 226/ 5et -ible' Che editors a#ree with Walt2e that the word translated 4be#innin#6 is in the absolute state rather than the construct .which would be translated, 4when &od created6/! 4In other words, the clause in v! is a main clause, v! 2 has three clauses that are descriptive and supply bac2#round information, and v! , be#ins the narrative

26 seDuence proper! Che referent of the word Sbe#innin#S @of whatHA has to be defined from the conte%t since there is no be#innin# or endin# with &od!6 Che 5et -ible+s editors see the verse as a summary statement of the rest of the chapter' about &od+s creatin# the world 4as we 2now it!6 5ote' It is interestin# to see that the editors did not say, 4as they 2new it6 which could only have been the case, since the ancient 0ebrews had no concept of the world as we now 2now it! Che editors conclude that &enesis itself does not account for the ori#inal creation of matter but this does not deny that the -ible teaches that &od created everythin# out of nothin#Kit simply says that &enesis is not where that is tau#ht! Chis view presupposes matter that e%isted before the &enesis creation account!

1! Nerse is a main clause describin# the first act of creation! Nerses 2 and , describe the subseDuent phases in &od+s creative activity!

1! Wenham' Chis is the traditional view adopted in our translation! 5ote' Wenham bases his choice on the presupposition that &en! has to e%plain the ori#inal creation of everythin# out of nothin#! 0e re<ects the first three options because they 4presuppose the e%istence of chaotic preBe%istent matter before the wor2 of creation be#an!6 . 8>9' / (ailhamer follows this view when he states that in the 4be#innin#6 &od created the universe3 no time limitations are placed on that period! . 886'28/ Faiser analyIes verse as an independent clause .for reasons mentioned below/, but he does not ma2e clear whether he believes the sentence is functionin# as a title or as the first act of creation since he is mainly interested in clarifyin# the literary style of the chapter .history, myth, etc!/! (ince Faiser tends to ma2e conservative choices, I have put his

27 comments under the fourth view! Faiser sees &enesis ' as an independent sentence for these reasons' a! the 7assoretes used the symbol that resembles our 4'6 showin# the end of a sentence, indicatin# their early understandin# of the verse as an independent clause b! the ancient versions treat the verse as an independent clause c! the position of the sub<ect prior to the verb .rather than the usual position of followin# the verb/ in verse 2 indicates that the second verse contains subordinate clauses to verse , .Faiser 890' :> / Fidner' 0e considers the familiar translation, 4In the be#innin# &od M6 to be <ust as valid #rammatically as be#innin# with 4When &od M6 0e favors this fourth view because it affirms 4uneDuivocally the truth laid down elsewhere .0eb! ',/ that until &od spo2e, nothin# e%isted!6 . 869' 1,/ 5ote' A number of commentators base their ultimate choice on the #rammar that most easily supports creation out of nothin# rather than implyin# somethin# e%istin# before the be#innin#!

$ummary and e#aluation' With the traditional interpretation either a #ap must be ac2nowled#ed between verses and 2 or it has to be said that &od ori#inally created the earth to be tohu wabohuKdestroyed, desolate and inhospitable for life! (ince the other planets in our solar system could be described as inhospitable for life, this may not be as difficult to accept as some have thou#ht, who base their views on Isaiah 1:' >' 40e who created the heavens, M who fashioned and made the earth, M he did not create it to be empty @tohuA, but formed it to be inhabited!6 It would be hard to ar#ue with -ruce Walt2e+s carefully ar#ued position, seein# &enesis ' as an independent summary statement for the chapter, as he is considered to be the top $van#elical 0ebrew and Old Cestament scholar! In the end, with any of the interpretations, we can ac2nowled#e that &od is the ultimate Creator of everythin#, some of that creation has been inhospitable for life either before or after &enesis ' , so &od fashioned or reBfashioned the earth to be a place where life could e%ist! Chis may have happened repeatedly in preBhistory, as indicated by the chart in )alph Winter+s writin#s showin# ma<or asteroidal collisions on the earth over millions of years! .Winter 200:a'18/

28 &enesis , in Winter+s view, represents a local refashionin# of the land followin# a ma<or disaster, #ettin# it ready for humans in &od+s ima#e to ma2e a new be#innin# in the battle a#ainst the adversary! An e%e#etical word study of the 0ebrew word reshit, translated 4be#innin#6 in &enesis ' , shows that Winter+s interpretation of &enesis ' , in which he sees the 4be#innin#6 as one amon# many new be#innin#s, is compatible with the meanin# of the word! -eshit often refers to an indefinite period of time at the be#innin# of a seDuence of events rather than to a specific startin# point .for which another 0ebrew word e%ists/! (ailhamer bases his interpretation on this meanin# when he says about the first verse .referrin# to the ori#inal creation of the universe/, 4no time limitations are placed on that period!6 . 886'28/ $%amples of the use of the word, reshit, include' &enesis 0' 0 the be#innin# of his 2in#dom &enesis 18', the be#innin# of my stren#th .5IN' When Eacob blessed his sons he said to )euben, you are my firstborn, my mi#ht, the first si#n of my stren#th M/ $%odus 2,' 8' the first of the firstfruits of the land @5IN' -rin# the best of the firstfruitsA *euteronomy ' 2' from the be#innin# of the year to its end @an indefinite period of time, not an instantA (amuel 2'28' the chiefest of all the offerin#s 5OC$' ;irstfruits seems to be the most common use of the term reshit "roverbs 1'9' wisdom is the principal thin# "roverbs >'22' I was appointed from eternity, from the be#innin#, before the world be#an! "roverbs 9' 1' the be#innin# of strife .5IN' (tartin# a Duarrel is li2e M/ Isaiah 16' 0' declarin# the end from the be#innin# Eereremiah 26' ' in the be#innin# of the rei#n of .5IN' $arly in the rei#n of Eehoa2im/ Eereremiah 18',1' early in the rei#n of of Xede2iah M 7icah ' ,' you who live in ?achish, M you were the be#innin# of sin to the *au#hter of Xion @#ives a sense of ori#insA Che root word for reshit is rosh .(tron#+s U 92 >/! )osh is translated head, chief, on top of, captain, principal, forefront! $ccl! ,' ' they cannot fathom what &od has done from be#innin# @roshA to end Is! 10'2 ' told you from the be#innin# @roshA Is! 1 '26' who told of this from the be#innin# @roshA, so we could 2now' from the start, the source! Another word for 4be#innin#6 is the word for a definite startin# point' tghillah .(tron#+s U >162/ &en! ,',' where his tent had been at the be#innin# &en! 1 '2 ' still ill favoured, as at the be#innin# &en 1,' >' in our sac2s at the first time Eud! 20' >' which of us shall #o up first )uth '22' in the be#innin# of barley harvest "rov! 8' 0' the fear of the ?ord is the be#innin# of wisdom 0arris, Archer, and Walt2e, in the Theological 0ordbook of the ,ld Testament e%plain that reshit may refer to the initiation of a series of historical events .&en 0' 0,

29 Eer 6' /3 it may indicate a foundational or necessary condition such as the fear of &od ."s ' 03 "rov '9/3 the initiation of a life .Eob >'9/3 the best of a #roup or class of thin#s to be set aside for &od .4first fruits6 @?ev! 2' 2A/! Considerin# the evidence for the use of reshit and the other words available to the author if he had wanted to convey a definite startin# point, it would seem to be reasonable to postulate that 4in the be#innin#6 refers to an indefinite period of time which could have stretched both bac2wards, before creation, and forwards into the early events of creation! (ince reshit does not refer to a definite startin# point, the translation, 4in one of &od+s new be#innin#s6 would seem to be a valid interpretation! If the definite article had been used this translation would have been problematic, but since the article is not used, it would seem permissible to su##est that the te%t may be intentionally ambi#uous! A number of respected scholars a#ree that &enesis ' does not refer to the be#innin# of 4everythin#6 but to somethin# more recent! Che followin# summary supports Winter+s interpretation of this verse and chapter, Duotin# or paraphrasin# several commentators who consider &enesis ' to be a 4relative be#innin#6 or a 4new be#innin#6 as Winter prefers to call it! 0ie#s of Co))entators A ")$B&$5$(I( ' C)$ACIO5 A5* A 5$W -$&I55I5& 4erri&& %2 Unger 4It is more li2ely that verse @of &enesis A refers to a relative be#innin# rather than the absolute be#innin#! Che chapter would then be accountin# for the Creation of the universe as man 2nows it, not the be#innin# of everythin#, and verses B2 would provide the introduction to it! Che fall of (atan and entrance of sin into &od+s ori#inal Creation would precede this!6 . 8> ':/ /&&en Ross 4PIn the be#innin#+ is a relative be#innin# in which the cosmos was reshaped for the latecomerKman! -rou#ht into e%istence before sin entered the universe .$Ie2iel 2>, Isa! 1/, the ori#inal earth was desi#ned to be the habitation of &od+s first sinless an#elic creatures .Eob ,>3 Isa! 1:/! Chis sinless earth was evidently the place where sin be#an in &od+s hitherto sinless universe in connection with the revolt of (atan!6 . 886'9 8/ 4In the first part of &enesis '2, there is M an ominous, uncomfortable tone! Che clauses describe not the results of divine creation but a chaos at the earliest sta#e of this world! It is not the purpose of &enesis to tell the reader how the chaos came about! M Che e%positor must draw some conclusions from other passa#es with similar descriptions! If one can posit that the fall of (atan .$Ie2 2>/ brou#ht about the chaos in &od+s ori#inal creation, then &enesis describes a reBcreation, or &od+s first act of redemption, salva#in# his world and creatin# all thin#s new!6 . 886' 09/ 4In view of the synta% of the first three verses and the meanin#s of all the words chosen, the view of &erhard von )ad seems to carry the most e%e#etical support! Chat is, verse is the summary statement of the contents of chapter ! Nerse 2 provides circumstantial clauses that describe the state of the earth when &od spo2eKit was waste and void, enveloped in dar2ness, covered with the deep, but the (pirit of &od was hoverin# over the face of the waters! Che first day of creation would actually be#in with

30 verse ,, althou#h verse 2 provides the circumstances! Che chapter records the brin#in# of creation as we 2now it out of chaos! ;or the initial creation, or ori#inal creation, one has to loo2 elsewhere in the -ible! Chis view M reco#niIes that 4be#innin#s6 with &od are not necessarily absolute be#innin#s!6 . 886'92,/ +ru e :2 -a&t;e 4P-e#innin#+ refers to the entire created event, the si% days of creation, not somethin# before the si% days! M Chis is a relative be#innin#! As verse 2 seems to indicate, there is a preB&enesis time and space!6 .200 ':>/ Walt2e a#rees with the view 4that M sees the chaotic state described in verse 2 as e%istin# before the creation spo2en of in the -ible! @ItA understands verse as an independent clause and verse 2 as a circumstantial clause connected with vs! ,! . 89:'22:/ Terren e E2 %ret!ei) 4When &od be#an to create the heaven and the earthKthe earth bein# unformed and void, with the dar2ness over the surface of the deep and a wind from &od sweepin# over the waterK&od said, ?et there be li#ht!6 .Che 5ew Eewish Nersion/ ;retheim prefers this translation and says this means the time involved would be relative, sometime in the past, but not the absolute be#innin# of time! 4Chis would appear to be the meanin# of the word Pbe#innin#+ in Isa! 16' 0 @reshitA 3 10'2 @roshA3 1 '1 @roshA!6 . 868':1/ <o!n 32 Sai&!a)er 4Cwo distinct time periods are mentioned in &en ' ! Che Pbe#innin#+ when &od created the universe3 no time limitations are placed on that period! 2! &enesis '2B2'1a'&od prepared the &arden of $den for man+s dwellin#3 that activity occurred in one wee2!6 . 886'28/ 4Che 0ebrew word reshit has a very specific sense in (cripture! It always refers to an e%tended yet indeterminate duration of timeKnot a specific moment! It refers to a duration of time which falls before a series of events!6 . 886',>/ 4&od created the universe durin# an indeterminate period of time before the actual rec2onin# of a seDuence of time be#an! Other 0ebrew words were available to the author to convey the temporal concept of a Pbe#innin#!+ 0e could have used a 0ebrew word similar to the $n#lish word Pstart+ or Pinitial point!+6 . 886'10, 1 / (ailhamer is close to )alph Winter+s opinion, but he considers &enesis ' to be the description of the ori#inal, universal creation, in summary form! (o he sees a #ap before the local reBcreation starts in verse , rather than a creation before &enesis ' , which is Winter+s and Un#er+s preference! Winter sees &enesis ' as a local new be#innin# in the 7iddle $ast after a ma<or disaster had wiped out life in that part of a preB &enesis ' creation! Chis disaster may have been the result of <ud#ment, as is the case prior to other biblical new be#innin#s! Che ori#in and ;all of (atan and the e%istence of the vicious life forms seen in the fossil record all belon# to this preB&enesis ' creation, in Winter+s view! &enesis shows &od preparin# a land for a new humanity, made in 0is ima#e for the purpose of wor2in# with 0im to brin# order out of chaos and to defeat the intentions of the adversary!

31

Bara +lohim .&od Created3 bara' (tron#+s U 2:1/' It is not necessary to infer a creation out of nothin# .e& nihilo/ from the 0ebrew, bara! $%amples from a concordance search of the word bara show that often the word is in the conte%t of reBcreatin# somethin#' "s : ' 0' Create in me a clean heart, O &od Isa 1'2B:' In that day M the ?ord Mwill cleanse the bloodstains from Eerusalem by a spirit of <ud#ment and a spirit of fire! Chen the ?ord will create over all of 7ount Xion and over those who assemble there a cloud of smo2e by day and a #low of flamin# fire by ni#ht3 over all the #lory will be a canopy! Isa :9' >, 8' I have seen his ways, but I will heal him3 I will #uide him and restore comfort to him, creatin# praise on the lips of the mourners in Israel! Isa 6:' 9' I create new heavens and a new earth3 "s 01',0' when you send your (pirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the earth Chese e%amples lend support to the le#itimacy of the interpretation of &enesis as a refashionin# of a previously <ud#ed and destroyed earth! Bara does not have to refer to an ori#inal creation out of nothin#! A concordance study of the word bara shows that in the 2al and niphal forms it is always &od who creates, but in the piel .added intensity/ people are the sub<ect of bara, bein# told to bara .cut down/ a forest of trees in Eosh 9' :, > .or 4ma2e6 a place for themselves!/ Che reference in the piel form is to the operation of brin#in# into order waste forest land, or turnin# chaos, the tohu wabohu of desolate and uninhabitable land, into a wellBarran#ed, cultivated, and lifeBsupportin# territory! (o this rare use of the word bara is also important as another implication of the disorder precedin# the creation events that could have been understood by the ori#inal audience of &enesis ' , 2! It also hints at the theme of evenin# followed by mornin# repeated throu#hout &enesis ' that humans can imitate &od in the creative process by ma2in# uninhabitable areas become inhabitable, metaphorically causin# evenin# to become mornin#! In this sense, Eoshua 9' : could be seen as a literal metaphor that illustrates what it means for &od to have reBmade the land in &enesis ' , 2 that was in an uninhabitable state! Other shades of meanin# for bara come from closely associated 0ebrew words' barach .bless, mentioned by Wenham 8>9' 1/ and barar .cleanse, mentioned by C! ?ewis >::'18/! Creation as blessin# and creation as cleansin# are helpful additional associations that would have possibly been cau#ht by the ori#inal listenin# audience throu#h the similar sounds of the 0ebrew words! Che sense of cleansin# and purifyin# combined with the sense of cuttin# away or slashin# what is unhelpful for life .compare 0ebrews 1' 2'the Word of &od is M sharper than any twoBed#ed sword/ is seen in the use of bara in "salm : ' ' 4Create in me a clean heart, O &od, and renew a ri#ht spirit within me!6 (o creation is a clearin# up, a cleansin#, a purifyin#, a brin#in# into order .out of tohu wabohu/! Eohn (ailhamer, who advocates seein# &enesis as a local creation of the ?and of Israel, points out that bara is often synonymous with another 0ebrew word, asah, .4ma2e6K it is used synonymously with bara in &enesis 2'1/ which can be used to mean to wash one+s feet or trim one+s beard .notice the associations a#ain with cuttin# and cleanin# that are associated with the piel form of bara/'

32 2 (am! 8'2:' wash .asah' doJ ta2e care ofJ dressJ prepare/ one+s feet 2 (am 8'2:' trim .asah' do/ one+s beard (ailhamer concludes that when &enesis 2'1 says &od 4made6 .asah/ the earth and heavens .that he had baraJcreated/, it means the same as the $n#lish e%pression Sto ma2eS a bed! When the land was covered with water it was not inhabitable! &od slashed a separation between the waters and commanded the waters below to recede from the land to 4ma2e6 a place fit for human habitation! Che word bara, supplemented with the meanin#s of its piel form and its synonym, asah, means to put somethin# in #ood order, to ma2e it ri#ht! %ashamayim weet haaretz .0eavens and earth/ 0eavens' (tron#+s U >0613 $arth' (tron#+s U 996/ 40eavens and earth6 is a literary term that means more than the sum of its parts! &en ' ' In the be#innin# &od created the heaven and the earth &en 2' ' the heavens and the earth were finished &en 2'1' &od made the earth and the heavens $% , ' 9' the ?ord made heaven and earth 2 Fin#s 8' :' you have made heaven and earth "s :' :' 7ay you be blessed by the ?ord, the 7a2er of heaven and earth! "s 21'>' Our help is in the name of the ?ord, who made heaven and earth Isa ,9' 6' 0eIe2iah+s prayer' O ?ord Almi#hty, &od of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are &od over all the 2in#doms of the earth! Qou have made heaven and earth! Isa 66'22' As the new heavens and the new earth that I ma2e will endure before me, declares the ?ord, so will your name and descendants endure! Eer ,2' 9' Ah (overei#n ?ord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your #reat power and outstretched arm! 5othin# is too hard for you! 0a# 2'6, 2 ' Chis is what the ?ord Almi#hty says' In a little while I will once more sha2e the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land! I will sha2e all nations, and the desired of all nations will come, and I will fill this house with #lory, M In the ma<ority of uses of this term, the conte%t is of &od bein# the Creator or 7a2er of heaven and earth, of everythin# that is 2nown! 0is bein# the Creator of heaven and earth is an indication of his power and authority, includin# over other nations, and his #lory and honor, includin# reco#nition from leaders of other nations that the &od of Israel is uniDue as Creator of heaven and earth! 0is power to help is tied to this phrase! 0is blessin# is special because of 0is bein# so hi#h above all others that he could create everythin#! -ecause &od is ma2er of heaven and earth, 4nothin# is too hard6 for 0im! &ordon Wenham points out that this type of literary term 4is characteristic of many lan#ua#es to describe the totality of somethin# in terms of its e%tremes! e!#!, P#ood and bad, Pbi# and little,+ etc!6 . 8>9' :/ (ailhamer describes this fi#ure of speech as a 4merism6 that combines two words that ta2e on a distinct meanin# of their own to e%press a sin#le idea! 4A merism e%presses Ptotality+ by combinin# two contrasts or e%tremes!6 . 886'::/ 0e #ives an e%ample of a merism in "s! ,8'2' 4you 2now my sittin# down and my risin# up!6 Che fi#ure of speech means the ?ord 2nows everythin# about *avid! 4-y lin2in# M Pheavens and earth+ the 0ebrew lan#ua#e e%presses the totality of all that e%ists! Che e%pression stands for the Pentirety of the universe!+ It includes not only the two e%tremes but also all that they contain!6 . 886':6/

33 -ased on this understandin#, &en! ' could therefore be translated PIn the be#innin# &od created everythin#!+ Chis raises the thou#ht that &od inspired the author to use phrases that can e%pand in meanin# throu#hout time! What the ancient 0ebrews thou#ht 4heaven and earth6 meant is not the same as what we 2now today, but both are true! Commentators often insist that the phrase 4heaven and earth6 denotes the universe as we 2now it today, but this is an anachronistic readin# of the ancient te%t! "hysicist and Catholic theolo#ian (tanley Ea2i bemoans that while Au#ustine realiIed that the e%pression 4heaven and earth6 was 4Pcarefully chosen by a spiritual man in a manner that is accommodated to unlearned readers or hearers+6 Au#ustine did not #o further and set forth 4what Punlearned men+ understood on hearin# &enesis recited to them! Co this most important tas2, in which lay the #enuine clue to &enesis , Au#ustine failed to address himself!6 .Ea2i 882b'>6/ In other words, the ori#inal audience hearin# &enesis for the first time would not have been thin2in# in terms of a scientific description of how the universe and planet earth came into e%istence! )ather they would have ta2en the term as an idiom for the totality of the visible world, as they 2new it, that had its ori#in with &od! Che 5et -ible illustrates this common mista2e amon# commentators when the editors e%plain that the first verse of the -ible refers to the be#innin# of the world as 4we6 2now it, rather than more sensibly statin# that 4heaven and earth6 refers to the totality of the world as 4they6 2new it! (retz hayeta .$arth wasJhad become/ $arthJaretz' (tron#+s U 9963 wasJhayeta' (tron#+s U 86 ! In these word studies I include e%e#etical <ustification for the concept of a local creation! Umberto Cassuto translates waaretz hayeta' 4as for the earth, it was M6 and calls attention to the unusual word order! 5ormally in 0ebrew the verb precedes the sub<ect, but 4whenever the sub<ect comes before the predicate, as here, the intention of the -ible is to #ive emphasis to the sub<ect and tell us somethin# new about it!6 . 811'Che (tory of the ;irst *ay/ $%amples of the sub<ect precedin# the verb' &enesis ,' ' wehaghahsh hayeta ahroom mekohl .5ow the serpent was more crafty/ Eonah ,',' weNiyne#eh hayeta ur gedolah .5ow 5ineveh was a #reat city/ Xechariah ,',' wa1ehoshua hayeta lah#ash .5ow Eoshua was clothed @with filthy #armentsA/ &enesis '2' wehaaretz hayeta tohu wabohu .5ow the earth was tohu wabohu/ Chis sentence construction focuses the reader+s .or listener+s/ attention on the sub<ect of the sentence! 4As for the earth alluded to in the first verse, I must tell you that at the be#innin# of its creation, it was without form or life, etc!6 .Cassuto 811' Che (tory of the ;irst *ay/ A concordance study of the word 4earth6 reveals that aretz can be translated to refer to the whole 2nown earth or to a local area, dependin# on how the translator thin2s it should be interpreted! After the ;lood, the term seems to be used more often to refer to a localiIed or specialiIed land' &en '2>' in the land of his nativity

34 &en ', ' to #o into the land of Canaan &en 2' ' &et thee out of thy country3 unto a land that I will shew thee &en ,'8' is not the whole land before theeH .cal haaretz3 referrin# to Abram+s invitation to ?ot to choose the part of the land he wanted to live in, obviously not referrin# to the whole planet or even the 2nown earth at that time/ :' >' unto thy seed have I #iven this land .a local area described in detail by its boundaries/ land of Canaan land of $#ypt land of "hilistines, etc! Eob 0'2 , 22' land of dar2ness With these uses of the word aretz in mind, it becomes necessary to apply the e%e#etical principle of considerin# what the ori#inal audience would have understood by the term in order to interpret the use of this word in &enesis '2! What was 7oses+ purpose in tellin# the people about the aretz and the need to refashion the ne#ative state of 4the earth6 or 4land6 .aretz/ and what would the people have thou#ht he was referrin# toH Within the hermeneutical spiral, in which we 2eep returnin# to some of the same words and phrases, after havin# #athered insi#hts while e%plorin# other aspects of &enesis ' , 2, the answers to these Duestions will assume the word aretz to refer to the local land! (o in order to e%plore the purposes for which 7oses described the aretz in &enesis '2, we will first need to loo2 at the evidence showin# it was li2ely that the local land was what the ori#inal audience would have understood 7oses to be referrin# to! Che ;rench commentator )ashi, writin# durin# the 7iddle A#es, #ives us )abbi Isaac+s social e%planation @for creationA! It is in order that 0e mi#ht #ive them the herita#e of the nations! ;or should the peoples of the world say to Israel, PQou are robbers, because you too2 by force the lands of the seven nations of Canaan,+ Israel may reply to them PAll the earth belon#s to the 0oly One, blessed be 0e3 0e created it and #ave it to whom 0e pleased!+ .)osenbaum 816'2/ 0ere )ashi is Duotin# from Eeremiah 29':, an understandin# of the earth that Eohn (ailhamer feels it would be natural for the people of Israel to have held from their be#innin# as a nation . 886'2 6/' 4Chis is what the ?ord Almi#hty, the &od of Israel, says' PCell this to your masters' With my #reat power and outBstretched arm I made the earth and its people and the animals that are on it, and I #ive it to anyone I please!+6 .Eeremiah 29'1, :/ (ailhamer, the most outspo2en contemporary proponent of the local earth theory .see $nd 5ote / cautions in his boo2, Genesis .nbound, that 4today the word Pearth+ too easily calls up ima#es of the whole planet on which we live!6 . 886':>/ Che modern view of the universe should not be allowed to control our understandin# of what the author of &enesis would have meant by 4earth!6 One of (ailhamer+s sources, Eohn "ye (mith, stated, 4a most important inDuiry is the meanin# of the word which we render earth!6 . >:1'218/ 0e #oes on to point out that the ancient 0ebrews could not have had any conception of the planet as we 2now it .4the spheroidal fi#ure of the earth6/, so we must base our understandin# of the 4earth6 4in conformity with the ideas of the people who used it! M ;reDuently it stands for the land of "alestine, and indeed for any country

35 or district that is mentioned or referred to! (ometimes @aretzA denotes a mere plot of #round3 and sometimes the soil, clay, and sand, or any earthy matter!6 . >:1'2:0/ 7ost commentators, without any e%planation, simply assume that the modern conception of the planet is what is meant by aretz in &enesis '2! -ut several have some thou#htful comments that can be ta2en in support of the local earth theory if the e%e#etical principle is applied to their thin2in#, that the meanin# of the words to the ori#inal audience is what it still means today! ;or instance, the editors of the 5et -ible e%plain aretz as 4this is what we now call Pthe earth!+ "rior to this the substance which became the earth .Gdry land/ lay dormant under the water!6 -ut why would these commentators thin2 of the meanin# of the 4earth6 in &enesis '2 in today+s termsH Che editors could have better e%plained aretz as 4what C0$Q called Pthe earth!+6 Chat would have opened a profitable line of inDuiry that relatively few scholars have ta2en the trouble to e%plore! &ordon Wenham Duotes a 8th century commentator, sayin#, 4Accordin# to (tadelmann @author of %ebrew !onception of the 0orld, p! 29A, Pthe term aretz means primarily the entire area in which man thin2s of himself as livin#, as opposed to the re#ions of heaven or the underworld!+6 . 8>9' :/ Chis commentator could <ust as easily have ended his sentence without the final phrase, which would have been to admit that aretz means the area in which a people thin2s of themselves as livin# locally! -ruce Walt2e ob<ects to (ailhamer+s 4novel su##estion6 of limitin# 4the earth6 to a local creation, because Walt2e is 4bound6 .as (ailhamer puts it/ by his assumption that in &enesis ' 4heaven and earth6 refers to the entire cosmos! .(ailhamer himself ends up bein# bound by this same assumption, as shown below, even thou#h he wrote his boo2, Genesis .nbound, to try to avoid <ust such an e%e#etical trap as Walt2e describes!/ Walt2e ob<ects to the local earth interpretation on the basis of the literary devise of the inclusio formed by ' and 2' ! .200 ':8/ &enesis ' In the be#innin# &od created the heavens and the earth! .5IN/ &enesis 2' Chus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array! .5IN/ Walt2e+s .and (ailhamer+s/ assumption that ' refers to the cosmos means the same must be true in 2' , and lo#ically, then, the narrative in between must also refer to what the summary statements refer toKaccordin# to them, the entire cosmos! If this line of reasonin# is accepted, and it seems very lo#ical to ma2e this connection, (ailhamer+s ar#ument for a local creation has a fatal flaw! -ut on the other hand, this is an e%cellent ar#ument in support of )alph Winter+s theory in which he insists that ' must refer to the same local area as the preBcreation .&enesis '2/ and creation sections .the rest of the chapter/ refer to .200:a'1:/! Walt2e+s ob<ections to a local creation disappear if we ta2e the ori#inal hearers+ understandin# of Sheavens and earthS as bein# 4everythin# they 2new of,6 and the 4earth6 as the local land, perhaps of Israel .which could be seen as a metaphor standin# for the whole earth as it be#an to be more fully e%plored and 2nown/! Catholic theolo#ian, 0enricus )enc2ens, came close to reco#niIin# the local nature of the creation story in &enesis when he said, 4we have thus in &enesis the story of the creation told from start to finish in function of the actual world as it is empirically observed to be! Che creation on the one hand, and on the other the actual world of the author+s own observation, are completely bound up to#ether in his mind!6 Unfortunately he missed the implications of his insi#ht when he added, 4And his world was the same as our own!6 . 861'1>, 18/ -ut the author+s world was not the same as our own! It was the land of Israel, not the whole #lobe, which was un2nown at that time!

36 Eohn (ailhamer follows Eohn ?i#htfoote and Eohn "ye (mith, and, apparently unwittin#ly, a littleB2nown woman named Isabella *uncan .writin# durin# Charles *arwin+s time, and in response to his theories @&ould 888A/, in seein# the land of Israel as the actual landscape where the creation events occurred, with &enesis and 2 bein# about the same thin#! Ca2in# the &enesis creation accounts as a refashionin# .see discussion of the word 4bara6/ of the land of Israel after a local disaster means this was an event that could have been witnessed by any humans .or humanBli2e creatures/ livin# <ust outside the devastated and reBbuilt area! (tanley Ea2i e%plains the common elements in the $numa elish and &enesis by su##estin# that 4both were formulated within one and the same landscape!6 . 882b' 8/ ;ollowin# )alph Winter+s line of reasonin#, we can further speculate that the same asteroidal local collision and its aftermath could be what was described and handed down in oral tradition as a battle between the #ods in the $numa elish, usin# mythical and metaphorical lan#ua#e, and described as tohu wabohu in &enesis '2! (tafford Wri#ht specifically confirms this hypothesis, as2in# 4(uppose it is true that &od made a new be#innin# with a man and a woman with moral and spiritual capacities in the re#ion of the Upper $uphrates, round about 6000 -C! Why should not a true tradition have been transmitted of actual events MH6 . 8:6'29/ (ailhamer affirms this new be#innin# and says the &enesis and 2 creation versions are about the same events and in the same settin#, from different perspectives! . 886': / 0e feels the author 4e%pected his readers to see a meanin#ful lin2 between &enesis and 2!6 . 886'80/ In support of this claim, he says the two accounts follow the pattern of other narratives in &enesis L in which the author first #ives a #eneral description of an event, followed by another narrative with more detail about the same event! (ailhamer seems to be referrin# to the 4toledot6 sections of &enesis B in which Walt2e and his coBauthor, literary e%pert Cathy ;redric2s, see, amon# other patterns in the structure of the toledot cycles, one they call 4#eneraliIation and particulariIation!6 .200 ',1/ Che followin# summary of the pattern of #eneraliIations and details is a result of ori#inal inductive research' &en! :' B,2'Che #eneral written account .toledot/ of Adam+s line, endin# with 5oah and his sons! Chis is followed by two detailed stories' &en! 6' B>' Che problem with the 5ephilim and evil amon# the people in #eneral, leadin# &od to decide to wipe them from face of the earth .Chis passa#e functions both as a detailed account in relation to the precedin# passa#e and as a #eneral account in relation to the ne%t passa#e!/ &en! 6'8L>'22' &ives a detailed account from 5oah+s life of how &od went about wipin# the evil people out but preservin# 5oah+s line &en' 8' >, 8' In a #eneral section, the sons of 5oah are named .4from them came the people who were scattered over the earth6/ &en! 8'20B29' &ives the detailed story about 5oah and his sons when he was drun2 and the conseDuences of curses and blessin#s! &en! 0' B,2' Che toledot of (hem, 0am and Eapheth, 5oah+s sons, ends with the #eneral statement, 4they spread out over the earth after the flood!6

37 &en! ' B8' &ives the detailed account of how that spreadin# out happened due to the <ud#ment at the tower of -abel &en! ' 0B26' Che #eneral toledot of (hem, is a flashbac2 to two years after the flood, up to the time of Abraham &en! '29B,2' Che toledot of Cerah, a descendant of (hem, is a detailed story of Cerah+s family and the account of how he too2 Abram and ?ot to 0aran! In li#ht of this literary conte%t, it is feasible to assume that within the conte%t of the other #eneralJparticular sections of &enesis B , the first two chapters could be seen as havin# the followin# pattern of #eneral accounts nested with detailed accounts' &eneral' &enesis ' , 2' a #eneral statement about the refashionin# of a locally destroyed area *etail' &enesis ',L2', or 1' details about that reBcreation event! &eneral' the first three days of creation describe the preparation for the 4heavens and earth6 to be inhabited by livin# bein#s *etail' the second three days of creation #ive the account of the creation of the livin# bein#s for each of the three respective habitats' air, water, and land! &eneral' &enesis '2L2', or 1 serves at the same time as a #eneral account in relation to the ne%t section *etail' &enesis chapter 2 #ives details about specific humans and the preparation of a specific land for them to live in! Chis nestin# of #eneral account Jdetailed account doublin# as another #eneral account Jdetailed account, is parallel to &enesis 6' B>, which serves both as a detailed story for the #eneral section endin# with :' , and in its own turn as a #eneral account that is followed by the more detailed account from 5oah+s life, be#innin# in &enesis 6'8, e%plainin# how &od accomplished what was briefly summariIed earlier! Chese e%amples of #eneral statements or accounts followed by detailed accounts follow a pattern that was common amon# the ancient 0ebrews! Umberto Cassuto calls attention to this characteristic of 0ebrew thin2in#' 4One should first state the #eneral proposition and then specify the particulars!6 . 811' ,/ (tanley Ea2i #ives four pa#es of e%amples from the Old Cestament of #eneral statements followed by the particulars! . 882b'299ff!/ "!-! 0arner, writin# in 2etus Testamentum, refers to 4the Pholistic+ Duality of Israelite thin2in#, the tendency to apprehend a totality and inte#rate details into the whole!6 . 869',0:/ -ruce Walt2e claims this tendency and pattern as evidence for his .and von )ad+s/ position that the first verse of &enesis serves as a summary statement! Che evidence seems convincin# that verse should be construed as a broad, #eneral declaration of the fact that &od created the cosmos and the rest of the chapter e%plicates that statement! Chis reflects normal (emitic thou#ht which first states the #eneral proposition and then specifies the particulars! .Walt2e 89:' ,2'229/ In summary, this biblical literary pattern of #eneraliIation followed by particulars can be seen as corroboration for considerin# &enesis 2 to be a detailed description of a more #eneral account in &enesis ! ;ollowin# the #eneral statements about the creation of humans, &enesis 2 is about a specific human couple in a specific location, the &arden of $den! Che 0ebrew word aretz in &enesis '2, that is usually translated 4earth6 and

38 understood by many as 4the planet,6 could <ust as le#itimately be understood instead as bein# what is described in &enesis 2 .which Eohn (ailhamer #oes to #reat len#ths to show is the same as the SlandS promised to Israel @ 886':>A/! In answer to Allen )oss+ Duestion, SWhy did the new nation of Israel need to have this material and to have it written as it isHS . 886' 02/, three main possibilities will be e%plored' ! Che people needed to 2now why the land they were #oin# to enter could le#itimately be considered theirs! 2! Che process of &od+s ma2in# the uninhabitable SearthS or SlandS into a place for people to live serves as metaphor for the creation of a society, the nation of Israel, out of the chaos of slavery! ,! Che people could learn important lessons about &od and their relationship to him from this creation account! 7any of these lessons will be elaborated in studies of other words in the first verses of &enesis! ! As 7oses was leadin# the people of Israel to the "romised ?and, the people needed to 2now why the land they were #oin# to enter could le#itimately be considered theirs! (ocial historian Aaron Wildavs2y, in his anthropolo#ical history of the be#innin#s of the people of Israel .The Nursing ather" 3oses as a *olitical 'eader/ claims' 4Che Creation is not about <ust anybody! It rationaliIes one of the most important claims 7oses made for this peopleKthe land of Israel is theirs by ri#ht because the Owner #ave it to them!6 . 8>1'>0/ In this he echoes )ashi+s assertion, which is based on Eeremiah 29':, Duoted earlier! .4(hould the peoples of the world say to Israel, PQou are robbers, because you too2 by force the lands of the seven nations of Canaan,+ Israel may reply to them PAll the earth belon#s to the 0oly One, blessed be 0e3 0e created it and #ave it to whom 0e pleased!+6 @)osenbaum 816'2A/ 2! Althou#h we have shown it is lo#ical to consider that a local refashionin# of the land was what 7oses+ ori#inal audience would have understood him to be referrin# to, this account can also serve as metaphor for the creation of the local society of the people of Israel out of chaos .a situation that most societies throu#hout history and across cultures can identify with/! )obert Alter, in The (rt of Biblical Narrati#e, e%plains the nature of biblical literature' 4)ecurrence, parallels, and analo#y are the hallmar2s of reported action in the biblical tale! Che use of narrative analo#y, where one part of the story provides a commentary on or a foil to another should be familiar from later literature @such as a (ha2espearian double plotA!6 . 8> ' >0/ With this in mind, a local creation story could be seen as servin# as a metaphor or commentary on the creation of a society! Walt2e states, SA nation consists of a common people, normally sharin# a common land, submissive to a common law, and led by a common ruler! Che boo2 of &enesis is concerned principally in identifyin# both the people who submit to &od+s commands and the land that sustains them!S .200 '1:/ 7oses spo2e and wrote the boo2s of the "entateuch, or Corah, to provide <ust this bac2#round for the emer#in# nation! With the recent events of the $%odus foremost in their minds, the people would have seen echoes of those events interpreted in a broader conte%t throu#h the ima#ery of &enesis ! It helped them see themselves as the people of &od .a common people/, about to inherit a common land made for them by &od! Che laws they were to follow were the focus of the Corah for which &enesis

39 serves as an introduction! It is clear from the first chapters of &enesis .and from the accounts of the $%odus, and even in the first two verses of &enesis/ that &od intended to be their allBpowerful ruler in the land they were #oin# to inhabit! Che importance to the people of the ancient 5ear $ast of the ori#in and or#aniIation of a society sharin# a common land is hard for modern people to realiIe! Coday we are as2in# Duestions about the physical world and some loo2 for answers to such Duestions in &enesis ! -ut 4to the ancients, human society or#aniIed in a particular place was @what was importantA,6 and this was reflected in their creation stories! 4In the A22adian epic $numa elish M the e%altation of 7ardu2 amon# the #ods is parallel to the or#aniIation of -abylonian society! Che -ible too contains similar cosmo#onies by which a society is established in a particular place!6 .Clifford 8>:':08, : 0/ Che story of the formation of the people of Israel into a nation be#ins with emphasis on the ne#ative, chaotic conditions under which they were livin# in slavery in $#ypt, <ust as &enesis '2 be#ins with emphasis on the ne#ative, chaotic condition of the land before &od started ma2in# it inhabitable! In ma2in# a people for himself, 4&od reacts to "haraoh+s antiBcreational desi#ns by unleashin# forces of nature to punish and destroy! Che moral chaos of human enslavement is countered by the natural chaos of *ivine retribution!6 .-ernard Och 88:'>/ Chis is the eDuivalent of tohu wabohu, as the earth is called in &enesis '2! Che implications of this parallel will be e%plored in detail in the word study of this term! &od overcomes the tohu wabohu of the people of Israel when they cross throu#h the )ed (ea! Accounts of the escape of the people of Israel from $#ypt as they confront and overcome the challen#e of crossin# the (ea are often described in terms that echo themes from the &enesis Creation account! "salm 99' :, 6, 8' 4With your mi#hty arm you redeemed your people, the descendants of Eacob and Eoseph! Che waters .mayim/ saw you, O &od, M and writhed3 the very depths .tehom/ were convulsed! M Qour path led throu#h the sea, your way throu#h the mi#hty waters!6 $%odus :' 0 adds another theme from &enesis '2' 4Qou blew with your wind .ruach/!6 $%odus 1'2 , 22'Che waters were divided and the Israelites went throu#h the sea on dry .yabbahshah/ #round Che 0ebrew word for 4dry,6 used repeatedly in the $%odus accounts, is the same word used in &enesis when &od separates the inhospitable waters and causes dry land to appear! Chis word .(tron#+s number ,001/ is relatively rare and is used mainly in the conte%t of the $%odus, crossin# the Eordan and Creation! As 7oses ori#inally spo2e the word, yabbahshah, to his audience in &enesis '8, it is li2ely that the people would have identified at an emotional level with the term for dry land, the miracle that led to their last minute rescue! Chis reminder of their recent e%perience with the )ed (ea would have tied to#ether in their thin2in# the Creation or 4ma2in#6 of the land with the creation or ma2in# of themselves as a people! In both cases, life was only possible because of a mi#hty act of &od in pushin# bac2 the waters to ma2e a dry, lifeBsustainin# place! Eonah e%perienced a smallBscale personal version of this same lifeBsustainin# act of &od! ;urther support for the parallels between the physical creation and the creation of the people of Israel is seen in Eonah '8 where he says, 4I am a 0ebrew and I worship the ?ord, the &od of heaven, who made the sea and the dry .land/!6 .?ater the fish spits Eonah out on the dry @landA!/ 0ere Eonah is claimin# his herita#e as a 0ebrew, and the way he supports his claim is to refer to the two most basic and formative acts of &od in the ori#in of the 0ebrew nation' the creation of 4everythin#6 .heaven, sea, and dry land/,

40 and the ori#in of the 0ebrew people by their passin# throu#h the sea on dry land! Eonah+s speech shows his understandin#, as a 0ebrew familiar with the Corah, that deliverance from the sea is tied to &od+s creation of the nation of Israel and 0is creation of 4everythin#!6 In the $%odus, Qahweh creates a way throu#h the sea by separatin# the water from the land by his windJspiritJbreath .ruach/, not allowin# 4the deep6 .see "salms 99' 63 06'>3 Isaiah : ' 03 6,' ,/ to 2eep his people from their land! In the &enesis creation account &od+s wind .ruachJspirit/ is blowin# over the water .previously called 4the deep,6/ preparin# it for the ma<or separation of brin#in# forth the 4dry6 .yabbahshah, &enesis '8, 0/, the same word used for the result of &od+s wind in $%odus 1' 6, 22, 28 and :' 8! .(ide 5ote' Israel+s deliverance from the sea, with &od dryin# up a path throu#h the sea, foreshadows the fulfillment of history when &od will dry even the smallest amounts of salty tears @)evelation 2 '1A, representative of the troubles and chaos the ancient 0ebrews traditionally associated with the sea!/ 7ovement from a state of chaos and trouble, includin# social disor#aniIation, to a state of peace in the land, is the pattern )ichard Clifford sees in the poetic accounts of the $%odus ."salm 99' :B 83 9>'12B:: and $%odus :/! 4Co the ancients, the primary focus is on describin# the cosmos from the point of view of what assumptions are necessary if human bein#s are to live optimally in the world!6 . 8>:': 0, : / ,! A of description of what is necessary to live well in the world is e%actly what is found in &enesis ! ;rom the description of the uninhabitable condition of the land in &enesis '2 and the subseDuent acts of &od to prepare the land as a place for humans to leave peacefully, the people would have learned important lessons about &od and their relationship to him! Che intentional emphasis on the word, 4land6 in verse 2 would have focused attention on the covenant that &od was ma2in# throu#h 7oses with the people, of which the land was a visible representation! ?i2e a lovin# father, Pin the be#innin#+ &od #ave 0is children a place to dwell, a #ood land, filled with divine blessin#s! (o also in his covenant with Israel at (inai, &od a#ain promised to #ive them a P#ood land+ where they could en<oy his blessin# and have fellowship with 0im! Chey had to remain faithful and obedient, however! .(ailhamer 886'9,/ Che lesson learned by the lin2 between land and covenant is that obedience is necessary, otherwise <ud#ment on the land and loss of the land will follow! Che rest of the Old Cestament could be seen as a commentary on this relationship between the land and obedience to the covenant! Co emphasiIe the importance of not incurrin# &od+s <ud#ment throu#h disobedience, the tohu wabohu condition of the land prior to the Creation events serves as advance warnin#! Che author of the Creation passa#e certainly 2new how to #et his readers+ and listeners+ attention! Che emphatic description of the land, tohu wabohu, is lin2ed to the word, aretzJland which is in an emphatic position, and this is followed by an emphatic form of the verb 4to beJhayeta6 What factors need to be considered in translatin# this verb and what are the implicationsH A word study on the verb, hayeta .(tron#+s U 86 /, usin# the New +nglishmans %ebrew !oncordance .which admittedly #ives only a few uses of the word as e%amples/ shows that this verb .a form of the verb 4to be6/ is often used in association with stron#

41 emotions or si#nificant circumstances that need to be particularly noticed or emphasiIed! Chese are the e%amples #iven for the 2al preterite form of the verb' &en '2 and the earth was .tohu wabohu/ &en ,' 5ow the serpent was more crafty &en 1' 1 I shall be a va#abond and fu#itive on the earth and it will be that whoever finds me will 2ill me! &en ', the slime was to them for morter .the 5IN says they used tar instead of mortar to ma2e the bric2s to build the tower of -abel/ ,', where his tent had been at the be#innin# @note' this word for be#innin#, tghillah, denotes a definite startin# pointA, and where he had first @roshA built an altar! Chere Abram called on the name of the ?ord! .(o in this case it is a stron# positive event that hahyah is emphasiIin#! Chis was the place where the ?ord told Abram he would #ive the land to his offsprin#!/ &en! :' ' the word of the ?ord came unto @was toA Abram &en! , ':' the &od of my father has been with me $%! ,' ' now 7oses was tendin# the floc2 @when the an#el of the ?ord appeared to him in the burnin# bushA 5um! :'10' and be holy unto your &od 5um! :'1 ' I am the ?ord your &od, who brou#ht you out of $#ypt to be your &od! Eud! 2'2' I and my people were at #reat strife (am! 2' ' and the child was servin# Fin#s 20'6' and it shall be .that/ whatever is pleasin# in your eyes they will put it in their hand and carry it away! Isa! '8' We should have been as (odom In li#ht of such si#nificant uses of the verb hayah, it seems reasonable to assume that a verse as important as &enesis '2, at the be#innin# of the 0ebrew -ible, would also carry the connotation of havin# stron#ly emotional, si#nificant conte%t' 4And the earth was tohu wabohu!6 It calls attention to an important state of the earth that needs to be noticed and understood! Che insi#ht that this verb is often emphatic is confirmed by the definitions #iven by two ma<or reference wor2s' (tron#+s *ictionary' definition of the root, haya' 4be or become, come to pass .always emphatic/3 brea2, cause M!6 -rowns, *river and -ri##s define the word' 4fall out, come to pass, become, be! Nery often' come about, come to pass6 .which specific translation (tron#+s says is always emphatic/! A similar word with the same consonants but different vowel points .(tron#+s U 8623 hayyah/ means 4ruin calamity,6 which is a further indication that to the ori#inal audience, hearin# &enesis '2 spo2en aloud, the sounds of the 0ebrew would have brou#ht to mind ima#es of somethin# with a stron# ne#ative emotional connotation .which will be further e%plored with the term tohu wabohu/! In &enesis '2, the verb is in the 2al preterite form! If it were in the passive niphal form, it would have been appropriate to translate it 4had become,6 as in *euteronomy 29'8' 4O Israel M you have now become the people of the ?ord your &od!6 -ut 0enri -locher warns a#ainst translatin# wearetz hayeta as 4and the earth became,6 sayin# this 4translation ta2es inadmissible liberties with the 0ebrew #rammar! Che only admissible translation is 4and or now the earth was, by analo#y with constructions that are totally similar in Eonah ,', .now 5ineveh was / and &enesis ,' .now the sna2e was/! Only in

42 defiance of philolo#y may the pseudoBtranslation Sthe earth becameS act as the basis of the @reconstructionist or #apA theory!6 . 8>1'1,/ Walt2e, considered by some to be the top contemporary evan#elical 0ebrew scholar, a#rees that it is unli2ely that the su##estion of #apBproponent Custance is the ri#ht interpretation, 4but the earth had become!6 0e points to parallel word constructions .the con<unction, waw, <oined to a noun, rather than as usual to a verb, followed by the verb, hayah/, in Eonah ,', .now 5inevah was/ and Xechariah ,', .now Eoshua was/ in which the verb hayah is translated 4was6 rather than 4had become!6 0e concludes, 4no modern or ancient versions understand the verb @in &enesis '2A in the sense of Phad become!+ It would be most unusual for an author to introduce his story with a pluperfect @had becomeA!6 .Walt2e 89:'"art III'229/ -ut in the end, whether the #rammar is ta2en as meanin# 4the land was6 or 4the land had become,6 the conte%t and the interpretation of that conte%t bein# developed in this paper indicate that somethin# had e%isted prior to the conditions described in &enesis '2! We can translate accordin# to strict #rammar, as -locher and Walt2e insist, but we will still need to interpret accordin# to the meanin# of the rest of the passa#e! In the discussion of the term tohu wabohu we will see that in each of the other two occurrences of that term in (cripture .or even the word tohu used alone/, the conte%t shows that <ud#ment has been involved in some way! It would therefore be reasonable to attribute a conte%t of <ud#ment to &enesis '2 as well! If that is admitted as a valid hypothesis, then sayin# that 4the land was6 tohu wabohu .as a result of <ud#ment/ means the same as 4the land had become6 tohu wabohu .destroyed and desolate/! In either case, it had e%perienced a chan#e from conditions hospitable to life to uninhabitable conditions! Che author of &enesis shows in the first chapter how &od #oes about correctin# these conditions that are contrary to his will! 0e does this by emphasiIin# a definite pattern in the creation story that is #iven to enable &od+s people to imitate him in overcomin# evil with #ood! Tohu wabohu .*estroyed and desolate3 (tron#+s U >1 1 and U122/ Chis word study was ori#inally a len#thy paper in itself intended to demonstrate that tohu represents opposition to &od+s intentions and that tohu wabohu represents the disastrous results of &od+s <ud#ment precedin# his correction of that opposition to 0is will! When the world is upside down from &od+s intentions .which in turn are upside down from human e%pectations/, &od has to sha2e somethin# to #et peoples+ attention and rearran#e thin#s! Chis is what is meant by the term tohu wabohu, which is a description of the conseDuences of opposition to &od, and it is the ori#in of a theolo#y of disease! In the discussion of the term tohu wabohu we will see that in every other occurrence of that term in (cripture .includin# the word tohu when used alone/, the conte%t shows that <ud#ment has been involved in some way! It would therefore be reasonable to attribute a conte%t of <ud#ment to &enesis '2 as well! Che ne#ative condition of the land precedin# &od+s creative, corrective wor2 is evident in -ruce Walt2e+s detailed comparison of &enesis ' , 2 to &enesis 2'1B9! . 89:' ,2'22: ff!/ .)ecall that Eohn (ailhamer considers that 4the &enesis and 2 narratives are about the same events and have the same settin#! What we see &od doin# in &enesis 2 is merely another perspective on what 0e does in &enesis !6 @ 886': A/ $ach of these passa#es

43 has an introductory statement that summariIes the rest of the chapter, followed by a circumstantial clause that modifies the upcomin# verse! Chis second element in each case follows the nonBusual, emphatic pattern 4waw Y noun Y verb .hayah/6 describin# a ne#ative state before creation! ;inally the introduction to each creation account brin#s in the main clause that uses the normal 0ebrew verbJsub<ect pattern 4waw consecutive Y prefi%ed con<u#ation form describin# the creation!6 .Walt2e 89:' ,2'22:/ Che editors of the 5et -ible #ive a somewhat simpler summary' 4Chis literary structure @of &enesis ' , 2A is paralleled in the second portion of the boo2' &en 2'1 provides the title or summary of what follows, 2':B6 use dis<unctive clause structures to #ive bac2#round information for the followin# narrative, and 2'9 be#ins the narrative with the vav consecutive attached to a prefi%ed verbal form!6 Chis sounds comple%, but is easily illustrated with the followin# chart'

Co)parison of Genesis 1:1, 2 #it! Genesis 2:='8 .In illustration of Walt2e 89:' "art III'22:/ &en ' , 2 ! Introductory summary statement In the be#innin# &od created the heavens and the earth! . ' / 5ow the earth was @tohu wabohuA . '2/ &en 2'1B9 Chis is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created! .2'1/ 5ow no shrub of the field was yet in the earth .2':, 6/

2! Circumstantial clause of the pattern waw Y noun Y verb .hayah/3 an emphatic description of a ne#ative state before creation ,! 7ain clause of the usual pattern waw Y verb describin# the creation

Chen &od said let there be li#ht M . ',/

Chen the ?ord &od formed man! .2'9/

Chis parallel construction emphasiIes the ne#ative condition of the earth prior to creation! In &enesis ' , 2, this ne#ative state is called, tohu wabohu! Chis phrase is at the heart of the discussion about the purposes of &od in history, as indicated in the -ible, and

44 the missiolo#ical implications for brin#in# order out of chaos wherever crossBcultural wor2ers #o as representatives of the 2in#dom of &od! &od+s way of dealin# with the physical condition of the earth described in &enesis '2 #ives direction to 0is followers for dealin# with the roots of human problems at personal, community, and crossBcultural levels! Che fi#ure of speech in the 0ebrew, tohu wabohu, startles the listener or reader with its rhymin# Duality and calls attention to the fact that somethin# surprisin# and si#nificant is bein# said, somethin# une%pected that will throw the reader and listener off balance! It is a thesis of this paper that this rhymin# pair of words are a 2ey to understandin# the purpose of the &enesis creation story, the drama of (cripture, the purpose of all of history, and it represents the ori#in of a theolo#y of disease! Tohu wabohu' V describes a <ud#ed and destroyed state of the earth V implies the e%istence of evil and the need to correct and overcome that evil V points to root of human problems and the reason for the creation of humans .and the preparation of a land for them/' to <oin &od in 0is wor2 of overcomin# evil with #ood! V serves as the be#innin# of the framewor2 for all of (cripture, showin# that &od+s purpose in history is to reverse <ud#ment and usher in the eternal (abbath rest that is the #oal of Creation! Che last chapter in the -ible, )evelation 22, provides the other end of the biblical framewor2 .an 4inclusio,6 as literaryBminded biblical scholars call it/, showin# that all of history, the story of humans wor2in# with &od, has reached its #oal' 45o lon#er will there be any curse M Chere will be no more ni#ht M &od will #ive them li#ht! And they will rei#n for ever and ever!6 .)evelation 22',, :/ V introduces the need for a theolo#y of evil, defined as opposition to &od+s will, which includes disease! Where did disease come fromH 0ow can it be eliminatedH What does &od e%pect 0is people to do about it .and about other human problems that are contrary to 0is will for the earth/H Tohu wabohu is a compound term that occurs only two other times in the Old Cestament .Isaiah ,1' and Eeremiah 1'2,/! Che word tohu alone occurs another 9 times, but it must be 2ept in mind that the compound term, as a fi#ure of speech, will mean somethin# more than the sum of its component parts! Co arrive at a satisfactory meanin# for this rare term the followin# process will be followed' ! A review of relevant literary considerations 2! An e%amination of the conte%t of the passa#es in which tohu or tohu wabohu is used ,! A summary chart of the word associations found with these terms 1! A review of a number of ma<or commentators+ opinions :! A rationale for the most helpful translation 6! A discussion of the application of the concept at various levels! 1iterar* Considerations A review of relevant literary considerations for this phrase involves noticin# the importance of the sounds of words in 0ebrew, the si#nificance of the use of fi#ures of speech and rhyme, and the role of parallelism in 0ebrew writin#s for determinin# the meanin#s of obscure terms! Che ori#inal audience must have heard &enesis spo2en aloud as part of the oral literature of ancient Israel! $verett ;o%, a specialist in 5ear $astern and Eudaic (tudies,

45 points out that the 40ebrew -ible ori#inated lar#ely as a spo2en literature @andA must be translated with careful attention to rhythm and sound!6 . 8>,'i%/ 7oses+ listeners, who had recently escaped from the chaos of slavery and nonBentity in $#ypt and had e%perienced deliverance from the destructive waters of the )ed (ea, would have been cau#ht up in the ima#ery evo2ed by the words and sounds of &enesis ' , 2! Cheir own recent e%perience would have caused them to resonate with the word play and meanin# of the rhymin# tohu wabohu and the assonance of ruachJ merachepet .the consonant and vowel sounds in merachepet .4stirrin#6/ echo the sound of ruach .4spirit6/! .Fselman' 89>' 61/! Che <u%taposition of these two sets of word plays must have been a reassurin# sound to the people of &od as 7oses be#an to e%plain to them how their &od had prepared a place for them to live by brin#in# order and #oodness out of a land that was tohu wabohuKdestroyed and desolate, turned upside down .that+s li2e usO they would have reco#niIed/Kand that 0e had never left that land .or the people/ without the presence of 0is ruach merachepet .spirit stirrin#/! Word plays and the assonance of deliberate repeated sounds would have cau#ht the attention of the ori#inal audience, alertin# them to notice that somethin# out of the ordinary was bein# said! "erhaps the rhyme #ave a playful, as well as memorable, twist to the depiction of antiBcreational chaos! Eob seems to do somethin# similar in his description of the feared sea monster, ?eviathan, in Eob 1 ':' 4Can you pull in the leviathan with a fishhoo2H M Can you ma2e a pet of himH6 "erhaps by the very sound of the words he was inspired to choose, tohu wabohu, 7oses was reassurin# the people that &od has chaos under control and that even conditions contrary to &od+s will can be turned to 0is #ood purposes! Closely related to the sounds of the words is the use of fi#ures of speech, which can include deliberate plays on the sounds of words, as with tohu wabohu! In the ?o#os ?ibroni% version of 4;i#ures of (peech Used in the -ible' $%plained and Illustrated,6 it is pointed out that fi#ures of speech such as rhymin# words or 4paronomasia6 .to be e%plained shortly/ draw the attention of the readerJlistener to an important statement which mi#ht not otherwise have been adeDuately noticed! Che use of this fi#ure of speech is never to be disre#arded! In other words, when we see a rhymin# fi#ure of speech such as tohu wabohu we need to as2, 4what is #oin# on here that is unusualH6 7ichael ;ishbane also refers to the 4paronomasia6 as a semantic device' 4Eustification for the utiliIation of puns and allusions in e%e#esis lies in the ac2nowled#ed independent and efficacious power of words! Chey are pre#nant with meanin#!6 . 89 ' 6 / We can e%amine the meanin# of tohu wabohu from the perspective of two fi#ures of speech' hendiadys .which includes the compound nature of the term/ and paronomasia .which includes the rhymin# Duality of the term and the possibility that it is intended to be a pun/! $ach of these will shed li#ht on the interpretation of the term tohu wabohu once the meanin#s of the separate words are investi#ated! , Webster+s *ictionary defines 4hendiadys6 as 4POne by two+' the e%pression of an idea by two nouns connected by Pand,+ instead of by a noun and an ad<ective!6 Che O%ford $n#lish *ictionary #ives this definition' 4a fi#ure of speech in which a sin#le comple% idea is e%pressed by two words connected by a con<unction!6 We need to understand somethin# about the word tohu, and if possible about the word bohu .which is never used as a separate word/, before we can 2now what the author had in mind in <oinin# these words to#ether, althou#h we can be sure that the compound phrase will mean more than the <ust the sum of its parts! Walt2e #ives these e%amples of hendiadys' 4dribs and drabs, spic and span, hem

46 and haw,6 and says the hendiadys, tohu wabohu, si#nifies 4utter chaos!6 4It was uninhabitable and uninhabited, Punformed and unfilled!+6 . 88 '1/ As a side note, accordin# to Walt2e+s illustrations of hendiadys, it could be considered a possibility that one word of the pair of words could have been invented to ma2e a playful and memorable sound with the other! We will loo2 into this possibility after a discussion of the si#nificance of the rhymin# Duality of tohu wabohu! Che rhymin# Duality of this term is an aspect of the fi#ure of speech 2nown as paronomasia' 4a word play, especially a pun, to call by a different name!6 .Webster+s *ictionary/ 7ichael ;ishbane . 89 ' 6 / mentions this fi#ure of speech in relation to tohu wabohu! Che ,&ford +nglish 4ictionary points out that paronomasia comes from the &ree2 words meanin# 4after namin#!6 "aronomasia means 4to alter sli#htly in namin#3 a playin# on words that sound ali2e3 a wordBplay3 a pun!6 Che entry #ives an e%ample of a boo2 title from >>> that is 4cleverly paronomastical6' 4A Cursory 0istory of (wearin#!6 Che whimsical and rhymin# Duality of a paronomasia is somethin# to 2eep in mind in determinin# the meanin# of tohu wabohu! Che rhymin# Duality of the term tohu wabohu comes from a sli#ht alteration of the sound of the first word .chan#in# the 4t6 to 4b6/, combined with the 0ebrew con<unction 4wa6 .and/! ?ater we will loo2 at evidence that the word bohu may have been invented for the purpose of rhymin# with tohu by alterin# a similarBsoundin# 0ebrew word with a compatible meanin#! -efore loo2in# into that possibility, we need to loo2 at the value of rhyme for illuminatin# the meanin# of the biblical te%t! In a passa#e related to &enesis '2, Isaiah 1:' >, the use of rhyme calls attention to somethin# si#nificant the author wants the reader to notice, and perhaps because of its close relationship to &enesis '2, the rhyme may be indirectly #ivin# us another e%ample of the meanin# of the full phrase, tohu wabohu! In the 0ebrew it can be seen that Isaiah 1:' > is a poem that rhymes and has the same number of syllables, somethin# that is not necessary or usual in 0ebrew poetry' 'o tohu beraa 'asebet yesara 0e did not create it to be @tohuA -ut formed it to be inhabited (ince most 0ebrew poetry does not rhyme, the fact that this is the second occurrence of rhyme in association with the word tohu indicates somethin# si#nificant is bein# said that needs e%tra thou#ht! Could it be that Isaiah introduced this word play because he had the rhymin# sound of tohu wabohu in mind when he chose to use the word tohu in this conte%tH In that case then, we would have a fourth .implied/ conte%t for the term tohu wabohu! Chis playful rhyme in Isaiah 1:' > shows that &od wants to turn the ori#inal conditions upside down that can be described by the rhymin# words tohu wabohu! 0e wants to reverse the <ud#ed state of the land .described earlier in the chapter/, to ma2e it inhabited and lifeB#ivin#! Che conte%t shows that Cyrus, as &od+s servant, is #oin# to rebuild what &od had allowed to be destroyed! Chis same passa#e #ives an e%cellent e%ample of parallelism, a common literary device in 0ebrew poetry! In determinin# the meanin# of each of the words separately as well as the term, tohu wabohu, as a whole, the use of parallelism is a 2ey e%e#etical tool! An e%ample of the usefulness of this tool is found in determinin# the meanin# of tohu in

47 Isaiah 1:' >! Che four lines in parallel structure are related to each other in this way' .A/ 0e who fashioned and made the earth .A+/ 0e founded it .-/ 0e did not create it to be @tohuA .-+/ -ut formed it to be inhabited! In lines .-/ and .-+/, which are obviously intended to be synonymous, 4not M tohu6 is paired with 4inhabited,6 #ivin# us a clue to the meanin# of tohu' empty or uninhabited or perhaps purposelessJmeanin#less! Che Word Associations chart in the Appendi% was constructed usin# similar lo#ic, also ta2in# into consideration word associations in the immediate and broad conte%t of the chapters in which the word tohu appears! Chis e%ample from Isaiah 1:' > shows how parallelism and conte%t can help determine the meanin# of tohu wabohu in &enesis '2' As for the earth, .A/ it was tohu wabohu .-/ with dar2ness on the face of .the/ deep .C/ but the (pirit of &od stirrin# over the face of the waters! With these three lines, the Duestion must be addressed, is parallelism involved here, and if so, which lines are parallel to each other, and in what relationshipH Che repetition of the phrase, 4on the face of6 seems to indicate that it would be appropriate to consider these lines as a form of parallelism, typical in 0ebrew poetry! .Fselman 89>'68/ Chis supposition is further supported by the fact that the last word of both lines .-/ and .C/ is about water .the deepJtehom and waterJmayim/! We need to 2now which type of parallelism is intended here' synonymous, synthetic, or antitheticH It would be practically blasphemous to consider synonymous parallelism in lines .-/ and .C/, in which case 4dar2ness6 would be eDuated with 4(pirit of &od!6 (ynthetic parallelism seems inappropriate as well' the concept of the (pirit of &od does not add to our understandin# of what it means for dar2ness to be on the face of the deep! Che third option, antithetical parallelism, fits the conte%t very well! Che (pirit of &od is the antithesis of dar2ness! &od has not left his land or his people totally without 0is presence, even in the midst of dar2ness! It could also be ar#ued that lines .A/ and .-/ stand in synthetic relationship to each other, with 4dar2ness6 and 4deep6 servin# as an elaboration of the meanin# and connotations of tohu wabohu! *ar2ness is a common biblical symbol of evil and it is the first thin# &od corrects in &enesis as he sets about overcomin# evil with #ood! -oth the words 4dar2nessJhosek6 and 4deepJtehom6 would no doubt have sent shivers of remembered horror down the spines of 7oses+ listeners! Chey had <ust escaped from slavery .societal tohu wabohu/ in the land of $#ypt where the pla#ue of dar2ness had helped chan#e "haraoh+s mind about lettin# them #o, associated with the last pla#ue of the 2illin# of the firstBborn sons durin# the ni#ht in all the $#yptian households! 7oses+ audience had <ust escaped from the 4deeps6 of the feared sea by the ruach of &od .$%odus :' 0, another allusion from &enesis '2/ separatin# the water and ma2in# a dry path, followed by the drownin# of their enemies! Chere is no doubt but that the ima#ery con<ured up by the lan#ua#e in the parallelism of &enesis '2 would have meant to 7oses+ audience that the land 4at the be#innin#,6 before &od started ma2in# it livable, was an ominous, hostile place! In ta2in# 4dar2ness on the face of the deep6 as an elaboration of the meanin# of

48 tohu wabohu, as well as the antithesis of the spirit of &od movin# on the face of the waters, line .-/ serves double duty in functionin# with each of the other two lines in different types of parallelism! Chese various literary devises used in the 0ebrew lan#ua#e are helpful for comin# to a better understandin# of the term tohu wabohu! Applyin# what has been learned about the ancient 0ebrew interest in assonance, paronomasia, and parallelism, to the word bohu, which occurs only three times in the Old Cestament and always combined with tohu, will help us eventually arrive at a useful interpretation for the combined term! Che ancient 0ebrews+ deli#ht in soundBali2e words will be a factor in determinin# the ori#in and meanin# of the sin#le word bohu! $tymolo#ical studies will also be helpful, patterned after Old Cestament and ancient lan#ua#es scholar *avid Csumura+s e%ample! ;ollowin# an etymolo#ical study of the meanin# of bohu, we will e%amine the conte%t of each occurrence of tohu and tohu wabohu in detail! Word associations will be noted that will further illumine the meanin# and si#nificance of the compound term! Et*)o&og* of Bohu> *avid Csumura #oes into #reat detail to e%amine possible co#nates for bohu .and separately for tohu/ in closely related lan#ua#es of the ancient 5ear $ast! Arabic' bahiya 4to be empty6 .Che -rown, *river and -ri##s+ %ebrew-+nglish 'e&icon su##ests this etymolo#y!/ 4Chis Arabic term is used to describe the empty or vacant state of a tent or house that contains nothin# or little furniture or #oods! Chus it has basically a concrete meanin# rather than an abstract meanin# such as Pnothin#ness+ or Pemptiness!+6 .200:' ,/ A22adian' W! ;! Albri#ht su##ests the A22adian term bubutu, 4$mptiness, hun#er,6 as a possible co#nate of the 0ebrew bohu! -ut Csumura lists several reasons why this is not a valid su##estion, mainly based on an error by Albri#ht in attributin# the definition of 4emptiness, hun#er6 to the A22adian term, which has other meanin#s accordin# to lin#uistic sources! . 881', ,/ Csumura is of the opinion that 4many of the errors made in interpretin# the biblical te%t we are dealin# with @&enesis '2A stem from faulty etymolo#y!6 .200:'1/ "hoenician' Csumura finds no evidence that the 0ebrew term had any connection with the "hoenician divine name -aav, the #oddess of 4ni#ht,6 4e%cept for their possible common derivation from the root, bhw!6 . 881', 1/ Csumura concludes, 4In the li#ht of the above discussion, 0ebrew bohu, thou#h still lac2in# definite etymolo#y, seems to be a (emitic term based on the root bhw and possibly a co#nate of Arabic bahiya Pto be empty!+6 . 881', :/ Chis su##ested etymolo#y a#rees with conte%tual studies in which associations of emptiness and dar2ness .ni#ht/ are seen repeatedly in connection with tohu and tohu wabohu! -ut I would li2e to propose a further, ori#inal etymolo#ical study! A 0ebrew word closely related to bohu, hah#al .(tron#+s U >8 /, has an abstract meanin# associated with the interpretation of 4emptiness,6 namely, 4vain6 or 4worthless6 thin#s .empty of meanin#/! Considerin# the 0ebrews+ deli#ht in word associations of similar meanin# and similar sounds leads me to propose the theory that bohu is a word invented by the author of &enesis '2 .the term later bein# copied by Isaiah and Eeremiah in antiB creational conte%ts/ to rhyme with tohu and carry the meanin# of 4emptiness6 in both the abstract and concrete senses, and conveyin# a state of bein# 4mi%ed up6 or 4upside

49 down!6 Che line of reasonin# be#ins with Eeremiah >' 6, 8, a passa#e that seems relevant because of the presence of several words or themes often associated with tohu wabohu' sha2in# or tremblin#, disaster as a result of <ud#ment, worthless idols, vain thin#s! .(ee the Word Associations chart in the Appendi%! Chis reasonin# assumes the continuity of the 0ebrew lan#ua#e from the time &enesis was written until the rest of the Old Cestament was written!/ Eeremiah >' 6, 8' 4M at the nei#hin# of their stallions the whole land trembles @sha2esA! Chey have come to devour the land and everythin# in it! Why have they provo2ed me to an#er with their ima#es, with their worthless forei#n idolsH6 @with their vanities G beheh#el, >82, which has the root of (tron#+s U >8 mentioned aboveA Che phrase 4with their vanities,6 behe#el, with the prefi% for the preposition, 4withJbe,6 sounds very much li2e the vowel sounds of wabohu with the consonants in <umbled order, 2eepin# in mind that in 0ebrew the 4v6 and the 4b6 sound are somewhat interchan#eable! As was previously mentioned, paronomasia means 4to alter sli#htly in namin#,6 so it would seem to be a valid e%ercise to follow Csumura+s e%amples in which he speculates on how one word can #radually evolve into other forms .200:' 6, 9, 12B 1:/! Che word bohu could have been invented and combined with tohu throu#h the followin# mental steps, based on similar sounds and similar meanin#s of the words involved! (tartin# with beheh#el .vanities, thin#s empty of purpose/, the followin# sta#es could have ta2en place' ! (witch the 4v6 and the initial 4h6 of 4hehvel6 G be+vehhel 2! Chan#e the 4v6 sound to the closely related 4b6 G be+behhel ,! Chan#e 4withJbe6 to 4andJwa6 G wa+behhel 1! *rop the 4l6 sound G wa+behhe :! Chan#e the vowels to cause the newly coined term to rhyme with tohu G wabohu Another e%ample, followin# Csumura+s approach, with fewer steps and more obvious connections, comes from 2 Fin#s 9' :' 4they went after vain thin#s and became vain .wahebalu/6 .(tron#+s U >8 !/ In this case the second occurrence of the word already has the con<unction, 4wawJwa,6 and in this #rammatical form of the word the 4v6 sound is already 4b,6 so only three sta#es would be needed for it to evolve into 4wabohu6' ! *rop the syllable, 4he6 G wabalu 2! $%chan#e the 4l6 sound for the dropped 4h6 G wabahu ,! 7a2e the minor correction in the vowel sound to cause the newly coined term to rhyme with tohu G wabohu Chese su##estions are in 2eepin# with the fi#ure of speech 2nown as paronomasia, mentioned by 7ichael ;ishbane in relation to tohu wabohu! . 89 ' 6 / .The ,&ford +nglish 4ictionary defines paronomasia as, 4to alter sli#htly in namin#3 a playin# on words that sound ali2e3 a wordBplay3 a pun!6/ If this proposal is accepted, the mi%edBup ori#in of the phrase already hints at the meanin# of the term tohu wabohu, communicatin# by its sound a mi%ed up, disordered state of bein#! Che ori#inal word that was 4mi%ed up6 in creatin# the new term is more li2ely to have been the one used in 2 Fin#s 9' :! In this passa#e the people fell under <ud#ment for #oin# after the vain or worthless thin#Jhahah#al .idols/ .(tron#+s U >8 / and they themselves became vain, worthlessJwahebalu .(tron#+s U >8 /! If we consider the phrase tohu wabohu .a variation of tohu wehabalu/ to be a pun, we could speculate that former inhabitants of the

50 earth or land .prior to &enesis ' , 23 cf! $Ie2iel 2>' :B 9/ had similarly followed vain thin#s and themselves became worthless .wehabalu/! .As a side note, compare this to 7atthew :' ,' 4Qou are the salt of the earth! -ut if the salt loses its saltiness, M it is no lon#er #ood for anythin# @it is worthlessA, e%cept to be thrown out and trampled under by men!6/ *escribin# the condition of the earth with the moc2in# rhyme, tohu wabohu, would have communicated to 7oses+ listeners that somethin# had #one wron#, was out of order, contrary to &od+s intentions, before 0e be#an settin# thin#s bac2 in order throu#h Creation! If Westermann .Csumura 881', :/ and Alter .2001' 9/ are ri#ht, that bohu is a madeBup word, and if others are ri#ht that it means 4vain6 or 4empty,6 then hah#al .(tron#+s U >8 / could well be the word it was based on! 4Che second word of the pair @tohu wabohuA loo2s li2e a nonce term coined to rhyme with the first and to reinforce it6 .Alter 2001' 9/ And if bohu is a madeBup word that would e%plain why it does not occur by itself anywhere in (cripture! Exa)ination of t!e ontext In the conte%t of a local creation, the description of the land as a howlin#, trac2less waste and 4vain6 .both common associations for 4tohu6 and 4bohu6 as we will see in this section/ can be seen as a description of what the prophets describe and predict for the nations that &od has <ud#ed or will <ud#e! &enesis '2 is obviously a <ud#ed state of the land! It is definitely not <ust neutral material waitin# passively to be acted upon as some commentators, such as Csumura, claim! Che conte%t for each occurrence of tohu and tohu wabohu will be e%amined for further insi#hts into the meanin# and si#nificance of this term! ;ollowin# an inductive analysis of each passa#e, and a listin# of the passa#es accordin# to the usa#e of the tohu, a Word Associations chart, found in the Appendi%, will summariIe the most important findin#s! Che word tohu occurs in the followin# passa#es! Chose in which it occurs as part of the term, tohu wabohu, are indicated with an asteris2' &en '2 Z *eut ,2' 0 (am 2'2 .2%/ Eob 6' > Eob 2'21 Eob 226'9 "s 09'10 Isa 21' 0 Isa 28'2 Isa ,1' Z Isa 10' 9 Isa 10'2, Isa 1 '28 Isa 1:' >, 8 Isa 1:' 8 Isa 18'1 Isa :8'1 Eer 1'2, Z

51

Che followin# cate#ories of information are #iven for each passa#e' ! Che primary meanin# of tohu .or tohu wabohu/ 2! Any parallel terms .indicated by the #eometric si#n' JJ / ,! -roader conte%t of the verse .in most cases, the rest of the chapter in which it occurs/ 1! 7otifs or word associations within that broad conte%t :! (ummary of the opposition to &od+s intentions 6! 0ow &od corrected this opposition and demonstrated 0is will *eut ,2' ' tohu ! barren and howlin# waste 2! JJ to desert land ,! -roader conte%t' &od+s care with the metaphor of an ea#le stirrin# up its nest3 approval that forei#n #ods are not in the picture 1! 7otifs' desertJ howlin# wasteJ barren careJshieldJea#le stirrin# its nest no forei#n #ods :! Opposite of &od+s will' &odBforsa2en .empty/ wilderness3 ,2':, 6' the people had acted corruptly, they were no lon#er his children, were warped, croo2ed .mi%edBup/, foolish, unwise! 6! Correction and demonstration of &od+s will' &od found these people who acted in these nonBproductive ways in a desolate place and called them out! 0e became a refu#e and shield for them! (amuel 2'2 ' tohu occurs twice ! useless idolsJvain thin#s 2! the translations for tohu are JJ to each other .*o not turn away after tohu @useless or vain thin#sA which can do you no #ood, nor can they deliver, because they are tohu @uselessA/ ,! -roader conte%t' The people were doing evil by asking for a king3 thunder and rain were sent to #et their attention3 &od had ori#inally made the people his own3 serve &od faithfully3 if you persist in evil you will be swept away .with the useless thin#s/ 1! 7otifs' useless idols vain thin#s idols cannot rescue creation of a people &od will not re<ect the faithful .eDuivalent to ri#hteousH/ evil doers swept away :! Opposite of &od+s will' servin# vain thin#s .that are nothin#/ that do not profitJ do not deliver 6! Correction and demonstration of &od+s will' (amuel ur#es the people to as2 for &od himself and to serve and fear 0im! (amuel promsises to pray for the people and teach them the way that is #ood and ri#ht!

52 Eob 6' >' tohu ! wastelandJnothin# 2! JJ to distressed, disappointed .not findin# water/, perishin# ,! -roader conte%t' Eob is spea2in# in the conte%t of an#uish .4&od+s terrors6/3 he is in torment from (atans+ evil intentions to afflict him! Co desribe how his friends are treatin# him, Eob tells a story about caravans that turn aside from the path, loo2in# in vain for lifeB #ivin# water! Chey #o to the wastelandJnothin#Jtrac2less area and perish! Eob+s friends are undependable li2e intermittent streams which dry up! Che friends, li2e the 4nothin#6 stream beds, are of 4no help!6 1! 7otifs' wasteland nothin# undependable as intermittent streams .floodJdrou#ht/ dar2ened .by thawin# ice/ perishJ distressedJ disappointed :! Opposite of &od+s will' absence of lifeB#ivin# water3 absence of dependable friendship! 6! Correction and demonstration of &od+s will' (ee vs! 1' a despairin# man should have the devotion of his friends instead of the opposite' no help3 nothin#! Che correction does not come until the end of the boo2 when &od vindicates Eob confidence in &od+s faithfulness and sets aside the platitudes of the 4friends!6 Eob 2'21' tohu ! wildernessJthrou#h a waste .trac2less3 without a path/ 2! JJ to deprived of reason JJ to #rope in dar2ness JJ sta##er li2e drun2ards ,! -roader conte%t' ?eaders have been deprived of reason3 they wander throu#h a trac2less waste, #ropin# in dar2ness! .Chis sounds li2e 5ebudchadneIIar+s e%perience!/ -y 0is wisdom and power &od controls the waters, leadin# to drou#ht or floodin#3 he reveals deep thin#s of dar2ness .ma2es fools out of counselors+ advice, resultin# in their e%periencin# chaotic internal conditions/ and brin#s deep shadows .of death/ into the li#ht! All this is a metaphor to describe how &od will deal with .false/ advisors! Chis is also an e%ample of a metaphorical application of &enesis '2, , in which &od turned chaos, nothin#ness and the 4deep6 waters into somethin# lifeBsustainin#3 0e penetrated the dar2ness with li#ht! 1! 7otifs' wisdom J power J control waters J drou#ht Jfloodin# wilderness J trac2less waste dar2ness .metaphorical/ deep shadows of death .metaphorical/ insanity dar2ness .literal/ drun2en sta##erin# :! Opposite of &od+s will' an empty, trackless mind (tohu) 6! Correction and demonstration of &od+s will' Ns! 22' &od 0e brin#s deep shadows into the li#ht! Eob 26'9' tohu ! empty place

53 2! JJ to 4nothin#6 ,! -roader conte%t' 4*eath writhes @sha2esA and destruction lies uncovered6Kisn+t that a description of tohu wabohu in &en '2H .I thin2 death and destruction lyin# uncovered are the 4nothin#6 and 4empty space6 that &od is coverin# by spreadin# out the s2ies in creation' overcomin# evil with #ood!/ &od is undoin# destruction throu#h reBcreation3 &od+s 4battle6 with the deep and the sea monsters in this conte%t is metaphorical of 0is brin#in# order out of chaos by separatin# the waters above and below and separatin# li#ht and dar2! 1! 7otifs' death writhin# .sha2in#/ destruction creation theme .separatin# waters, li#htJdar2/ voidJ nothin# J empty place .the deepH/ *ar2ness Dua2in# .pillars of heaven/ sea monsters 2illed storm calmed breath .of &od/ :! Opposite of &od+s will' emptiness, absence of life, death, destruction 6! Correction and demonstration of &od+s will' &od corrects this emptiness by fillin# it throu#h the Creation process3 0e spreads out the s2ies over the empty space! "s 09'10' tohu ! wander in a waste .without a path/3 void placeJtrac2less waste 2! JJ pourin# contempt on nobles .(ee Eob 2'21 G deprived of reason, eDuivalent to chaos!/ ,! -roader conte%t' recountin# the history of &od+s people and &od+s rescue when they called to him out of dar2ness and distress3 &od+s control of the sea3 ma2in# the desert fruitful3 &od pours contempt on leaders who oppressed the people and ma2es them wander in a trac2less waste or desert, where there is no path .nothin#/3 the needy are helped .<ustice/ 1! 7otifs' wander in a waste without a path J trac2less waste void place cry for help saved from distress dar2ness J #loom sea wor2s of the ?ord deep .not tehom/ storm calmed desert fruitful land wic2edness :! Opposite of &od+s will' wasteland that does not support life, oppression of &od+s people

54 6! Correction and demonstration of &od+s will' &od corrects the desert with flowin# sprin#s .vs! ,:B,>/! 0e corrects the oppression caused by corrupt nobles by liftin# the needy out of affliction! Isa 21' 0' tohu ! ruined city lies desolateJempty 2! JJ the entrance to every house is barred ,! -roader conte%t' Che ?ord+s devastation of the earth .various un#odly nations/3 the earth defiled by the people so a curse consumes the earth3 other analo#ies are #iven' from a#riculture3 from flood#ates of heaven and earth bein# sha2en3 earth reels li2e a drun2ard3 all imply chaos 1! 7otifs' city of confusion is bro2en down ruins empty lay waste devastate defiled .by the people/ disobedience curse #uilt desolate beaten flood sha2e drun2ard .reels/ rebellion :! Opposite of &od+s will' breaking Gods laws and covenant 6! Correction and demonstration of &od+s will' 21' 1B 6 and chapter 2:' acclaimin# the ?ord+s ma<esty, #ivin# #lory to the )i#hteous One3 &od+s rescue of 0is people, removin# the dis#race of his peopleJ Isa 28'2 ' tohu ! empty pleas3 a thin# of nau#ht .no account/3 false testimony 2! JJensnare the defender in court ,! -roader conte%t' Woe to *avid+s City! Eud#ment and destruction are comin#! Chose who try to hide their plans from the ?ord are wor2in# in dar2ness! &od will turn thin#s upside down .vs! 6/! &od will help the humble! Che ruthless who ta2e advanta#e of the innocent .throu#h false testimony/ will be cut down and disappear! 1! 7otifs #reat depths .metaphorical/ hide woe dar2ness upside down .a meanin# or implication of tohu wabohuH/ formed J ma2e .potter and clay/ fertile field #loom

55 blind will see ruthlessJ moc2ers J evil vanish J disappear J cut down #uilty deprivin# the innocent of <ustice false testimony J empty pleas J a thin# of nau#ht .no account/ :! Opposite of &od+s will' empty pleasJfalse testimony deprive the innocent of <ustice! 6! Correction and demonstration of &od+s will' &od will <ud#e the ruthless and the humble will re<oice! Isa ,1' ' tohu wabohu" ! measurin# line of chaos .tohu/ and the plumb line of desolation .bohuJ emptiness/ 2! JJ nothin# there to be called a 2in#dom JJ all her princes will vanish away ,! -roader conte%t' Eud#ment a#ainst the nations specifically $dom! Nerses 8, 0 sound li2e a description of the results of a volcanic eruption! Che opposite of buildin# ima#ery is used K$dom will be measured with a line of desolation and emptiness! Fin#doms will vanish3 nobles will have nothin# left to call a 2in#dom! ;ormerly inhabited area will become a wilderness with only wild animals inhabitin# it! 1! 7otifs' heavens will be dissolved streams and land become pitch @dar23 a description of the results of a volcanic eruptionA desolate desert .howlin#/ owl the measurin# line of chaos .tohu/ and the plumb line of desolation .bohu/ nothin# there to be called a 2in#dom uninhabited .implied/ princes will vanish :! Opposite of &od+s will' desert populated only by wild animals 6! Correction and demonstration of &od+s will' Chapter ,: describes the wilderness re<oicin# and blossomin#3 the burnin# sand becomin# a pool, and a hi#hway for the redeemed to wal2 upon with no ferocious beasts to be found! Isa 10' 9, 2,' tohu ! vanityJ worthless3 nothin# 2! JJnothin#, less than nothin# . 9/ JJ brin#s princes to nau#ht .2,/ ,! -roader conte%t' Israel thin2s &od has for#otten her! Che chapter describes &od+s comfort for his people after they have learned their lesson from &od+s punishment for sin! Che desert is turned into a hi#hway for &od, &od cares for 0is people as for loved animals! Che ima#ery of creation is used repeatedly and the #reatness of &od in relationship to the nations and their rulers is emphasiIed! Chey are as nothin# and worthless by comparison! &od brin#s the rulers of this world to nothin#! Chose who hope in the ?ord will renew their stren#th and soar on win#s li2e ea#les! 1! 7otifs' desert J wilderness

56 hi#hway J strai#ht paths .opposite of writhin# and twistin#/ shepherd measured waters nothin# J as dust on scales or drop in buc2et worthless idols be#innin# J earth founded stren#th to weary ea#les+ win#s :! Opposite of &od+s will' nations in a condition of nothingness and emptiness 6! Correction and demonstration of &od+s will' 1 ' the nations will renew their stren#th .no lon#er be as nothin#/ Isa 1 '28' tohu ! vanity .li2e the wind/ 2! JJ deeds amount to nothin# ,! -roader conte%t' -ut &od is the helper of Israel! 0e will rescue them from their enemies who are as nothin# to &od and will ma2e the land watered and fruitful! Che idols are less than nothin#! &od wasn+t able to find a prophet who wasn+t false to tell these thin#s to the people! 1! 7otifs' ends of earth fear .the ?ord/ tremble servant .chosen by &od/ stren#then J help ri#hteous ra#e Joppose ashamed J dis#racedJ as nothin# J perish rivers flow J sprin#s J pools of water barren J desert idols less than nothin# worthless destable stirred up one from the north false deeds amount to nothin# ima#es are wind J vanity J confusion :! Opposite of &od+s will' vanity, or empty works that amount to nothing 6! Correction and demonstration of &od+s will' Chapter 12 describes the (ervant of the ?ord who demonstrates &od+s will, unli2e Israel who was intended to be the &od+s servant and unli2e the situation described in 1 '2>' there is no one amon# them to #ive counsel! Isa 11'8' tohu

57 ! #raven ima#es .or those ma2in# them/ are vanityJ nothin# 2! JJ worthless ,! -roader conte%t' Israel is &od+s chosen servant! 0e will pour 0is (pirit on them, as pictured by waterin# the dry #round! Idols are worthless! Ima#ery of creation now applied to Israel, the people and their sins are for#iven! Creation ima#ery of physcial world! Cities will be rebuilt! 1! 7otifs' dry #round J thirsty land (pirit offsprin# J descendants flowin# streams established ancient people .creation of people/ tremble .do not/ ma2ers of idols are nothin# worthless blind J i#norant shame servant Israel creation of people, Israel redeemed inhabited creation of physical world described stretched out heavens false prophets overthrow learnin# of wise J nonsense restore ruins build up city dry up the watery deep :! Opposite of &od+s will' people ma2in# and worshipin# idols 6! Correction and demonstration of &od+s will' 11'22' I have swept away your offenses M the ?ord redeems Eacob Isa 1:' >, 8' tohu ! created the earth not in vain .to no purpose/ .vs >/ 2! JJ inhabited .vs >/ ! he didn+t say 4see2 me6 in vain .falsely/ .vs 8/ 2! JJ spea2 the truth J declare what is ri#ht .vs 8/ 5ote'Csumura+s insistence, as we will see later, on a literal desert for tohu in Isa! 1:' 8 is not in harmony with the te%t! 0ere tohu .in vain/ means 4falsely63 &od is not #ivin# false testimony .as in 28'2 /! ,! -roader conte%t for both verses' &od did not intend for the world to be empty or purposeless! &od creates li#ht and dar2ness, brin#s both prosperity and disaster, accordin# to the way the people relate to &od+s ways! 0e created the world, sets Cyrus in place to carry out 0is plans to rebuild the City and to destroy those who ma2e and worship idols! 0e intends that the earth to be inhabited and that Eacob+s descendents and all the earth should see2 him! 1! 7otifs' anointed

58 li#ht dar2ness prosperity disaster creation of earth and man2ind ri#hteousness J ways strai#ht rebuild city set e%iles free ma2ers of idols dis#raced J put to shame not to be empty inhabited not in secret not in land of dar2ness descendants see2 me not in vain spea2 truth J what is ri#ht turn and be saved ends of earth no other &od ri#hteousness stren#th :! Opposite of &od+s will' empty heavens, empty or vain words 6! Correction and demonstration of &od+s will' a! &od created the heavens full of heavenly bodies b! &od tells the people to #ather to#ether, turn to him and be saved Isa 18'1' tohu ! spent my stren#th for nothin# 2! JJ no purpose J nothin# ,! -roader conte%t' Che prophet is addressin# the far away peoples, tellin# them the ?ord has called him, but he feels li2e he has labored for no purpose .tohu/! &od tells him he will not only help Israel, but all other nations as well, #ivin# them the opportunity to be set free! 1! 7otifs' servant of the ?ord islands J distant nations J ends of the earth J &entiles &od+s 4ma2in#6 of his servant .from birth/ arrow J Duiver .as a tool for &od to use/ stren#th spent to no purpose nothin# ?ord+s hand J reward restore salvation covenant

59 desolate inheritance captives made free dar2ness not hun#er, thirst desert compassion #uide sprin#s of water :! Opposite of &od+s will' &od+s servant should not labor for nothin# or spend his stren#th in vain 6! Correction and demonstration of &od+s will' &od brin#s Israel to himself and ma2es them a li#ht to the &entiles' #ives them a purpose vs! laborin# for nothin# Isa :8'1' tohu ! they trust in vanityJrely on empty ar#uments and spea2 lies 2! JJ they conceive trouble and #ive birth to evil ,! -roader conte%t' In the conte%t of sin, confession and redemption3 sins have separated people from &od3 <ustice is not bein# done3 people are relyin# on false testimony, condemnin# the innocent! In the midst of this metaphorical dar2ness, &od stepped in to brin# salvation and ri#hteousness, in the conte%t of battle! 1! 7otifs' save J hear iniDuities, sin separated <ustice inte#rity empty ar#uments lies trouble evil shed innocent blood ruin destruction no peace no <ustice no ri#hteousness dar2ness deep shadows intercede salvation ri#hteousness as a breastplate helmet of salvation #arments of ven#eance wrapped in Ieal as in a cloa2 :! Opposite of &od+s will' Absence of <ustice! "eople rely on empty ar#uments3 they conceive trouble and #ive birth to evil!

60 6! Correction and demonstration of &od+s will' vs! 6 ff' &od corrects the lac2 of <ustice, sends <ud#ment, then the redeemer will come to Xion Eer! 1'2,' tohu wabohu ! earth was ruined, the opposite of creation 2! JJ heavens'their li#ht was #one JJ mountains'Dua2in# and hills swayin# JJ no people3 JJ every bird in the s2y had flown away! JJ the fruitful land was a desert3 JJ all its towns lay in ruins ,! -roader conte%t' )eturn to me Israel3 &od is sendin# an a#ent from the north to destroy the people of Israel! Che towns will be ruined and will become desert! Chis is because &od+s people foolishly refuse to 2now and obey 0im! Cheir moral values are completely reversed! 4Chey are s2illed in doin# evil3 they 2now not how to do #ood6 .v! 22/! (ymbolically or literally the earth has become empty, sha2en, ruined .shattered/ because of the ?ord+s an#er a#ainst evil! Creation is bein# undone in a sense! Che earth will mourn and the heavens will be dar2 because of this punishment on &od+s people! 1! 7otifs' doin# evil destroyer of nations lay waste the land towns ruined without inhabitant scorchin# wind barren hei#hts desert <ud#ment whirlwind clouds ea#les conduct disaster destroyed fools J no understandin# J do not 2now me evil earth formless and empty li#ht #one .dar2ness/ mountains Dua2in# no people or birds desert mourn heavens #row dar2 towns deserted J no one lives in them :! Opposite of &od+s will' people bein# s2illed at doin# evil3 don+t 2now how to do #ood3 earth is in ruins and empty .destroyed and desolate/3 li#ht is #one, there is nothin# 6! Correction and demonstration of &od+s will' &od corrects this only after many

61 chapters of descriptions of punishment! ;inally in 0'2, we read about the ?ord+s 2indness, <ustice, ri#hteousness3 1'22' our hope is in you3 9'9' blessed is the man who trusts in the ?ord, he will be li2e a tree planted by water! Su))ar* of ter)s asso iated #it! tohu Chis term is always used to describe somethin# that is the opposite of &od+s will and that condition is always corrected in the broad conte%t of the passa#e! "referred translation for tohu' $mpty, useless, desolate, (piritBabandoned! "referred translation for tohu wabohu' destroyed and desolate "assa#es cate#oriIed by the usa#e of tohu or tohu wabohu' 5) 'iteral 4esert as a $piritual 3etaphor *eut ,2' .desertJemptiness' to tell where &od found the people he created 4out of nothin#6/ Eob 6' > .wastelandJemptiness' to describe undependable 4comforters6/ Eob 2'21 .trac2less wasteJemptines' metaphor to describe how &od will deal with @falseA advisors, rulers who lose their sanity as a result of <ud#ment @sounds li2e 5ebuchedIeIIarA/ "s 09'10 .trac2less wasteJemptiness' metaphor for pourin# contempt and <ud#ment on un<ust nobles/ 6) 2anity7emptiness7nothing7confusion A! Useless J false idols or nations that are as nothin# (am 2'2 .useless idols do you no #ood/ Isa 10' 9 .nations and its rulers are as nothin# to &od/ Isa 1 '28 .molten ima#es are wind and confusion, useless/ Isa 11'8 #raven ima#es .or those ma2in# them/ are vanity, nothin#, worthless Isa 18'1 I have spent my stren#th for nothin#, no purpose -! )uined and uninhabited cityJ City of confusion Isa! 21' 0 ruined city lies desolate Isa! 1:' > he did not create the earth to be ruined or empty, but to be inhabited C! Nain spea2in# that is false Isa 28'2 they ensare the defender in court with empty pleasJspea2in# what is false Isa 1:' 8 I did not spea2 in vain @falselyA, I spea2 the truth .opposite of tohu/3 I declare what is ri#ht Isa :8'1 they trust in vanityJrely on empty ar#uments and spea2 lies *! $mpty place .representin# destroyed area/ Eob 26'9 .spreads out s2ies over the empty space' over death and destruction that lie na2ed and uncovered/ 8) Tohu 0abohu" .pside down from Gods intended order 9The transliterated rench e&pression, tohu bohu, means topsy tur#ey: Isa ,1' ' the measurin# line of chaosJconfusion .tohu/ and the plumb line of desolation .bohu/! Che opposite of creation and buildin# construction are described as <ud#ment

62 Eer 1'2,'earth was tohu wabohu the people are s2illed at doin# evil3 don+t 2now how to do #ood .4Cheir moral values are completely reversed6 @;einber# 8>2':,A/ towns ruined, deserted, without inhabitant Che opposite of creation and buildin# construction are described as <ud#ment Chis study shows that the followin# themes are associated with the term tohu wabohu' V the opposite of creation is described V citiesJtownsJ2in#doms are bein# torn down V everythin# is upside down from &od+s intended order' the land is desertBli2e3 no people V the tone is desolateJmournin# Che Word Association chart in the Appendi% summariIes the most common word associations and primary meanin#s of tohu and tohu wabohu discovered in the precedin# conte%t studies and listed here! Chese words are always used in a conte%t of <ud#ment' *ar2ness (ha2in# Water in ne#ative connotations' flood or lac2 of it in drou#ht Creation ima#ery )efu#e, care, shield *estruction *esert, wasteland Worthless .idols, forei#n #ods/ Eustice -uildin#, city $vil Inhabited or not Nain, nothin#, no purpose $nds of the earth Eud#ment .associated with tohu in every case/ Co))entators. 0ie#s -efore summariIin# the conclusions reached throu#h the inductive studies of the conte%ts and word associations of tohu and tohu wabohu, we will review the opinions of various commentators and in some cases critiDue these! -ruce F! Walt2e and *avid C! Csumura have each done e%tensive inBdepth studies of the terms, tohu and tohu wabohu, comin# to conclusions that I will analyIe and evaluate in more detail, comparin# them with the conclusions I have reached in this independent study! In this evaluation of the views of other scholars, I have noticed that often a commentator arrives at an unhelpful conclusion for one or more of these reasons' V Chey don+t consider the possibility of &enesis describin# the local land, so they #et tripped up on verse as a summary statement for the creation of the whole earth, or they are avoidin# the #ap theory, etc! V Chey have preBdetermined to use tohu wabohu as an outline for &enesis V Chey have preBdetermined to ta2e a simplistic approach to the parallelism in &enesis '2 in eDuatin# tohu wabohu with dar2ness V Chey have apparently not thorou#hly e%amined all the conte%ts of tohu

63 .<ud#ment/ and how it is used in each case .fi#uratively, literally, desert, vain, false, worthless, etc!/ V Chey have not 2ept in mind that the phrase means more than the sum of its parts V Chey are not consistent in applyin# hermeneutical principles, such as conte%t $ummary of meanings claimed by commentators for tohu wabohu" )ashi .about 00/ translated by )abbi A! 7! (ilbermann Tohu wabohu" *esolate and void! Che word tohu si#nifies astonishment and amaIement, for a person would have been astonished and amaIed at its emptiness! Tohu is found in old ;rench! Bohu, void' the word si#nifies emptiness and empty space! . 8,1',/ ?uther and Calvin . :00s/ &od ori#inally created the earth as an unformed mass! Eohn "ye (mith . >:1/ Tohu wabohu is translated 4without form and void!6 Writin# in >:1 this author #ives a #ood physical description of the condition of the earth that is implied by &enesis '2! 0e proposes the possibility that the state of tohu wabohu was produced by a natural disaster such as an earthDua2e or volcanic eruption! 0e didn+t 2now about asteroidal collisions or he would surely have su##ested that as a possibility as well, in a#reement with )alph Winter+s theory! 4$%treme dar2ness has been often 2nown to accompany such phenomena! Chis is the unforced meanin# of the two words rendered Pwithout form and void!+ Chose words .tohu #abohu/ are elsewhere in the 0ebrew -ible used to describe ruined cities, wild wastes of desertBland, and fi#uratively any thin# that is empty, unsubstantial, or useless!6 . >:1'21>/ Cayler ?ewis . >::/ Tohu and bohu' without form and void, referrin# to irre#ularity of dimension and the deficiency of #ravity, denotin# not so much an absolute as relative want of wei#ht! 0e bases his conclusion on Isaiah ,1' which spea2s in terms of measurement with the line of confusion and the stones of emptiness .no wei#ht to the plumb stone or to the stones used for wei#hin# in balances/! . >::':>/ Umberto Cassuto . 811/ Tohu wabohu means 4without form or life!6 Cassuto helpfully hi#hli#hts the importance of ta2in# the two words as a compound with more si#nificance than the separate component words of tohu' wilderness and bohu' emptiness! 4In lan#ua#e as in chemistry, a compound may be found to possess Dualities absent from its constituent elements! M Che sense of the idiom can be determined only from the conte%t, that is, from the continuation of the verse, which reads, and dar2ness was upon the face of the deep!6 . 811'2,/ In other words, Cassuto sees the concepts of dar2ness and deep as the e%planation of what is meant by tohu wabohu! -y describin# tohu as wilderness, it is obvious that Cassuto has not e%amined every passa#e in which the word occurs! (ee the summary list above of the uses of the term, some of which are definitely not tal2in# about wilderness! *avid Csumura ma2es the same mista2e, as we will e%amine in detail shortly!

64

7errill ;! Un#er . 8:>, 8> / 4&od did not create the earth in the state of a chaos of wasteness, emptiness, and dar2ness! .Eohn ,>'1, 93 Isa! 1:' >/! It was reduced to this condition because it was the theater where sin be#an in &od+s ori#inally sinless universe in connection with the revolt of ?ucifer .(atan/ and his an#els .Isa! 1' 2B 13 $Ie2! 2>' ,, :B 93 )ev! 2'1/! Che chaos was the result of &od+s <ud#ment upon the ori#inally sinless earth!6 . 8> ':/! -ernard )amm .Duoted by $! (auer @ 862'2,:A/ 4When &od made the earth he made it li2e a marble bloc2 out of which 0e would brin# the beautiful world!6 Tohu means lac2 of form3 bohu means lac2 of content! Comment' Chis is pure speculation based on the author+s preconceived ideas ta2en from ?uther and Calvin and wantin# to use the term as an outline for the narration of the Creation events! $rich (auer . 862/ 4In both other occurrences @Isaiah ,1' and Eeremiah 1'2,A it means a destruction which is the result of a divine <ud#ment! M In both cases it has the passive meanin# of bein# made desolate and empty!6 . 862'2,2/ (auer shows that the &ap or )estitution theory loo2s to this interpretation for &enesis '2! -ut since (auer does not want to endorse the &ap Cheory, he concludes, 4It is surely more advisable to interpret the words tohu and bohu in their #eneraland usual sense of Pformlessness,+ Pemptiness+ as a simple description of the ori#inal form of the earth at the be#innin# of creation!6 . 862'2,1/ (auer, li2e Walt2e, #ives a #ood e%planation of the use of the term in the other two passa#es, then concludes that it means somethin# different in &enesis '2, basin# his decision for how to translate the term on preconceived preferences! 0enricus )enc2ens, (!E! . 861/ Tohu wabohu means 4absolutely nothin# whatever6 . 861'>1/ $phraim $! (peiser . 861/ Tohu wabohu is a hendiadys meanin# 4a formless waste6 .(peiser 861':/ *onald &! -arnhouse . 86:/ 0e lists words for tohu wabohu in &enesis '2, from various translations' without form, void, waste, desolate, empty, wrec2, ruin! -arnhouse prefers the last two as an alliterative phrase! 4In ;rench there is a common e%pression which translates our idea of topsyBturvy' it is tohuBbohuKan e%pression transliterated from the 0ebrew of this second verse of &enesis!6 . 86:' :/ Cerrence $! ;retheim . 868/ Tohu wabohu is 4that in which nothin# can be distin#uished or defined, with the added idea of desolateness or abandonedness .chaos/! Chis is simply a definition of the words Pdeep+ and Pwaters+ which also occur in this verse! Chis is the unformed material from which most of the earth was now to be fashioned!6 . 868':9/ &erhard von )ad . 892/

65 Tohu wabohu is seen as referrin# to the abyss of formlessness that 4all creation is always ready to sin2 into! MNerse 2 M spea2s first of the formless and the abysmal out of which &od+s will lifted creation and above which it holds it unceasin#ly! ;or the cosmos stands permanently in need of this supportin# Creator+s will!6 . 892':2/ -ruce F! Walt2e . 89:, 88 , 200 / "referred translation of tohu wabohu' ;ormless and void, not the aftermath of destruction or <ud#ment! Che ne#ative state of the earth reflects a situation in which the earth is not producin# life! Unformed and unfilled3 the opposite of creation! Walt2e #ives an e%tremely detailed analysis of tohu wabohu, showin# e%actly what it means in the other two Old Cestament passa#es where the term is used, then concludes that it means somethin# different in &enesis , namely what he wants it to mean' formless and void, not the aftermath of destruction due to &od+s <ud#ment! In his Bibliothe/ue $acre series, "art II, p! 1 , Walt2e states that it is fallacious reasonin# to thin2 that because the <ud#ment on the land in Eeremiah ta2es the form of dismantlin# creation that therefore the precreative state itself is the result of &od+s fury and <ud#ment! -ut Walt2e+s own reasonin# is fallacious! 0e is attributin# a false position to other scholars by assumin# that their conclusion .re#ardin# the aspect of <ud#ment in &enesis '2/ is based on a simplistic lo#ic similar to 4if a G b, then b G a!6 Chis .falsely attributed/ position can be shown as follows' If antiBcreation as a form of <ud#ment in Eeremiah 1'2, G tohu wabohu then Tohu wabohu in &enesis '2 G antiBcreation as a form of <ud#ment! While I a#ree with others that the preBcreation state of tohu wabohu was the result of &od+s <ud#ment, this conclusion is not based on the 4fallacious6 reasonin# Walt2e attributes to those who see &enesis '2 as a <ud#ed state of the earth! .0e fails to ta2e into consideration the other occurrence of tohu wabohu, in Isaiah ,1' , in which the result of <ud#ment is the dismantlin# of civiliIation rather than of creation!/ Che conclusion that tohu wabohu represents the disastrous result of &od+s <ud#ment is reached by simply ta2in# the few occurrences of a uniDue term and noticin# that each of the others are used in the conte%t of <ud#ment .as are all occurrences of the sin#le word, tohu/! Co disre#ard the meanin# discovered in those conte%ts seems li2e poor e%e#esis! Walt2e seems to decide that the only other two uses of tohu wabohu are irrelevant for his purposes because he wants to use tohu and bohu as an outline for the rest of the chapter' first the broad form is stated .vs! formless/ then the details are filled in .vs! unfilled/! Chis desire to use the phrase as an outline brin#s a western, literary mindset to the te%t and imposes a meanin# that is not necessarily there .or not the only meanin#/! It also causes Walt2e to be inconsistent in his e%e#esis, since he reco#niIes the e%istence of (atan before Creation . 89:' ,2' 1 /, yet does not want to attribute a meanin# to tohu wabohu that would imply <ud#ment on (atan+s activities! 0e concludes that tohu wabohu 4denotes a state of material devoid of order, or without bein# shaped or formed into somethin#6 . 89:' ,2' 11/ and that tohu wabohu 4is an antonym to the Pheavens and the earth,+ si#nifyin# somethin# uncreated or disordered .Eer! 1'2,B29/! MChronolo#ically, this must describe the state of the earth prior to verse , as it would be a contradiction to represent the creation as formed cosmos and the earth as unformed!6 .200 ':8/

66 Walt2e+s interpretation implies the preBe%istence of this unformed matter! (ince he is an advocate of a preB&enesis ' creation, he would a#ree that &od created the unformed matter at some other time, perhaps in the same sense that &od created the other planets in our solar system that could be described as tohu wabohu in Csumura+s interpretation of the termKuninhabitable, inhospitable to life! -ut Walt2e doesn+t follow throu#h on the lo#ic of his own position! *id &od create the preB&enesis ' matter in a state of lifelessness, as with the other planetsH Chat doesn+t address the issue of the #eolo#ic a#es of the earth that clearly show that life e%isted lon# before humans came on the scene! Chen did somethin# subseDuently turn the earth into chaos, meanin# the absence of lifeBsupportin# conditionsH &iven that the earth .or land/ was disordered, how did it #et that wayH *id <ud#ment play some role in this precreation periodH It is hard to understand why Walt2e would bal2 at considerin# the state of the earth in &enesis '2 to be the result of evil andJor <ud#ment! 0e i#nores the hints in every one of the other 8 occurrences of the word tohu in (cripture .includin# the other two in which tohu is combined with bohu/! 0e even mentions in "art of his Bibliothe/ue $acre article that the basic thou#ht of the Old Cestament is that Qahweh will triumph over all 0is enemies in the establishment of 0is rule of ri#hteousness! . 89:',6/ Where did those enemies come fromH It would ma2e sense that the first verses of the -ible would introduce a theme so basic and prevalent, even if in a veiled and lowB 2ey way so as not to sound as if Qahweh were competin# with the #ods of the other ancient 5ear $astern creation accounts! Chrou#h all the biblical creation accounts .or allusions to creation/, in fact, it seems not to be a bi# problem to Qahweh that (atan and chaos are at lar#e in the world .see Eob 10, 1 , for instance/! &od 2nows he has the adversary on a leash! .)ecall the discussion of the whimsical nature of tohu wabohu which hints at this aspect of &od+s ultimate control over evil!/ In the end, Walt2e+s ar#uments are academic without leadin# to answers to the Duestions we are brin#in# to the te%t! As we saw in a discussion of the word earthJ eretz, he sorts out the #rammar of the first three verses, but refuses to ac2nowled#e or address the interpretive implications of that #rammar! As one e%ample of where his analysis falls short of application, he reco#niIes, with *avid Csumura, that the ne#ative state of the earth reflects a situation in which the earth is not producin# life! Chis fits well with )alph Winter+s hypothesis of a meteor impact that wiped out life locally! It would seem that it would be easier for Walt2e to accept that &enesis '2 refers to &od+s <ud#ment on a local area, rather than on the whole planet, as he ta2es &enesis to be referrin# to, since the Old Cestament is full of local <ud#ments, includin# natural disasters! Che value of seein# &enesis as the record of a local event, inspired by &od to be preserved for posterity, is that it can serve as an e%ample or metaphor for the chaos that has occurred repeatedly throu#hout time in different parts of the earth and for the spiritual chaos of evil that all peoples of all times have had to deal with! Chaos caused by evil intention always lur2s in the bac2#round, as von )ad points out . 892':2/! It is the theme of (cripture that &od deals creatively with the results of evil! As Eoseph said to his brothers, 4Qou intended evil a#ainst me, but &od meant it for #ood6 .&enesis :0'20/! Walt2e+s interpretation of tohu wabohu falls short of leadin# to these theolo#ical Duestions and issues! Eohn &ibson . 8> / Tohu wabohu' chaos and confusion or desolation and disorder! 4Che two

67 alliterative pairs of nouns are my attempts to catch in $n#lish the weird flavor of the 0ebrew tohu wabohu!6 . 8> ' accessed throu#h ?o#os ?ibroni%, no pa#e numbers available/ 4It is a little disconcertin# to find that if we read verse 2 and some of the followin# verses more closely, they seem <ust li2e the -abylonian account to be tracin# the be#innin# of the world bac2 to a 2ind of chaos! 4*oes this mean that &od created the chaos, or, worse, that is was there in the be#innin#, independent of himH Che chapter does not #ive an uneDuivocal answer!6 In the other two passa#es with the phrase tohu wabohu, M 45early all of the ima#es are violent ones and ma2e us thin2 of the desolation of confusion left behind by an earthDua2e or a whirlwind or an invadin# army rather than of mere emptiness!6 &ibson fails to follow throu#h on the implications of this statement which is ri#ht in harmony with )alph Winter+s thin2in#! $verett ;o% . 8>,/ 4When the earth was wild and waste @tohu #a-#ohuA indicatin# Pemptiness!+6 .Duoted by Armstron#, 886' 1/ &ordon Wenham . 8>9/ Tohu wabohu means 4total chaos!6 It is an e%ample of a 4hendiadys,6 meanin# literally, 4Waste and void!6 4Chis fri#htenin# disor#aniIation is the antithesis to the order that characteriIed the wor2 of creation when it was complete!6 . 8>9' :, 6/ Eon ?evenson . 8>>/ Chis author e%tends the meanin# of tohu wabohu beyond the merely physical conditions of the earth to ta2e it as an 4affirmation that &od as the creator of the world is directed a#ainst the forces that oppose him and his acts of creationKthe forces of disorder, in<ustice, affliction, and chaos, which are, in the Israelite worldview, one!6 . 8>>'%i%/ *avid (tacey . 88,/ 4Che words chaos and <umble translate tohu and bohu, words that appear in &en '2 with the meanin# Pwithout form and void+!6 . 88,'208/ (tacey brin#s out the helpful fact that the immediate conte%t of Isaiah ,1' .vs! 8, 0/ describes the results of volcanic activity! .4$dom+s streams will be turned into pitch, her dust into burnin# sulfur3 her land will become blaIin# pitchO It will not be Duenched ni#ht and day3 its smo2e will rise forever!6/ 0e su##ests this could also be an allusion to the <ud#ment on (odom and &omorrah! .4Chen the ?ord rained down burnin# sulfur on (odom and &omorrah M and @AbrahamA saw dense smo2e risin# from the land, li2e smo2e from a furnace6 @&enesis 8'21, 2>A!/ (tacey probably bases his interpretation of 4<umble and chaos6 for tohu wabohu on the list of unli2ely animals he calls attention to, some of which cannot even be definitely identified by scholars! .Another commentator, Christopher (eitI, sees in this chapter, in which the animals+ mates are mentioned three times, an allusion to the chaos of 5oah+s flood! @ 88,'2,9A/ Isaiah piles up as much ima#ery in chapter ,1 as he can thin2 of, includin# the allusion to the chaos precedin# creation, to ma2e his point that $dom will be <ud#edO

68 -ernhard Anderson . 881/ Anderson, writin# as ?evenson was with the realities of World War II in mind, also sees tohu wabohu as representative of the chaos faced in life at many levels! 4Che Pchaos and desolation+ of &en '2 is not <ust a statement about primeval times3 it is a statement about a present possibility! Commentin# on this verse, &erhard von )ad observes that human bein#s have always had a hauntin# awareness Pthat behind all creation lies the abyss of the formless!+ .Genesis, p! : /6 . 881' / Allen )oss . 886/ Tohu wabohu means a chaos of wasteness, emptiness, and dar2ness! 4&enesis #ives no e%planation for the chaos, but we may #ather from the words used and from parallel passa#es that is was a <ud#ment on rebellion, that (atan was somehow involved, and that oppressive evil e%isted instead of the fullness of life!6 .)oss 886'9:/ 4(omethin# is drastically wron# at the outset! Che earth was Pwaste and void+ or Pformless and empty!+6 . 886' 0:/ Eohn (ailhamer . 886/ 0e states that the correct sense of the 0ebrew phrase is 4uninhabitable6 and 4wilderness!6 Tohu wabohu would never have been translated 4formless and void6 or 4formless and empty6 4were it not for the &ree2 notion of Pprimeval chaos!+ Che sense of the 0ebrew phrase su##ests somethin# Duite different, a sense which some early translators identified Duite clearly! $arly nonB&ree2 versions such as the Aramaic Car#ums show no trace of the concepts found in the ?WW! One early Aramaic Car#um translates tohu wabohu as Pdesolate without human bein#s or beasts and void of all cultivation of plants and of trees!+6 . 886'6,/ Chis early translation is similar to Csumura+s and Walt2e+s preferences! It is an interpolation of the conditions described in &enesis 2'1, : bac2 into &enesis '2! (ailhamer concludes that 4the 0ebrew e%pression tohu wabohu refers simply to a Pwilderness+ that has not yet become inhabitable for human bein#s! .*eut! ,2' 0/6 . 886'6,/ 5otice, however that *eut! ,2' 0 uses only the term tohu! (ailhamer has not ta2en into consideration what added insi#hts are intended to be #ained from the rhymin# fi#ure of speech, tohu wabohu! 0e does however, have an insi#ht into another word play in the ori#inal 0ebrew' tohu and tob! Tohu describes the land before it was tobJ#ood! . 886'6,/ .-etter yet, could this be an ellipsis of opposite terms, combined to show the solution to the ne#ative conditionH Tohu wabohu becomes tob)/ &re#ory -oyd . 889/ 4Che earth became .or had become/ formless and empty! Chese are usually pe<orative terms in (cripture, denotin# somethin# one wron#, laid waste or <ud#ed! M Chis theory postulates a prehumanoid world of indefinite duration about which we 2now nothin# more than that it somehow became a battlefield between #ood and evil and was conseDuently made into a total wasteland!6 . 889' 0>/ )obert Alter .2001/ Alter reco#niIes the validity of the ancient translation of tohu wabohu in the -abylonian Calmud by )abbi )esh ?a2ish' 4Che Corah was #iven to Israel Pto teach us that the 0oly One made a condition with all created thin#s, sayin# to them, 4If Israel accepts the Corah, you will continue to e%ist! If not, I shall return you to welter and

69 waste @tohu wabohuA!6+ .-abylonian Calmud'(habbat >>A/!6 .2001'i%/ Cerrence $! ;retheim .200:/ Che author is concerned in this later writin# that if we admit that &od shows violence .in dealin# with supposed evil represented by tohu wabohu/, that #ives people the <ustification for violence toward each other! .200:',08/ -ut ;retheim is not consistent! 0e doesn+t deny &od+s use of force in <ud#ment in Israel+s history, so why deny it in &enesis H 4Csumura shows that the phrase tohu wabohu .formless void/ has nothin# to do with Pchaos+ and simply means Pemptiness+ and refers to the earth which is an empty place, i!e!, Pan unproductive an uninhabited place!+ Chis point of view denies that verse 2 depicts evil as bein# a constitutive dimension of the created order, even in limited sense!6 .200:'1,/ Chis view doesn+t deal with reality! ?evenson and Anderson both had to deal with the realities of WWII and 2now evil is present in this world and must be accounted for! ;retheim+s more recent view leads him to say that since some disorder has persisted beyond Creation, then such elements of disorder are 4#ood!6 .200:'11/ Chis is e%actly the type of thin2in# )alph Winter is tryin# to counteract in his call to the evan#elical world to fi#ht conditions contrary to &od+s will wherever it is found, specifically in the realm of disease! In his ob<ections to the 4chaos2amph6 theories of the 5ear $astern reli#ions bein# attributed to &od, ;retheim would have benefited from the perspective (tafford Wri#ht! Wri#ht proposed that references to mythical battles and chaos monsters in the ancient stories may be 4preservin# a primeval truth that underlies the biblical conception of the fall of (atan and the warfare between (atan and &od!6 . 8:6'29/ *avid Coshio Csumura . 8>>, 881, 200:/ 0is preferred translation of tohu wabohu' A desertBli2e, uninhabited place, a waste land! 0e also a#rees with the translation, 4emptiness,6 but denies that this has anythin# to do with 4chaos!6 0e sees the term in &enesis '2 as referrin# to the earth in a state without life, uninhabited, empty! Csumura, li2e Walt2e, #oes into #reat detail about the meanin# of tohu wabohu, in several different publications, and in the end does not wrestle with the core issue, what is the si#nificance of the meanin# of this termH 0ow does the e%e#etical process brin# us closer to understandin# &od+s ways and purposes with human2indH Csumura does not #ive any help in this direction! In his article, 4Cohu in Isa 1:' 8,6 in 2etus Testamentum, Csumura #ives an e%cellent comprehensive e%e#etical study of tohu, but he doesn+t address the Duestion, in that or in any of his other writin#s, whether tohu wabohu ta2en as a fi#ure of speech means somethin# different than each of the words separately! Csumura+s approach to discoverin# the meanin# of the term tohu wabohu in &enesis '2 is throu#h a detailed semantic investi#ation throu#h literary analysis .conte%t, e%amination of the terms in other passa#es, parallelisms, fi#ures of speech/ and etymolo#y' U#aritic, A22adian, and Arabic roots! 0is e%e#etical approach provided several e%amples of approaches I have followed in my ori#inal research on the meanin# of tohu wabohu! Csumura+s e%tensive use of parallelism to arrive at possible meanin#s for disputed terms was a very helpful e%ample! 0is etymolo#ical speculations led me to do

70 my own speculations on a possible 0ebrew co#nate for bohu, discussed earlier! 0is listin# of cate#ories for the meanin# of the term tohu as it is used in each conte%t, and his own detailed analysis of each passa#e, led me to do my own inductive studies, chartin# the results and reachin# conclusions independently of other commentators! An ori#inal insi#ht was reached by Csumura throu#h his inductive study! Che fact that tohu wabohu is related in some way to hosekJdar2ness .or 4no li#ht6/ is seen in parallel structures in both &enesis '2 and Eeremiah 1'2,! Csumura says this had never been noticed by commentators before! 4In this case, the term tohu correspondin# directly to hosek Pdar2ness+ probably means Pdesolation!+6 . 881',20/ A dia#ram is provided here to ma2e it easier to follow Csumura+s line of reasonin#, as well as to illustrate its comple%ity! In the followin# e%amples, A and - are closely related, as are W and Q! .Csumura wrote an article in 2etus Testamentum specifically to <ustify the use of this AWQ- pattern! @ 8>>b'2,1B2,6A/ &enesis '2' .A/ 5ow the earth .W/ was formless and empty .tohu wabohu/, .Q/ dar2ness was over the surface .-/ of the deep! Eeremiah 1'2,' .A/ I loo2ed at the earth .W/ and it was formless and empty .tohu wabohu/ .-+/ and at the heavens, .Q/ and their li#ht was #one! Csumura doesn+t say anythin# about the fact that in &enesis '2 the comparison is between the earth and the 4deep,6 while in Eeremiah 1'2, the comparison is between the earth and the 4heavens!6 -ut in both cases, it is true that dar2ness accompanies the condition of tohu wabohu! Chis association of ideas that Csumura calls attention to led me to e%plore a number of other word associations with tohu and with tohu wabohu! Che Word Associations chart in the Appendi% summariIes the results of that research and contributes to a fuller understandin# of the si#nificance of the term! A more strai#htforward e%ample of the use of parallelism to discover connotations and uses of the word tohu was seen earlier in this paper in Isaiah 1:' >, an e%ample Csumura leans heavily upon for his own conclusions! Isaiah 1:' > .(/ ;or this is what the ?ord saysBB .A/ he who created the heavens, he is &od3 .A/ he who fashioned and made the earth, he founded it3 .-/ he did not create it to be .tohu/ .-+/ but formed it to be inhabited .(/ he says'M 0ebrew parallelism is often synonymous, as it is in this verse! (ince the #rammatical structure indicates that the two phrases labeled 4-6 each e%press the same thou#ht, one in ne#ative and the other in positive terms, this leads to a meanin# of

71 4uninhabited6 .Csumura+s preference/ or 4empty,6 a broader, more inclusive term which I prefer since it #ives more fle%ibility in translatin# the same word in other conte%ts! .In those verses that Csumura is willin# to admit the word is used abstractly he also advocates 4emptiness6 as the interpretation! @ 881', 6A/ 4$mpty6 can mean uninhabited or desert, in the sense of physical emptiness, but it can also mean empty of meanin#, such as worthless, purposeless, or false .as in empty words/ in other conte%ts, as can be seen in the Word Associations chart! In fact, based on the lar#er conte%t, it would be appropriate to use 4purposeless6 for tohu in Isaiah 1:' > .&od did not create the world to be purposeless/! As a side note, Carl Armerdin# comes to this conclusion as well in his discussion about the contrast between a cyclical view of history and the 0ebrew purposeful worldview' 4Isaiah 1:' > reaffirms this human aspect of creation when it declares, 4he did not create it a chaos .or Pwithout purpose+/, he created it to be inhabited!6 . 891'1/ 0!C! ?eupold+s translation a#rees' 40e did not create it to no purpose J he formed it for men to dwell in!6 .?eupold 89 ' 28/ Che mission and purpose of &od+s people is specified a few verses later' 4Curn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth M -efore me every 2nee will bow3 by me every ton#ue will swear6 .Isaiah 1:'22, 2,/! Ca2in# uninhabited and 4desert6 as the main meanin# of tohu, as Csumura does, does not allow one to find a root meanin# of the word that can ma2e sense in both literal and abstract uses and conte%ts! Csumura+s preference for a literal meanin# leads him to an unhelpful conclusion in his discussion of tohu in Isaiah 1:' 8! In fact, his presupposition leads him to i#nore a main e%e#etical principle of interpretin# accordin# to the conte%t! 0e #ets too close to the immediate conte%t of the parallelism within the verse to notice the lar#er conte%t of the chapter or even the rest of the verse' Isaiah 1:' 8 .5IN/ I have not spo2en in secret, from somewhere in a land of dar2ness3 I have not said to Eacob+s descendants, 4(ee2 me in vain .tohu/!6 I, the ?ord, spea2 the truth3 I declare what is ri#ht In this verse Csumura ta2es tohu to be in parallel with 4in a land of dar2ness!6 0e uses circular reasonin# to decide which elements of the verse correspond to each other, supportin# his choice 4by the fact that tohu basically means Pa waste land+ .or Pdesert+/!6 . 881',62/ After a number of pa#es of complicated ar#uments, Csumura arrives at the followin# translation of Isaiah 1:' 8' I did not spea2 in secret, In a land of dar2ness, I did not say to Eacob+s descendants .in a land of/ desolation, 4(ee2 meO6 . 881',62/ Chis is almost the e%act opposite of my conclusion, which uses a broader term for tohu that incorporates abstract as well as physical meanin#s! Csumura is implyin# that &od did not spea2 at allO .0e did not say, 4(ee2 me!6/ Why insist on tohu bein# a physical place in this passa#eH And how does he account for the last phrases of the verse

72 that say &od spea2s ri#ht thin#s3 the truthH .0e completely i#nores this immediate conte%t in his discussion!/ Csumura+s translation is unhelpful for illuminatin# the conte%t of the chapter! 0is insistence on a literal desert for tohu is not in harmony with the te%t! Tohu in this conte%t means 4empty6 in the sense of 4no purpose, in vain, falsely36 &od is not #ivin# false testimony! .(ee this obvious use of tohu in Isaiah 28'2 !/ Csumura has overloo2ed the rest of the verse in his ea#erness to find support for his literal interpretation of tohu! Che parallelism and translation should be as follows' .A/ I have not spo2en in secret .A/ from somewhere in a land of dar2ness .-/ I have not said falselyJto no purpose to Eacob+s descendants, 4(ee2 me,6 .C/ I, the ?ord, spea2 the truth3 .C/ I declare what is ri#ht! Chis translation, supported by additional evidence in the $nd 5otes, 1 has missionary implications that are made specific by &od+s invitation two verses later, 4Curn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth6 .Isaiah 1:'22/! In other words, &od spo2e plainly, in the li#ht, and his ri#hteous spea2in# was not in vain, purposeless, or for nothin#! (ome of Eacob+s seed did see2 him and some of his descendents did fulfill &od+s purposes! Israel was created as a nation to ma2e 0im 2nown to the ends of the earth! Chis is in line with )alph Winter+s thesis that humans were created to <oin the battle a#ainst the powers of dar2ness! It may be that Csumura+s overloo2in# of the last phrases of the verse, and as a conseDuence missin# the meanin# of the passa#e, is due to his specialty of technical etymolo#ical studies, which reDuires payin# close attention to one word at a time! Chrou#h these studies Csumura reaches the conclusion, 4it is probable that U#aritic thw is a co#nate of 0ebrew tohu and that both have the common meanin# of Pa desert!+6 . 881', 2/ 0e further concludes that the 0ebrew bohu, 4thou#h still lac2in# definite etymolo#y, seems to be a (emitic term based on the root bhw and possibly a co#nate of Arabic bahiya Pto be empty!+6 . 881', ,/ An e%ample of how his etymolo#ical studies have led to his understandin# of tohu is found in a U#aritic te%t in which parallelism assists in discoverin# shades of meanin#! In this line the U#aritic term for 4out of order6 is eDuivalent to the 0ebrew tohu' 4Che earth sha2es JJ the earth is out of order . thw/! 6 : ;rom this Csumura concludes that 4unproductive6 is an appropriate translation both for the U#aritic and the 0ebrew term! .Csumura 200:'2 / .And 4unproductive6 is descriptive of Csumura+s favorite translation for tohu, 4desert,6 as well as part of his final conclusion for the translation tohu wabohu!/ I was encoura#ed to try an informal etymolo#ical study of the word bohu .discussed previously/ based on Csumura+s e%ample of informed speculation! In summary, in Csumura+s classification of the uses of tohu, he sees both literal and fi#urative or abstract uses, but he is determined to conclude that the word most often means 4desert6 or 4uninhabited!6 As a result he #ives unsatisfyin# e%planations for the cases in which the term is used abstractly, or when it is used symbolically as a literal metaphor! In the end Csumura does not even ma2e a #ood case for tohu usually meanin# desert, since in &enesis '2 everythin# is wetO -ut at least he considers the term 4empty Jdesolate6 to be an implication of his preferred interpretation, 4desertBli2e!6 .0e reco#niIes that in Isaiah 21' 0B 2, tohu is synonymously parallel to the term for desolation followin# the destruction of a city! @ 881', 8A/ 4*esolation6 is more helpful

73 than 4desert6 in arrivin# at an e%planation for the compound phrase, tohu wabohu! Csumura+s final conclusion at the end of a lon# and comple% investi#ation is that 4both the biblical conte%t and e%traBbiblical parallels su##est that the phrase tohu wabohu in &en '2 has nothin# to do with Pchaos+ and simply means Pemptiness+ and refers to the earth which is an empty place, i!e!, an unproductive and uninhabited place!6 . 881',,>/ !onsolidated 'ist of !ommentators ;nterpretations of Tohu wabohu In concludin# this section on the contributions of a number of commentators to the meanin# of tohu wabohu, a consolidated list of their interpretations is provided' Without form and void Chaos as a result of <ud#ment .*ar2ness and the deep as part of the chaos/ Unformed and unfilled *esolate and empty 5othin# whatever ;ormless waste 5ot producin# or supportin# life Opposite or contrary to creation Wrec2 and ruin *esolation and disorder Wild and waste Welter and waste ;orces that oppose &od Uninhabitable and wilderness *esertBli2e $mptiness Unproductive and uninhabitable 7eanin#lessness, shapelessness Instability and emptiness Chaos and <umble Con &usions and app&i ations of t!e )eaning of tohu wabohu )alph Winter+s preferred phrase for tohu wabohu, destroyed and desolate, fits well with this assortment of interpretations! Tohu wabohuKwherever it is foundKis the disastrous result of followin# a course of behavior that is not &od+s will! In each occurrence of this term it describes a <ud#ed and destroyed state of the earth and 4this emptiness and meanin#lessness comes about because it is deserved!6 .7otyer 88,'29 / It implies the e%istence of evil and the need to overcome that evil in order for &od+s will to be done .4on earth as it is in heaven6/! Cranslations for tohu wabohu ran#e from topsy turvey, e%tremely empty, unproductive and uninhabitable, desertBli2e, not producin# or supportin# life, wrec2 and ruin, destroyed and desolate, the opposite of creation! Chese layers of meanin# .from whimsical to deadly and antiBcreational/ can apply in the cultural, societal and personal .mental or physical/ realms as well as to the ne#ative, mi%edBup state of the physical creation! Eon ?evenson, in !reation and the *ersistence of +#il, e%tends the meanin# of tohu wabohu beyond the merely physical conditions of the earth to ta2e it as an 4affirmation that &od as the creator of the world is directed a#ainst the forces that oppose him and his acts of creationKthe forces of disorder, in<ustice, affliction, and

74 chaos, which are, in the Israelite worldview, one!6 . 8>>'%i%/ Chis is a 2ey insi#ht with implications for a warfare missiolo#y! Tohu wabohu includes all forces of disorder, whether visible or internal! .(ee $nd 5ote 6 for a study of the similarities between descriptions of tohu and descriptions of a heart that is not ri#ht with &od, and vice versa!/ Che pattern shown in &enesis demonstrates that &od wants to turn disorder into order, evil into #ood, tohu into tob! As we have seen in this len#thy discussion of tohu wabohu, destruction and desolation are inherent in a mind rebellin# a#ainst &od! .(ee $nd 5ote 6!/ $vil choices are the evidence of a mind in opposition to &od, and that mind .or society/ can be characteriIed by the physical metaphor of tohu wabohuKdestroyed and desolate! It is destroyed because it isn+t wor2in# the way &od made it to wor2Kit is twisted, turned to wron# purposes, therefore purposeless from &od+s perspective! It is desolate because the (pirit has withdrawn from that life or society, as in $Ie2iel+s vision of the (pirit in the wheels leavin# the temple and the land! $vil choices result in the (pirit leavin# .4my (pirit will not always strive with man6/ and the withdrawal of the (pirit of &od leaves behind a desolate personJsociety that selfBdestructs! 0owever, this pessimistic picture isn+t the end of the story! In &enesis '2, the (pirit is hoverin# or stirrin# over the deep in preparation for a new be#innin# that will overcome tohu with tob, or evil with #ood! (imilarly, in the &ospel of Eohn we see the tradition that healin# would ta2e place at the pool called -ethesda when an an#el stirred up the waters, ma2in# them lifeBproducin#Jhealin#! Che only hope for (piritBabandoned individuals or societies is for those who have the (pirit dwellin# in them to brin# the (pirit to the desolate person or society! Chose wor2in# in places where people are s2illed at doin# evil and where the (pirit does not have a restrainin# influence may need to be prepared to #ive up their lives in the attempt to overcome evil with #ood before the Fin#dom can come and &od+s will can be done on earth as in heaven in that corner of world!

3ER4ENEUTIC/1 /PP1IC/TIONS Warfare missiolo#y as a theme of the -ible' -rin#in# order out of chaos Correctin# conditions that are contrary to &od+s will -e#innin#s of a theolo#y of disease

Bereshit bara elohim et hashamayim weet haaretz wehaaretz hayeta tohu wabohu wehosek al-pene tehom weruach elohim merachepet al-pene hammayim

75

In the be#innin# &od created the heavens and the earth! As for the earth, it was destroyed and desolate .tohu wabohu/, with dar2ness on the face of the deep, but the (pirit of &od stirrin# over the face of the waters! .&enesis ' , 23 ori#inal translation from the 0ebrew/!

All societies have to answer the Duestion, 0ow shall we brin# order out of chaosH "eople tryin# to be submitted to &od in any culture need to find their own particular implications for how to live in ri#ht relationship with &od within that culture! Che principles of &enesis are timeless and apply in all cultures in addressin# these and other Duestions! Che last section of this paper will apply these principles in arrivin# at a missiolo#y and theolo#y that concern how the -ody of Christ should address disease! For the ancient Israelite culture the desert represented the tohu wabohu waiting in the wings to take over if they didnt care for their land or if their enemies destroyed it. .Non )ad points out that people have always 2nown that evil lur2s in the bac2#round of their e%perience! 47an has always suspected that behind all creation lies the abyss of formlessness3 Mthat the chaos, therefore, si#nifies simply the threat to everythin# created!6 @ 892':2A/ In all cultures throu#hout history, disease is one form of the chaos that is always waitin# in the win#s to overta2e and destroy! AI*(, cancer, malaria, tuberculosisKthese are not the evidences of a lovin# Creator+s intentions for 0is Creation! Chese are e%amples of opposition to &od+s willKin other words, these are wor2s of the adversary, the devil! Che physical condition of the earth described as tohu wabohu serves as a metaphor for the physical, personal and social problems that must be addressed by a radical missiolo#y! Where &od+s Fin#dom does not yet e%ist, tohu rei#ns, with visible evidence of conditions contrary to &od+s will .includin# disease and violence/, and missionary activity is needed to continue Christ+s mission of destroyin# the wor2s of &od+s adversary, the devil! *emonstration of &od+s will and &od+s #lory is the responsibility of the -ody of Christ! CrossBcultural wor2ers are under the mandate of &enesis to brin# order out of chaos wherever they #o as representatives of the 2in#dom of &od! &od+s purposes for humans in history have to do with overcomin# the evil ori#ins of tohu wabohu by followin# 0is e%ample in &enesis as well as in other scriptural passa#es, such as )omans 2'2 and Eohn ,'>! Che conte%t in which the concept of tohu wabohu is introduced ri#ht at the be#innin# of (cripture, shows &od+s purpose is to correct conditions that are contrary to his will! Genesis 1 shows God preparing the land for a new humanity, made in His image for the purpose of working with Him to bring order out of chaos and to defeat the opposition of the adversary. .-oth the causes and often violent conseDuences of that opposition can be #rouped under the two terms, tohu and , tohu wabohu!/ All of life needs to be oriented to the war a#ainst evil that is the theme of human history! A warfare missiolo#y reco#niIes that humans were created to <oin &od in rescuin# Creation from the 2in#dom of dar2ness, includin# the physical and social results of intelli#ent evil, and in brin#in# transformation that represents the advance of &od=s 2in#dom! )alph Winter+s call to the evan#elical world to include fi#htin# disease as an aspect of mission .200:a' >0/ echoes biblical themes that have their ori#in in &enesis '2!

76 At the end of (cripture, in the -oo2 of )evelation, we see the fulfillment of &od+s purposes in history described in terms showin# that the state of tohu wabohu has finally been reversed' there is no more death, cryin# or pain, and dar2ness and ni#ht have been permanently replaced with 4#ood6 li#ht .see )evelation 2 ',, 13 22':/! In between this be#innin# and endin# of (cripture, the rest of the -ible e%plains how to avoid or correct tohu wabohu at various levels or it shows what happens when tohu wabohu is not corrected and the evil one+s influence is allowed to continue! 0umans are called to <oin &od in overcomin# the cause of tohu wabohu .evil/, with #ood .)omans 2' ,/! Eohn (ailhamer+s insi#ht illustrates this theme' 4tohu6 describes the land before &od made it 4tob6J#ood! . 886'6,/ It is fi#htin# bac2 a#ainst the forces of evil that cause tohu wabohu to do anythin# that brin#s order out of chaos! Chis is the ori#in of a theolo#y of disease .disBease/Kthe opposite of ease, the opposite of order, disintegration (tohu wabohu) at the cellular level. Applying the finding of this paper, that tohu is a metaphor for anything contrary to Gods will, to God's intent to reverse such cellular tohu wabohu, is presented here as a candidate for the beginnings of a theology of disease. -y describin# the opposite of &od+s intentions in the conte%t of the Creation account, tohu wabohu points toward the #oal of that creationKa place that can be inhabited by humans in purposeful fellowship with &od! Chis term #ives the 2ey to the Old Cestament, and to the entire -ible! An adversary that is hostile to life and who opposes &od+s intentions e%ists! Che whole theme of e%istence is to fi#ht bac2 a#ainst the adversary who orchestrates disorder and chaos in opposition to &od! Che rest of &enesis points the way in showin# that it is possible to restore order with creativity and patience, showin# how to overcome evil with #ood! 0umans <oinin# &od to defeat the adversary in this way can turn their world upside down, as was said of the disciples in the boo2 of Acts! Or perhaps we should say, they can help turn the world ri#ht side up, restorin# it in some ways to &od+s ori#inal intentions and brin#in# 0im #lory in the process! As believers demonstrate what &od+s will is and what 0e is li2e, the peoples of the earth will be attracted to follow that 2ind of &od! Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

77

END NOTES ! Eohn (ailhamer, the most outspo2en contemporary proponent of the local earth theory, cautions in his boo2, Genesis .nbound, that 4today the word Pearth+ too easily calls up ima#es of the whole planet on which we live!6 . 886':>/ Che modern view of the universe should not be allowed to control our understandin# of what the author of &enesis would have meant by 4earth!6 One of (ailhamer+s sources, Eohn "ye (mith, stated, 4a most important inDuiry is the meanin# of the word @ aretzA which we render earth!6 . >:1'218/ 0e #oes on to point out that the ancient 0ebrews could not have had any conception of the planet as we 2now it .4the spheroidal fi#ure of the earth6/, so we must base our understandin# of the 4earth6 4in conformity with the ideas of the people who used it! M ;reDuently it stands for the land of "alestine, and indeed for any country or district that is mentioned or referred to! (ometimes @aretzA denotes a mere plot of #round3 and sometimes the soil, clay, and sand, or any earthy matter!6 . >:1'2:0/ 2! A number of respected scholars a#ree that &enesis ' does not refer to the be#innin# of 4everythin#6 but to somethin# more recent! 7errill Un#er represents the conservative evan#elical understandin#' 4&enesis ' , 2 evidently describes not the primeval creation e& nihilo, celebrated by the an#els .Eob ,>'93 Isa 1:' >/, but the much later refashionin# of a <ud#mentBridden earth in preparation for a new order of creationKman! Che &enesis account deals only with &od+s creative activity as it concerns the human race in its ori#in, fall and redemption!6 . 8:>'2>/ ,! Umberto Cassuto ob<ects to findin# the meanin# of tohu wabohu by see2in# to understand the meanin#s of the component words! 0e #ives the illustration of 4broadcast6 in which the separate meanin#s of 4broad6 and 4cast6 would not be particularly helpful in e%plainin# the term to someone unfamiliar with the word! 4Any one who does not 2now what Pbroadcast+ denotes will not be able to #uess the connotation of the word from its separate elements of Pbroad+ and Pcast!+ ;or the same reason it is profitless to compare other passa#es in which either of the words tohu or bohu occurs!6 . 811'22/! 0owever, I respectfully disa#ree with Cassuto+s reasonin#! 0is ar#ument fails to ta2e into account the fi#ure of speech 2nown as a 4hendiadys,6 mentioned in connection with tohu wabohu in &enesis '2 by both Walt2e . 88 '1/ and Wenham . 8>9' :/! -ecause tohu wabohu is a fi#ure of speech in which two separate words are <oined with a con<unction, Cassuto+s ar#ument usin# the sin#le word broadcast does not seem applicable! It is important to understand the meanin# of each of the separate words in order to arrive at an understandin# of the connotations of the compound term! 1! Isaiah 1:' 8' -ased on my ori#inal e%e#etical research, the parallelism and translation

78 should be as follows' .A/ I have not spo2en in secret .A/ from somewhere in a land of dar2ness .-/ I have not said falselyJto no purpose to Eacob+s descendants, 4(ee2 me,6 .C/ I, the ?ord, spea2 the truth3 .C/ I declare what is ri#ht! Che middle phrase .-/ is e%plained by both sets of parallelisms' &od did not spea2 to them in secret, but openly, and he did not spea2 to them falsely or to no purpose, but truthfully! In describin# &od as spea2in# openly, and not in a secret, dar2 place, Isaiah may have had in mind the incident in &enesis >' 9, >, when the ?ord said, 4(hall I hide from Abraham what I am about to doH Abraham will surely become a #reat and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed throu#h him!6 Chis also fits the lar#er conte%t of the Isaiah 1: in which &od is invitin# all the peoples of the earth to turn to him! Che implication of Isaiah 1:' 8, is that it is throu#h Eacob+s seed that the peoples of the earth should 2now &od and be able to see2 him! Che fact that &od+s plea to Abraham+s and Eacob+s descendants was not worthless or false is supported by the use of the word tohu in Isaiah 28'2 to mean 4falsely!6 In that conte%t Isaiah reports the ?ord as sayin# the people are displeasin# him by turnin# thin#s 4upside down6 .28' 6/ from what is ri#ht, and one way they are doin# this is by deprivin# the innocent of <ustice with a 4vain thin#6 or 4worthless thin#6 .tohu/, translated 4false testimony6 by the 5IN! &od+s words are not false testimony, they are not worthless or in vain, or to no purpose! Interpretatin# tohu as 4to no purpose,6 also applies to the usa#e of tohu in the precedin# verse .Isaiah 1:' >'&od did not create the world to be purposeless or meanin#less, but to be inhabited @by people with a purpose bein# spelled out in the lar#er conte%t of the chapterA!/ Che lar#er conte%t of the chapter shows that &od did not create the world to be <ud#ed .tohu/, in which case there would have been no purpose in creatin# it in the first place3 the world would have been tohu, purposeless! Che conte%t of the chapter shows that Cyrus, as &od+s servant, is #oin# to rebuild what &od had allowed to be destroyed! &od wants all nations to be included in this rebuildin#, not <ust Israel! Che sense of verse 8 is that what &od declares .not in secret, and not to no purpose/ is ri#ht and true when 0e says, 4turn to me and be saved all you ends of the earth6 .verse 22/! Che content of what &od said to Eacob+s descendants in relation to 4see2 me6 is 4turn to me and be saved6BBand he intends for that to happen! 0e is not #ivin# a false word of hope, and he is not sayin# that he never said, 4(ee2 me,6 as Csumura+s translation implies! After arrivin# at these conclusions throu#h an inductive study, the author discovered confirmation for this interpretation from a number of commentators! -revard Childs summariIes this point of view'4&od did not spea2 in secret, or conceal himself in ambi#uous oracle! M &od has always spo2en the truth and declared with is ri#ht!6 .200 ',::/ 7ichael )osenbaum points out that Israel had brou#ht the char#e a#ainst Qahweh that he had hidden himself from them .see Isaiah 10'29 and the immediate conte%t of 1:' :/ and they 4wondered whether it was worthwhile see2in# Qahweh at all! Cheir claim was that it was Pvain+ to see2 Qahweh since he did not answer! Qahweh counters that he can be trusted to do what is ri#ht3 it is not Pvain+ to see2 him!6 . 889' 6/ Qehoshua &itay draws on the political conte%t, 4the complaint about &od+s hiddenness @v! :A sounds also li2e a complaint about &od+s apparently passive role in the current political situation! v! 8'PI have not said to Eacob+s descendants'see2 me for

79 nothin#,+ which declares that there is a purpose and benefit in see2in# &od, responds in #eneralterms to the complaint!6 .&itay 8> ' 8:/ &! W! Wade #ives additional historical bac2#round for the verse'4Che ?ord+s predictions were public and e%plicit so that men could <ud#e of the correspondence of events with them and in this respect they differed from many heathen oracles which were often to be obtained only in outBofBtheBway localities and were ambi#uous and eni#matic in character! M It was not the custom of the ?ord, as it was of the heathen oracles, to invite men to consult 0im and then afford them no real help!6 . 828'289/ Wade+s e%planation combines both the literal and fi#urative aspects of what is meant by &od not spea2in# in 4tohu,6 <ust as this author concluded above! (o it must be admitted that Csumura is not completely wron# in his very detailed <ustification for a physical location as the meanin# of tohu in Isaiah 1:' 8! Cohu can be ta2en in two ways simultaneously' as a place parallel to a land of dar2ness .such as a wilderness/ and also as not bein# 4in vain6 or 4false!6 &od did not spea2 from a desert area or secret, dar2 place, because this is true, public information, and also when he decides to restore his people, the deserts will no lon#er be a wasteland, or tohu, but instead will become fertile, filled with water and #rowin# thin#s! (ee the description in Isaiah ,: of the reversal of tohu, &od+s #oal for history' 4Che desert and the parched land will be #lad3 the wilderness will re<oice and blossom! .vs! / Water will #ush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert! .vs! 6/ Che burnin# sand will become a pool, the thirsty #round bubblin# sprin#s! In the haunts where <ac2als once lay, #rass and reeds and papyrus will #row! .vs! 9/ And a hi#hway will be there3 it will be called the Way of 0oliness! Che unclean will not <ourney on it3 It will be for those who wal2 in that Way .vs! >/ 5o lion will be there, nor will any ferocious beast #et up on it3 they will not be found there! -ut only the redeemed will wal2 there, .vs! 8/ and the ransomed of the ?ord will return! M &ladness and <oy will overta2e them, and sorrow and si#hin# will flee away! .vs! 0/ :! An additional insi#ht can be #ained from these parallel U#aritic lines, 4Che earth sha2es JJ the earth is out of order,6 in which the U#aritic for 4out of order6 is eDuivalent to the 0ebrew tohu! .Csumura 200:'2 / In my studies I had been investi#atin# whether 4sha2in#6 was associated with tohu, and found confirmation in the parallelism of this e%ample! In addition, confirmation is found in the verse followin# Eeremiah 1'2,' 4I loo2ed at the mountains, and they were Dua2in#3 all the hills were swayin#6 .Eer 1'21/! In his commentary on the -oo2 of Eeremiah, $lliott -inns remar2s, 4the effect of earthDua2es seems to have made a deep impression on the mind of @peopleA in all a#es! M Che tremblin# of the mountains represents to them the overturnin# of all that is stable and trustworthy! Our ?ord adopts this 2ind of lan#ua#e in spea2in# of the Plast thin#s+

80 .7ar2 >'>, 21 ff!/ and 7uhammed habitually spea2s of the <ud#ement as the day when the mountains will be set in motion .Foran, l%i%! 1, l%%viii!20, %ci%! etc!/6 . 8 8'1:/ Che Word Associations chart in the Appendi% shows the biblical conte%tual associations of sha2in# with tohu! Che si#nificance of 4sha2in#6 bein# part of the implications of the term tohu is seen in Eob ,>' 2, ,' 4have you ever #iven orders to the mornin#, or shown the dawn its place that it mi#ht ta2e the earth by the ed#es and sha2e the wic2ed out of itH6 In Eob ,> 4sha2in#6 is whimsically associated with creation ima#ery, indicatin# that the appearance of li#ht causes the wic2ed to be sha2en out of their hidin# place in the dar2ness! .Chis almost sounds li2e an allusion to a tentBdwellin# nomad sha2in# the bed bu#s out of his sleepin# blan2et in the mornin#O/ Tohu wabohu is a whimsical term referrin# to serious conseDuences of what temporarily happens to the people and the land when they are in a condition that is opposed to &od+s will! -ut &od+s (pirit ensures that 0is purposes will eventually be accomplished and that the condition of tohu wabohu will not last forever! 0e did not create the world to be tohuJ<ud#edJtopsy turveyJpurposeless, etc! etc! 6! Additional word study comparin# the word tohu with the word 4heart6 to show the connection between inner and outer tohu andJor tohu wabohu) 0ypothesis' Tohu wabohu .4destroyed and desolate6/ or <ust tohu applies to inner chaos and rebellion a#ainst &od as well as to the outer evidences of <ud#ment! As a description of conditions that are not &od+s will, tohu wabohu describes the visible or felt results of the root cause of human problems, namely opposition to &od+s will! Chese results include violence at all levels of e%istence!, includin# disease! When evil choices are made intentionally and repeatedly, the heartJ societyJ earthJ body be#ins to selfBdestruct and is without the help of the (pirit of &od! Che same terms are used in association with both the inner and outer states of tohu wabohu! Chis will be seen in the word study on 4heart!6 A heart that is in opposition to &od+s will is described by terms similar to those used in association with the condition of tohu or tohu wabohu! A heart that is ri#ht with &od is described in terms that are the opposite of the words used in association with the condition of tohu or tohu wabohu! It is important to see no dichotomy between innerJspiritual and outerJphysical or visible tohu wabohu! Chere is a continuum rather than a dichotomy! If a person lets opposition to &od+s will and rebellion a#ainst biblical wisdom #et a foothold in their mind, it will be e%pressed in inward and outward chaos at the personal, social, political, and cosmic levels! Che cosmic level includes weather, productivity of the land and #eolo#ical forces! I am speculatin# alon# with Col2ein . 899' 2/ that (atan and his minions have destructively built tohu wabohu into the condition of the planet and this results in random hurricanes, tsunamis, earthDua2es, asteroidal collisions, etc! &od holds these disasters bac2 throu#h the prayers of enou#h of his people! Chis is the Abraham and ?ot syndrome with the cities of (odom of &omorrah! Also see 2 Chess! 2'6B>' 45ow you 2now what is holdin# him @the man of lawlessnessA bac2, so that he may be revealed at the proper time! ;or the secret power of lawlessness is already at wor23 but the one who now holds it bac2 will continue to do so till he is ta2en out of the way! And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the ?ord Eesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his comin#!6

81 7y interpretation of tohu wabohu avoids attributin# evil to &od! It is &od+s mercy to allow natural conseDuences of evil to wipe out poc2ets of the enemy+s stron#holds! It is &od+s passivity rather than his activity that brin#s <ud#ment! 0e allows the wic2edness of one #roup to punish the wic2edness of another #roup! Or he allows the destructive forces that (atan built into the cosmos to be unleashed in random destruction where the (pirit of &od has not been able to be sufficiently influential throu#h believers and their prayers to ward off disaster! Innocent as well as #uilty people fall victim to the builtBin patterns and conseDuences of unrestrained evil, which becomes &od+s <ud#ment by default! AI*(, tsunamis, hurricanes, etc! are potential e%amples of this! !oncordance and conte&t study on the word <heart,= with a comparison of themes associated with tohu and themes associated with either a right or an e#il heart) $%pected findin#' the inner turmoil of a heart in rebellion a#ainst &od, not submitted to his will, can be described as tohu wabohu! Chis inner reality is connected with outer evidences that can also be called tohu wabohu .destroyed and desolate/! Che same terms will be found to describe both the inner and outer conditions of tohu wabohu! A heart that is ri#ht with &od will be found to be described in terms that are the opposite of those associated with tohu wabohu! Chese findin#s will show that it is the condition of the heart that determines the behavior and the natural or lo#ical conseDuences of that behavior .<ud#ment or blessin#/! Word Associations in tohu passa#es .see Word Associations chart in the Appendi%/' *eath *ar2ness (ha2in# Water in ne#ative connotations' flood or lac2 of it in drou#ht *estruction *esert, wasteland Nain, nothin#, no purpose Worthless .idols, forei#n #ods/ ?ac2 of purpose, lac2 of <ustice ;alse testimony Eud#ment Uninhabited Confusion *esolation ;ear Wic2edness )uins Insanity, deprived of reason *run2en sta##erin# ;ools (2illed at doin# evil &en! 6': 5IN' Che ?ord saw how #reat man+s wic2edness on earth had become and that every inclination of the thou#hts of his heart was only evil all the time! Tohu themes found in this conte%t of 5oah+s flood'

82 evil death <ud#ment water in a ne#ative conte%t violence destroy $%! ,:',: 5IN' 0e has filled them with s2ill @wisdom of heartA to do all 2inds of wor2 as craftsmen and M desi#ners! ,6'2' whom the ?ord had #iven ability @into whose heart the ?ord had put wisdomA and who was willin# to come and do the wor2! Chemes that are the opposite of tohu wabohu' wisdom vs! fools (2illed at doin# ri#ht vs! s2illed at doin# evil *eut! 6':' love the ?ord thy &od with all thine heart -road conte%t in vs! 21ff' Che ?ord commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear the ?ord our &od, so that we mi#ht always prosper and be 2ept alive, as is the case today! And if we are careful to obey all this law before the ?ord our &od, as he has commanded us, that will be our ri#hteousness! Chemes that are the opposite of tohu wabohu' prosper vs! destruction or worthless alive vs! death ri#hteousness vs! wic2edness *eut! >'2' to 2now what was in thine heart >' 1' thine heart be lifted up, and thou for#et -road conte%t in vs! 8 ff' If you ever for#et the ?ord your &od and follow other #ods and worship and bow down to them, I testify a#ainst you today that you will surely be destroyed! ?i2e the nations the ?ord destroyed before you, so you will be destroyed for not obeyin# the ?ord your &od! 5OC$' what is in their heart is what comes out Tohu themes found in this conte%t' follow other #ods destroyed 2 Chr! 26' 6' his @UIIiah+sA heart was lifted up to his destruction 5IN'After UIIiah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall! 0e was unfaithful to the ?ord 0is &od Chis is an e%ample of the fact that the Old Cestament is a commentary on what happens when opposition to &od+s will is not overcomeKtohu wabohu results! 2 Chron , '2 ' @0eIe2iahA did it with all his heart and prospered Cone%t' 0e was doin# what was #ood and ri#ht and faithful before the ?ord his &od! In everythin# that he undertoo2 M and in obedience to the law and the commands, he sou#ht his &od and wor2ed wholeheartedly! And so he prospered! 5OC$' Che historical boo2s #ive physical and literal e%amples and metaphors for the principles articulated in the "salms!

83 "s 9' 0 5IN' 7y shield is &od 7ost 0i#h, who saves the upri#ht in heart! "s 9' 1 0e who is pre#nant with evil and conceives trouble #ives birth to disillusionment! 0e who di#s a hole and scoops it out falls into the pit he has made! Che trouble he causes recoils on himself, his violence comes down on his own head! 5OC$' Opposition to &od+s ways .rebellion a#ainst &od, deliberate evil/ is the root cause of the conseDuences that fall under the cate#ory of tohu wabohu! Chemes that compare with tohu wabohu' upri#ht vs! wic2edness, pre#nant with evil violence disillusionment .nothin#, no purpose/ "s! :' Who may dwell in your sanctuaryH 0e who has clean hands and a pure heart! Che one who is blameless, ri#hteous, spea2s truth, no slander, does no wron#, casts no slur, honors those who fear the ?ord, 2eeps his oath, does not accept a bribe! 0e who does these thin#s will never be sha2en! 5OC$' Chis person is not a candidate for tohu wabohu .will never be sha2en/! Comparisons to tohu wabohu themes' blameless, ri#hteous vs! wic2ed, evil spea2 truth vs! false testimony no slander vs! lac2 of <ustice never sha2en vs! sha2en and destroyed "s 8'>' the precepts of the ?ord are ri#ht, re<oicin# the heart "salm 8' ,, 1' Feep your servant also from willful sins3 may they not rule over me! Chen will I be blameless, innocent of #reat trans#ression! 7ay the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasin# in your si#ht, O ?ord, my )oc2 and my )edeemer! 5OC$' willful sins determine the course of a person+s life3 they lead down the trac2 of violence recoilin# on one+s own head ."s! 9' 0/ and visible tohu wabohu! "s! ,6' 0' Continue your love to those who 2now you, your ri#hteousness to the upri#ht in heart! -road conte%t in vs! B1, 2' an oracle concernin# the sinfulness of the wic2ed! Chere is no fear of &od before his eyes3 M the words of his mouth are wic2ed and deceitful3 he has ceased to be wise and to do #ood! $ven on his bed he plots evil3 he commits himself to a sinful course and does not re<ect what is wron#! M (ee how the evildoers lie fallenK thrown down, not able to riseO 5OC$' inner tohu wabohu results in physical tohu wabohu! Che ori#in of disaster was when the wic2ed were plottin# evil and choosin# a sinful course! &od withholds 0is protection from these people! -ut those who are followin# &od+s ri#hteous ways can claim these verses in the same chapter' 4O ?ord, you preserve both man and beast .vs! 6/3 47ay the foot of the proud not come a#asint me, nor the hand of the wic2ed drive me away6 .verse /! In this conte%t, these themes indicate that t ohu wabohu and its opposite are present at the thou#ht level' wic2ed deceitful not wise .fool/

84 plot evil .s2illed at evil/ ri#hteousness vs! wic2edness <ustice refu#e vs! destruction river of deli#hts vs! desert, destructive water life vs! death li#ht vs! dar2ness evildoers fallen .result of sha2in# and destruction/ "s : ' 0, 9' create in me a clean heart O &od! M A bro2en and a contrite heart, O &od, you will not despise! A heart ri#ht with &od e%hibits the opposite of the characteristics of tohu wabohu' Cleansed from sin truth wisdom <oy and #ladness "s : ' *o not cast me from your presence or ta2e your 0oly (pirit from me @desolationA 5OC$' Chis lends support to my speculation for how outer tohu wabohu comes about' the 0oly (pirit is withdrawn from actively preventin# the conseDuences of sin "s 66' >' If I re#ard iniDuity in my heart, the ?ord will not hear me! 5OC$' Che absence of &od+s (pirit not wor2in# in the hearts of those who 4are s2illed at evil,6 and the resultin# desolation, leads to physical tohu wabohu .4the ?ord will not hear me6 and who 2nows what disaster the ?ord will conseDuently not preventH/ "s 68',2' Qour heart shall live that see2 &od .5IN' Qou who see2 &od, may your hearts liveO/ Che conte%t includes themes associated with tohu' 68' (ave me, O &od, for the waters @mayimA have come up to my nec2! 68'2 I sin2 in the miry depths, M I have come into the deep waters3 the floods en#ulf me! 68' 1 )escue me from the mire, do not let me sin23 deliver me from those who hate me, from the deep waters 68' : *o not let the floodwaters en#ulf me or the depths swallow me up 5OC$ the parallelism between sin2in# in deep waters and bein# hated! Chis is tal2in# about the condition of the mind with metaphors from the condition of tohu wabohu Conte%t similarities to word associations of tohu" floodwaters depths .not tehom in this chapter/ drun2ards .vs! 2/ rescue .not <ud#e/ retribution dar2ness .vs! 2,' 7ay their eyes be dar2ened so they cannot see/ wrathJan#er place be deserted no one to dwell in their tents

85 Is! :8' , rebellion and treachery a#ainst the ?ord, turnin# our bac2s on our &od, fomentin# oppression and revolt, utterin# lies our hearts have conceived 5OC$' Che ori#in of the evidences of tohu wabohu .rebellion, treachery/ was in the heart! Eer! ,' 9' At that time they will call Eerusalem Che Chrone of the ?ord and all nations will #ather in Eerusalem to honor the name of the ?ord! 5o lon#er will they follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts! 5OC$' Tohu wabohu, opposition to &od+s will and the disastrous conseDuences, which Eeremiah is describin# the in the rest of the boo2, starts in the heart! Eer! 9'8' Che heart is deceitful above all thin#s and beyond cure! Who can understand itH 9' 0' I the ?ord search the heart and e%amine the mind, to reward a man accordin# to his conduct, accordin# to what his deeds deserve! 5OC$' Chis verse seems to imply that what is in the mind is eDuivalent to conduct and deeds! Eer! >' , 2' I am preparin# a disaster for you and devisin# a plan a#ainst you! (o turn from your evil ways M Chey will reply M we will continue with our own plans3 each of us will follow the stubbornness of his evil heart! 5OC$' ;ollowin# this declaration is a description of tohu wabohu' >' :' 7y people have for#otten me3 they burn incense to worthless idols, which made them stumble in their waysM >' 6' Cheir land will be laid waste, an ob<ect of lastin# scorn >' 9' I will show them my bac2 and not my face in the day of their disaster! >'20' should #ood be repaid with evilH 5OC$' In this paper I am callin# attention to the fact that a ma<or theme of (cripture is to overcome evil with #ood! -ut in order to demonstrate 0is #oodness, &od chooses to allow disaster on people and societies whose hearts are stubbornly turned away from 0im! Chen those who are not intentionally rebellious will have opportunity to e%perience &od+s #oodness and restoration! Chis is symboliIed throu#hout the prophets by the desert become fruitful! $Ie2iel ' 8 I will #ive them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them $Ie2iel >', )id yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and #et a new heart and a new spirit! 5OC$' Chis is the solution to the root of all human problems' a new heart that follows &od+s ways! Xech! 9' 0' *o not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor! In your hearts do not thin2 evil of each other! 5OC$' Che first is the direct conseDuence of the second3 oppression is the result of thin2in# evil of others! Conclusion' Chese sample studies of passa#es in which the word 4heart6 occurs show that destruction and desolation are inherent in a mind rebellin# a#ainst &od! $vil choices are the evidence of a mind in opposition to &od, and that mind .or society/ can be

86 characteriIed by the physical metaphor of tohu wabohuKdestroyed and desolate!

RE%ERENCE 1IST Alden, )obert E! 86> 4?ucifer, Who or WhatH6 -ulletin of the $van#elical Cheolo#ical (ociety! .Winter/',:B,8! Alter, )obert! 8> Che Art of -iblical 5arrative! 5ew Qor2! 2001 Che ;ive -oo2s of 7oses'A Cranslation with Commentary! 5ew Qor2' W! W! 5orton R Co!

Anderson, -ernhard 8:9 Che Unfoldin# *rama of the -ible! 5ew Qor2' Association "ress! 86, 869 881 Che -e#innin# of 0istory' &enesis! 5ew Qor2' Abin#don "ress! Creation versus Chaos! 5ew Qor2' Association "ress ;rom Creation to 5ew Creation'OC "erspectives! 7inneapolis' ;ortress

Anderson, -ernhard, W!, ed! 8>1 Creation in the Old Cestament! "hiladelphia' ;ortress! .$ssays by &un2el, von )ad, $ichrodt, Westermann, and others/ Andersen, 5!$! 8> 4Che Word P$arth+ in &en ' !6 Ori#ins >' ,B 8! Armerdin#, Carl $! 891B9: 4An Old Cestament Niew of Creation!6 Cru% 2',B1!

Armstron#, Faren 886 In the -e#innin#' A 5ew Interpretation of &enesis! 5ew Qor2' Alfred A! Fnopf! -arnhouse, *onald &! 86: Che Invisible War! &rand )apids' Xondervan! -eal, Cimothy F! 2002 )eli#ion and Its 7onsters! 5ew Qor2' )outled#e!

87

-inns, ?! $lliott 8 8 Che -oo2 of the "rophet Eeremiah! ?ondon' 7ethuen R Co! -locher, 0enri 8>1 In the -e#innin#' Che Openin# Chapters of &enesis! *owners &rove'InterNarsity! -lythin, I! 862 4A 5ote on &enesis '2!6 Netus Cestamentum 2' 20B2 !

-oice, Eames 7ont#omery 88> $%positional Commentary on &enesis! Nol ! &rand )apids' -a2er! -ono, Eames E! 200: Che Cwo -oo2s' ?in#uistic Aspects of Cheir Interaction in the (i%teenth and (eventeenth Centuries! Unpublished paper presented at the "ascal Conference Euly >B2,! -oyd, &re#ory A! 889 &od at War' Che -ible and (pirtiual Conflict! *owner+s &rove' InterNarsity "ress! 200 (atan and the "roblem of $vil' Constructin# a Crinitarian Warfare Cheodicy! *owner+s &rove' InterNarsity "ress!

-randon, (&; 86, Creation ?e#ends of the Ancient 5ear $ast! ?ondon' 0odder and (tou#hton! -rown, ;rancis, (! )! *river, and Charles A! -ri##s 898 Che 5ew 0ebrew and $n#lish ?e%icon! "eabody, 7A' 0endric2son "ublishers! -rue##emann, Walter 8>2 &enesis! Atlanta' Eohn Fno% "ress! Calvin, Eohn ::1 Commentaries on the ;irst -oo2 of 7oses, Called &enesis! 2 vol! Cranslated by Eohn Fin# form the ?atin and Compared with the ;rench $dition! $dinbur#' ;or the Calvin Cranslation (ociety, >19! )eprint! $dinbur#h' -anner of Cruth! 86: Institutes of the Christian )eli#ion! $dited by Eohn C! 7c5eill! "hiladelphia' Westminster!

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88 882 0ow to )escue the $arth without Worshipin# 5ature'A Christian+s Call to (ave Creation! 5ashville' Chomas 5elson!

Candlish, )obert (! >6> (tudies in &enesis! $dinbur#' ARC -lac2! )eprint! &rand )apids'Fre#el! Cassuto, Umberto! 811 A Commentary on the -oo2 of &enesis! "art One' ;rom Adam to 5oah! Eerusalem' Che 7a#nes "ress, Che 0ebrew University! Childs, -revard (! 8:8 4Che $nemy from the 5orth and the Chaos Cradition!6 Eournal of -iblical ?iterature 9>' 89! Clifford, )ichard! E!, (! E! 8>: 4Che 0ebrew (criptures and the Cheolo#y of Creation!6 Cheolo#ical (tudies 16':09B2,! Coats, &eor#e W! 8>, &enesis, with an Introduction to 5arrative ?iterature! ;orms of Old Cestament ?iterature! $dited by )olf Fnierim and &ene 7! Cuc2er, vol ! &rand )apids' $erdmans! Cohn, 5orman 88, Cosmos, Chaos, and the World to Come' Che Ancient )oots of Apocalyptic ;aith! 5ew 0aven' Qale University "ress! Custance, A!C! 890 Without ;orm and Noid! -roc2ville, Canada' Custance! CrowtherB0eyc2, Fathleen 200: 7osaic "hilosophy' Che role of hermeneutics in a (criptureBbased philosophy! Unpublished paper presented at the "ascal Conference Euly >B2,! *anielou, Eean, (! E! 896 Che An#els and Cheir 7ission Accordin# to the ;athers of the Church! Crans! *avid 0eimann! Westminster, 7*' Christian Classics! *avis, $dward and $liIabeth Chmielews2i 200: &alileo and the &arden of $den' 0istorical )eflections on Creationist 0ermeneutics! Unpublished paper presented at the "ascal Conference Euly >B2,! *illmann, A! 1897 Genesis, Critically and Exegetically Expounded. Translated by William

89 B. Stevenson. Edinburgh: T&T Clark.

*elitIsch, ;ranI >>> A 5ew Commentary on &enesis, 6th ed! 2 vols! Cranslated by (ophia Caylor! $dinbur#h' CRC Clar2! *esmond, Ale%ander, C! and *avid W! -a2er, editors 200, *ictionary of the Old Cestament' "entateuch! *owners &rove'InterNarsity! *odds, 7arcus! >8, Che -oo2 of &enesis! $%positor+s -ible! ?ondon' 0odder RZ(tou#hton! *river, (! )! 81> Che -oo2 of &enesis, with Introduction and 5otes! :th ed! $dited, with an Appendi% by &! )! *river! Westminster Commentaries! ?ondon' 7etheun! $dersheim, Alfred >86 ?ife and Cimes of Eesus the 7essiah! 5ew Qor2' ?on#mans, &reen, and Co! $ichrodt, W! 862 4In the -e#innin#!6 Israel+s "rophetic 0erita#e' $ssays in 0onor of Eu! 7ulenbur#, ed! -!W! Anderson and W! 0arrelson! 5ew Qor2' 0arper and )ow! pp! B 0! $liade, 7! 8:8 Cosmos and 0istory! Chica#o' University of Chica#o "ress!

$vans, Crai# A! and William ;! (tinesprin# 8>9 $arly Eewish and Christian $%e#esis! Atlanta, &A' (cholars "ress! ;einber#, Charles ?! 8>2 Eeremiah'A Commentary! &rand )apids' Xondervan )e#ency )eference ?ibrary! ;ields, Weston W! 896 Unformed and Unfilled! Collinsville, I?' -ur#ener $nterprises! ;ine#an, Eac2 862 In the -e#innin# 'A Eourney throu#h &enesis! 5ew Qor2' 0arper R -rothers! ;ishbane, 7ichael

90 89 Eeremiah IN 2,B26 and Eob III ,B ,'A )ecovered Use of the Creation "attern! Netus Cestamentum 2 ' : B 6,!

;isher, ?!)! 868

4An U#aritic )itual and &en ' B:S 7ission de )as (hamra 9! U#aritica 6' 89B20:!

;o22elman, E!"! 89: 5arrative Art in &enesis! Assen and Amsterdam! ;o%, $verett, Crans, $d! 8>, In the -e#innin#' A 5ew $n#lish )endition of the -oo2 of &enesis, Cranslated with Commentary and 5otes! 5ew Qor2' (choc2en -oo2s! ;retheim, Cerrence $! 868 Creation, ;all, and ;lood' (tudies in &enesis B "ublishin# 0ouse! 88 200: ! 7inneapolis'Au#sbur#

Che )eclamation of &enesis! Interpretation, A Eournal of -ible and Cheolo#y',:1B,6:! &od and World in the Old Cestament' a )elational Cheolo#y of Creation

&ibson, Eohn C! 8> *aily (tudy -ible (eries' &enesis, Nol! ! ?ouisville, Fentuc2y' Westminster, Eohn Fno% "ress! &inIber#, 8:1 Che ?e#ends of the Eews! "hiladelphia' Eewish "ublication (ociety of America!

&itay, Qehoshua 8> "rophecy and "ersuasion' A (tudy of Isaiah 10B1>! -onn' ?in#uistica -iblica -onn! &lasser, Arthur ;! with Charles $! Nan $n#en, *ean (! &illiland, and (hawn -! )edford 200, Announcin# the Fin#dom! &rand )apids' -a2er Academic! &ould, (tephen Eay 888 Che "reBAdamite in a 5utshell! 5atural 0istory! Nol! 0>, 5o! 8'21B29! &roh, *ieter 200: CreationBCheolo#y, -iblical 0ermeneutics and 5atural "hilosophy in Western Christianity! Cranslated from the &erman by Eohannes Wienand! Unpublished paper presented at the "ascal Conference Euly >B2,!

91 &un2el, 0ermann 881 Che (tories of &enesis! Crans! by Eohn E! (cullion!Nalle<o, CA'-I-A? "ress! 0arlan, 7ar2 200: Conte%tualiIin# Cheolo#y! 5otes ta2en from 7issiolo#y lecture at the U(CW7, Euly 2>! 0amilton, Nictor "! 880 &enesis Chapters B 9! &rand )apids' $erdmans! 0arB*aview, *!$! 8,2 Che &enesis of &enesis! 5ew Qor2' ;lemin# 0! )evell! 0arner, "!-! 869 4Creation ;aith in *euteroBIsaiah!6 Netus Cestamentum 9'28>B,06! 0arris, )! ?aird, )!, &leason ?! Archer, Er!, and -ruce F! Walt2e, $ditors! 8>0 4 )eshit, ;irst, -e#innin#!6 Cheolo#ical Wordboo2 of the Old Cestament! Chica#o' 7oody "ress! 0asel, &erhard ;! 891 4Che "olemic 5ature of the &enesis Cosmolo#y!6 $vT16'> B 02! 892 4Che si#nificance of the Cosmolo#y in &enesis in )elation to Ancient 5ear $astern "arallels!6 AU(( 0' B20!

0eidel, A?e%ander 8: Che -abylonian &enesis! 2d ed! Chica#o'University of Chica#o "ress! 0ess, )ichard (! 881 One 0undred ;ifty Qears of Comparative (tudies on &enesis B 'An Overview! ;n 4I (tudied Inscriptions from before the ;lood6' Ancient 5ear $astern, ?iterary, and lin#uistic Approaches to &enesis B ! )ichard (! 0ess and *avid Coshio Csumura, eds! "p! ,B26! Winona ?a2e, I5' $isenbrauns! 0owell, Fenneth, E! 200: 5atural Fnowled#e and Ce%tual 7eanin# in the Chou#ht of Au#ustine' Che 7anichean Challen#e! Unpublished paper presented at the "ascal Conference Euly >B2,! 0ummel, Charles $! 8>6 4Interpretin# &enesis One!6 Eournal of the American (cientific Affiliation .EA(A/ Nol! ,>, 5o! ,, (eptember! Eacob, $! 8:> Cheolo#y of the Old Cestament! ?ondon' 0odder R (tou#hton!

92 Ea2i, (tanley 891

(cience and Creation';rom $ternal Cycles to an Oscillatin# Universe! 5ew Qor2' (cience 0istory "ublications!

882a Universe and Creed! 7ilwau2ee, WI' 7arDuette University "ress! 882b &enesis throu#h the A#es! ?ondon' Chomas 7ore! Eansma, C! 890 4(ome )emar2s on the (yroB0e%aplaric )eadin# of &en '26 Netus Cestamentum 20' 6B21!

Een2ins, "hilip 2006 Che 5ew ;aces of Christianity'-elievin# the -ible in the &lobal (outh! O%ford' O%ford University "ress! Faiser, Christopher -! 889 Creational Cheolo#y and the 0istory of "hysical (cience'Che Creationist Cradition from -asil to -ohr! ?eiden' $!E! -rill! Faiser, Walter C! 890 4Che ?iterary ;orm of &enesis B !6 ;n 5ew "erspsectives in the Old Cestament! $d E!-! "ayne, pp! 1>B6:! Waco' Word! Fass, ?eon )! 200, Che -e#innin# of Wisdom' )eadin# &enesis! 5ew Qor2';ree "ress! Faufmann, QeheI2el 892 Che )eli#ion of Israel! 5ew Qor2' (choc2en! .an abrid#ement and translation of his >Bvolume 0ebrew wor2, published between 8,9 and 8:6/! Femp, Farl C! 200, NerseBbyB-erse (tudy of &enesis chapters B,! (ermon 5otes! Feil, Carl ;riedrich >66 -iblical Commentary on the OC! Nol! , Che "entateuch! Cranslated by Eames 7artin! $dinbur#h' CRC Clar2! Felly, *ou#las ;! 882 Creation and Chan#e' &enesis ! B 2!1 in the ?i#ht of Chan#in# (cientific "aradi#ms! )ossB(hire' 7entor! Femp, Farl C! 200, NerseBbyB-erse (tudy of &enesis chapters B,! (ermon 5otes! Fidner, *ere2 .Duoted by Walt2e in -ib(ac/ 869 &enesis' An Introduction and Commentary! *owners &rove'InterNarsity!

93

Fittel, &erhard, and &erhard ;riedrich 861 4*octrine of An#els in Eudaism!6 Cheolo#ical *ictionary of the 5C! Crans! &eoffrey W! -romiley! &rand )apids' $erdmans! Fline, 7!&! 8:9 4-ecause It 0ad 5ot )ained!6 Westminster Cheolo#ical Eournal 20' 16B :9!

Fselman, E! (! 89> Che )ecovery of "oetic ;ra#ments from the "entateuchal "riestly (ource! Eournal of -iblical ?iterature 89' 6 B 9,! ?ambert, Wilfred &! 86: SA 5ew ?oo2 at the -abylonian bac2#round of &enesis!S Eournal of Cheolo#ical (tudies, 5ew (eries 6'2>>! ?eupold, 0erber Carl 812 $%position of &enesis! 2 vols! &rand )apids' -a2er! 89 $%position of Isaiah' Nolume II Chapters 10B66! &rand )apids' -a2er! ?ewis, $dwin 81> Che Creator and the Adversary! 5ew Qor2' Abin#donBCo2esbury! ?ewis, Eac2 "! 8>8 4Che *ays of Creation' An 0istorical (urvey of Interpretation!6 Eournal of the $van#elical Cheolo#ical (ociety, Nol! ,2, 5o! 1 .*ec!/ ?ewis, Cayler >:: Che (i% days of Creation3 or Che (criptural Cosmolo#y, with the Ancient Idea of CimeBWorld in *istinction from Wolrds in (pace! (chenectady' &!N! Nan *ebo#ert! ?evenson, Eon 8>> Creation and the "ersistence of $vil' Che Eewish *rama of *ivine Omnipotence! (an ;rancisco' 0arper R )ow! ?eibowitI, 5ehama 892 (tudies in &enesis! Eerusalem' World Xionist Or#aniIation! ?i#htfoote, Eohn 612 A ;ew, and 5ew Observations, upon the -oo2e of &enesis! ?ondon' Co -ad#er! ?oewen, Eacob A! 2000 Che -ible in CrossBCultural "erspective! "asadena' William Carey ?ibrary!

94

?uther, 7artin 8:> ?uther+s Commentary on &enesis 'A 5ew Cranslation ! 2 vols! Cranslated by Cheodore 7ueller from In primum librum 7ose enarrationes! &rand )apids' Xondervan! 7atthews, Fenneth A! 200 &enesis B '26! -roadman R 0olman, pp! 10B 1,' !

7ay, 0erbert &ordon 8,8 4Che Creation of ?i#ht in &enesis ',B:!6 E-? :>'2B,B 7cFenIie, E!?! 866 Che CwoB$d#ed (word! 5ew Qor2'Ima#e!

7ettin#er, Cry##ve 5! *! 8>: ;i#htin# the "owers of Chaos and 0ellKCowards the -iblical "ortrait of &od! (tudia Cheolo#ica ,8'2 B,>! 7oltmann, Eer#en 8>: &od in Creation! (an ;rancisco' 0arper and )ow! 7oreau, A! (cott, Co2unboh Adeyemo, *avid &! -urnett, -ryant ?! 7yers and 0wa Qun# 2002 *eliver Us from $vil' An Uneasy ;rontier in Christian 7ission 7orris, 0enry 891 (cientific Creationism! (an *ie#o' Creation ?ife "ublishers! 899 896 Che -e#innin# of the World! $l Ca<on, CA' 7aster -oo2s! Che &enesis )ecord' A (cientific and *evotional Commentary on the -oo2 of -e#innin#s! &rand )apids' -a2er!

7otyer, E! Alec 88, Che "rophecy of Isaiah'An Introduction and Commentary! *owners &rove'InterNarsity! 7ulder, 7artin Ean, $d! 2001 7i2ra' Ce%t, Cranslation, )eadin# and Interpretation of the 0ebrew -ible in Ancient Eudaism and $arly Christianity! "eabody, 7A' 0endri2son "ublishers! 5ewsom, Carol A! 200, Che -oo2 of Eob'A Contest of 7oral Ima#inations! 5ew Qor2'O%ford University "ress!

95

5et -ible, accessed throu#h the internet! 5ielsen, Firsten 88> (atan' Che "rodi#al (onH'A ;amily "roblem in the -ible! (heffield, $n#land' (heffield Academic "ress 5umbers, )onald l! 882 Che Creationist' Che $volution of (cientific Creationism! -er2eley' University of California "ress! Och, -ernard 88: Creation and )edemption' Cowards a Cheolo#y of Creation! Eudaism Nol! 11'226B1,! (prin#! Oduyoye, 7odupe 8>9 Che (ons of the &ods and the *au#hters of 7en' An AfroBAsiatic Interpretaiton of &enesis B ! 7ary2noll'Orbis -oo2s! "a#els, $laine 88: Che Ori#in of (atan! 5ew Qor2' )andom 0ouse! "annenber#, Wolfhart 890 -asic Tuestions in Cheolo#y' Collected $ssays, Nolume ! Crans! &eor#e 0! Fehm! "hiladelphia' ;ortress "ress! "ayton, Eames )! Er! 200: 5atural "hilosophy and (cripture in $astern Christianity! Unpublished paper presented at the "ascal Conference Euly >B2,! "assinya, ?! 7onsen#wo 896 4Che ?iterary ;ramewor2 of &enesis !6 -iblica :9'22:B21 ! "atton, Corrine ?! 88: &enesis throu#h the A#es'a -oo2 )eview! Che Catholic -iblical Tuarterly! :9' 10B 1 ! Eanuary! "ayne, *! ;! 861 &enesis One )econsidered! ?ondon' Cyndale "ress!

"ayton, Eames )! Er! 200: 5atural "hilosophy and (cripture in $astern Christianity! Unpublished paper presented at the "ascal Conference Euly >B2,! "earcey, 5ancy 2001 Cotal Cruth' ?iberatin# Christianity from Its Cultural Captivity! Wheaton' Crossway -oo2s! "ember, &!0! >96 $arth+s $arliest A#es and Cheir Connection with 7odern (piritualism and

96 Cheosophy! ?ondon and &las#ow' "ic2erin# R In#lis! "etersen, *avid ?! 898 4Qahweh and the Or#aniIation of the Cosmos!6 E(OC ,'19B61! "ritchard, E!-! ed! 8:: Ancient 5ear $astern Ce%ts )elatin# to the Old Cestamnet! "rinceton' "rinceton University "ress! )ees, *! -en, ed! 200, Nehicles of &race and 0ope' Welsh 7issionaries in India >00L 890! "asadena' William Carey ?ibrary! )enc2ens, 0enricus (!E! 861 Israel+s Concept of the -e#innin#'Che Cheolo#y of &enesis B,! 5ew Qor2' 0erder and 0erder! )ichards, ?arry 896 ?et *ay -e#in'7an in &od+s Universe! (tudies in &enesis and Eob! $l#in, I?' *avid C! Coo2! )ichardson, Alan 8:, &enesis IBWI! Corch -ible Commentaries! ?ondon' (C7! )immer, 0arry 81 7odern (cience and the &enesis )ecord! &rand )apids' $erdmans! )obbins, &re#ory Allen, $d! 8>> &enesis B, in the 0istory of $%e#esis'In#ri#ue in the &arden! ?ewiston, 5Q' Che $dwin 7ellen "ress )osenbaum, 7ichael 889 WordBOrder Nariation in Isaiah 10B::'A ;unctional "erspective! Assen, the 5etherlands' Nan &orcum! )osenbaum, 7! and A!7! (ilbermann, translators 816 "entateuch with Car#um On2elos, 0aphtaroth and "rayers for (abbath and )ashi+s Commentary! ?ondon' (hapiro, Nallentine! )oss, Allen "! 886 Creation and -lessin#' A &uide to the (tudy and $%position of &enesis! &rand )apids' -a2er! )oss, 0u#h 88> Che &enesis Tuestion' (cientific Advances and the Accuracy of &enesis! Colorado (prin#s' 5avpress!

97 200 Che Creator and the Cosmos' 0ow the &reatest (cientific *iscoveries of the Century )eveal &od! Colorado (prin#s' 5av"ress!

(ailhamer, E!0! 882 Che "entateuch As 5arrative' A -iblicalBCheolo#ical Commentary! &rand )apids' Xondervan! 886 2000 &enesis Unbound! (isters, O)' 7ultnomah! 4A Wisdom Composition of the "entateuchH6 ;n Che Way of Wisdom' $ssays in 0onor of -ruce F! Walt2e! $dited by E! I! "ac2er and (! F! (oderlund! &rand )apids' Xondervan, pp! :B,:!

(arna, 5ahum 7! 866 Understandin# &enesis! 5ew Qor2' (choc2en -oo2s! 8>8 (auer, $rich 862 &enesis! E"( Corah Commentary Nol!! ! "hiladelphia' Eewish "ublication (ociety! Che Fin# of the $arth! &rand )apics '$erdmans!

(chaeffer, ;rancis 892 &enesis in (pace and Cime! &lendale' )e#al -oo2s! (chlier, 0einrich 86 "rinciplalities and "owers in the 5ew Cestament! 5ew Qor2' 0erder and 0erder! (eitI, Christopher )! 88, Isaiah B,8! Interpretation' A -ible Commentary for Ceachin# and "reachin#! ?ouisville' Eohn Fno% "ress! (hea, WIlliam 0! 89> 4Che Unity of the Creation Account!6 Ori#ins :'8B,>! (ilbermann, )abbi A! 7!, ed! 8,1 )ashi+s Commenatary Cranslated into $n#lish and Annotated! Eerusalem' ;eldheim "ublishers! (2inner, Eohn 8 0 A Critical and $%e#etical Commentary on &enesis! 2d ed! International Critical Commentary! $dinbur#h' CRC Clar2! (mith, &ary N! 899 4(tructure and "urpose in &enesis B (mith, Eohn "ye !6 E$C( 20',09B 8!

98 >:1 Che )elation -etween the 0oly (criptures and (ome "arts of &eolo#ical (cience! ?ondon'0enry &! -ohn!

(peiser, $phraim $! 861 &enesis'Che Anchor -Ible! 5ew Qor2! (purrell, &eor#e Eames >86 5otes on the 0ebrew Ce%t of the -oo2 of &enesis! 2d ed! ?ondon' ;roude! (tacey, *avid 88, Isaiah'Chapters B,8! ?ondon' $pworth "ress! (ternber#, 7! 8>9 Che "oetics of -iblical 5arrative'Ideolo#ical ?iterature and the *rama of )eadin#! Indiana (tudies in -iblical ?iterature! -loomin#ton' Indiana Univ! "ress! (ti#ers, 0arold &!A! 896 A Commentary on &enesis! &rand )apids' Xondervan! (traus, ?eo 8:9 8> 4Interpretation of &enesis!6 A lecture in the Wor2s of the 7ind series at the University of Chica#o! Eanuary 2:! 4On the Interpretation of &enesis!6 ?+0omme WWI, no! :B20! .Ean!B7ar!/ pp!

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99

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Nirey, EeanB;rancois 200: *rawin# the lesson from two millenia of e%e#esis! -oo2 )eview of &enesis throu#h the A#es! ;ound on AmaIon!com! http'JJwww!amaIon!comJe%ecJobidosJt#JdetailJBJ >899 ,002JDidG von )ad, &erhard 862 Old Cestament Cheolo#y! Nol! , Che Cheolo#y of Israel+s 0istorical Craditions! Cranslated by *7& (tal2er! 5ew Qor2' 0arper R )ow! 89, &enesis' A Commentary! )ev! ed! Cranslated by Eohn 0! 7ar2s from *as erste -uch 7ose ubersetIt und er2lart! Old Cestament ?ibrary! ?ondon' (C7, "hiladelphia' Westminster!

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100 Walt2e, -ruce F! with Cathi E! ;redric2s 200 &enesis' A Commentary! &rand )apids'Xondervan! Wel2er, 7ichael 888 Creation and )eality! Cranslated by Eohn ;! 0offmeyer! 7inneapolis' ;ortress! Wenham, &ordon E! 8>9 &enesis B :, Word -iblical Commentary! Waco, CW' Word -oo2s! West, &erald O! *ube (homanah, 7usa W!-oston 200 Che -ible in Africa! -rill Academic "ublishers! Westermann, C! 89 Creation! ?ondon'("CF! 8>1 &enesis B ! 7inneapolis' Au#sbur#! Wenham, &ordon E! 8>9 &enesis B :, Word -iblical Commentary! Waco, CW' Word -oo2s! Wildavs2y, Aaron 8>1 Che 5ursin# ;ather' 7oses as a "olitical ?eader! University of Alabama "ress! Win2, Walter 8>1 5amin# the "owers' Che ?an#ua#e of "ower in the 5ew Cestament! "hiladelphia' ;ortress "ress! Winter, )alph *! 200:a ;rontiers in 7ission'*iscoverin# and (urmountin# -arriers to the 7issio *ei! "asadena' WCIU "ress! 200:b )eview of Cotal Cruth by 5ancy "earcey and "urpose *riven ?ife by )ic2 Warren! IE;7 2 '1, 98! 200:c "lanetary $vents and the 7ission of the Church! *onald 7cClure ?ectureship, "ittsbur#h Cheolo#ical (eminary! October ,, 1! 200:d Interview with author! 5ov !

2006 The Unfinished Epic: in five acts. Unpublished paper. Wri#ht, E! (tafford 8:6 4Che "lace of 7yth in the Interpretation of the -ible!6 Eournal of the Cransactions of the Nictorian Institute! >>' >B,0 Wri#ht, 5!C!

101 888 Qoun#, $!E! 861 Che Challen#e of Eesus' )ediscoverin# Who Eesus Was and Is! *owners &rove'InterNarsity "ress! (tudies in &enesis One! &rand )apids'-a2er -oo2 0ouse!

Qoun#blood, )onald ;! 8>0 0ow It All -e#an! Nentura, CA')e#al! 880 88 Che &enesis *ebate' "ersistent Tuestions about Creation and the ;lood! &rand )apids' -a2er! Che -oo2 of &enesis'An Introductory Commentary! 2nd edition! &rand )apids' -a2er!

Genera&Exegesis and 3er)eneuti s: de7ar#arie, -ertrand, (!E! 88, An Introduction to the 0istory of $%e#esis! Nol I'Che &ree2 ;athers! "etersham, 7A' (aint -ede+s "ublishin#! ;ee, &ordon, and *ou#las (tuart 88, 0ow to )ead the -ible for All Its Worth! 2nd $dition! &rand )apids' Xondervan! ;ishbane, 7ichael 898 Ce%t and Ce%ture! 5ew Qor2! ;reeman, 0obart $! 86> An Introduction to the Old Cestament "rophets! Chica#o' 7oody "ress! 0irsch! $!*! 869 Nalidity in Interpretation! 5ew 0aven' Qale University "ress!

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Olthuis, Eames 0! with *onald &! -loesch, Clar2 0! "innoc2 and &erald C! (heppard! 8>9 A 0ermeneutics of Ultimacy' "eriod or "romiseH ?anham'University "ress of America!

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(tuart, *ou#las 8>0 Old Cestament $%e#esis' A "rimer for (tudents and "astors, 2nd ed! "hiladelphia'Westminster "ress! Nan &emeren, WIllem A!, $d! 899 A &uide to Old Cestament Cheolo#y and $%e#esis! &rand )apids'Xondervan!