The Fifth Day

Hebrew Without Vowels or Accents

The text of Genesis 1: 20 to 23 appears as follows:

Samaritan Targum Interlinear Translation

Here’s the interlinear translation of Genesis 1: 20 to 23 from tanakh.info:

Facts About Hebrew

We can add the following to our facts about Hebrew:

24.  The Hebrew adjective/noun chay  חי (Strong’s 2416 – 503 occurrences & 2417) means ‘alive, living’ forms part of the verbs chaya  חיי (Strong’s 2418) and chayah חיה (Strong’s 2421) translated as ‘live(d)’.  In Gen 1:24, 25, & 30, chayah חיה (Strong’s 2421 – 263 occurrences) are assigned Strong’s 2416, and translated as ‘beast’.  In Gen 1: 20, 21, 24, 30, 2:7 & 19 the adjective/noun chay (Strong’s 2416) is found in conjunction with the Hebrew noun nephesh  (Strong’s 5315) means ‘a soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, passion, appetite, emotion’, and translated as ‘living creature’ until Gen 2:7 where they are translated ‘living being’ in reference to ‘adam’, then back to ‘living creature’, of the animals the man named in Gen 2:19.  This is an example of translator bias, where English words are chosen, not based on literal meaning, but to align with theology, which is the reason we can’t understand the meaning of scripture from English translations.

25.  The Hebrew tannin תנינם (Strong’s 8577) by definition means ‘serpent, dragon, sea monster’.  Only the NASB, Tanakh, and Jubilee Bibles translated tannin appropriately as ‘monster’ or ‘dragon’ in Gen 1:21.  Other Bible’s translate it as ‘creatures’ and the King James Bible as ‘whales’ which is incorrect.  Outside the Genesis creation account, tannin is never translated as ‘creatures/whales’, only as ‘serpent, dragon or monster’, evidencing this to be a mistranslation.

26.  The Hebrew adjective gadol  גדול (Strong’s 1419) most often translated as ‘great’, is from the verb/adjective gadal גדל (Strong’s 1431 & 1432) that means ‘to grow/growing up, become/becoming great’, the noun godel גדל (Strong’s 1433) that means ‘greatness’.  

The word ‘great’ conveys a positive sense, as an adjective it means more of something than average, and as a noun in it is used in reference to a distinguished person, but in scripture, ‘great’ isn’t always positive.  Gadal is used positively in relation to the ‘great’ things Yahweh will do in Joel 2:21, and the Messiah, the ruler in Israel whose ‘greatness’ will reach to the ends of the earth Micah 5:4.  It is used in a negative context of the ‘great’ things Satan’s northern forces do in Joel 2:20, of boasting Obadiah 1:12, arrogance Zeph 2: 8 & 10, magnifying ones self above another Dan 8: 4 to &  Zech 12:7, or ‘great’ mourning in Zech 12:11.

We must look at the context to determine whether ‘great’ is meant in a positive or negative sense. 

27.  The Hebrew noun sherets שרץ (Strong’s 8318), is the same as the verb sharats (Strong’s 8317) except for the vowel points, meaning ‘an active mass’ or ‘swarming/teeming’ respectively.  Although sherets/sharats occurs twice in Gen 1:20, most Bible versions translate it once as ‘teem’,  ‘swarm’, ‘abundantly’, or ‘be filled/full’, except the ESV where it is translated as ‘swarm with swarms’, and NASB as ‘teem with swarms’.  The duplication emphasizes the volume of monsters in sea in comparison to the birds in the heavens, an important part of the account that should not be omitted.

28.  The Hebrew verb barak ברך (Strong’s 1288 – 330 occurrences) and berak (Strong’s 1289 – 5 occurrences in Daniel) mean ‘to kneel, bless’, and are most often translated as ‘bless(ed)(es)’.  The masculine noun berek ברך (Strong’s 1290 – 25 occurrences), and feminine berak, (Strong’s 1291 – 1 occurrence in Dan 6:10) which are the same except for the vowel points, both mean ‘knee’, and they are the same as barak and berak except for the vowel points. 

Translating barak as ‘bless’ makes it appear the object to which it refers is favored by God, when that is not the case.  For example, in Gen 1:22 the verb barak is specific to the monsters and birds generating offspring, not an indication that they have God’s favor.  Similarly in Gen 1:28, the verb barak is specific to man being fruitful and multiplying and filling the earth and subduing it and having dominion over every living thing that moves upon the earth.  In Gen 2:3, the verb barak is specific to the seventh day being set apart.  A more fitting translation would be ‘authorize, consent, allow, sanction, grant, enable, entitle’ which is what seems to be meant by God ‘kneeling’.

Constructing The Sentences

Let’s construct the sentences – subject, verb, object:

Gen 1:20 has a major clause, the subject is ‘gods’, the verb ‘said’, and within the object are two subordinate clauses, first – the verb ‘teem’, and object ‘the waters with an abundance of souls living’, and second – the verb ‘fly’, and object ‘birds above the earth across the face of the firmament of the heavens’.

Gen 1:21 has a major clause, the subject ‘gods’, the verb ‘create’, there are three  et את that indicate they are direct objects of the verb ‘create’; ‘monsters great’, ‘every soul living that moves which swarmed the waters according to kind’, and ‘every bird winged  according to kind’.  Then a major clause, with the subject  ‘gods’, the verb ‘saw’, and the object ‘good’.

Gen 1:22 has a major clause, the subject ‘gods’, the verb ‘sanction’, there is plural  et אתם (indicated by the prefix ם) indicating two direct objects of the verb ‘sanction’; the first for the monsters (although this isn’t stated directly it is clear from the context that only the monsters fill the seas and the birds multiply on earth) to ‘be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas’ and the second for the birds to ‘multiply on earth’.  In the first direct object there is an et את indicating ‘the waters in the seas’ is a direct object of the verb ‘fill’.

Gen 1:23 has a major clause with the subject the ‘fifth day’, the verb ‘be’, and the object ‘evening’, and a sub clause with the verb ‘be’, and object ‘morning’.

Literal and Figurative Translation

The paragraph translates as follows:

And said gods “let swarm the waters with an abundance of souls living and birds let fly above the earth across the face firmament the sky”.  And created gods monsters great and every living soul that moves swarmed the waters to kind and every bird winged to kind and saw gods that good.  And sanction gods saying “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas and birds let multiply in earth”.  And be evening and be morning fifth day.

Analysis

The ‘great monsters/dragons’ and ‘birds’ are opposites, and like the greater and lesser lights God created in separate spaces in Gen 1: 14 to 19, they are separated as a result of monsters being created for the ‘waters’ and birds for the ‘earth’ respectively in Gen 1:21 & 22.  Just as the separation of the greater and lesser lights on the second day was declared ‘good’, meaning acceptable for the time being, the separation of the monsters and birds on the fifth day is declared good in Gen 1:21.

The active mass of monsters or dragons living in the water, represent  monstrous leaders and king’s of the nations under Satan’s influence. In Ezek 29:3 Pharaoh is called a “monster great crouching in the midst river”, similarly in Ezek 32:2 God says Pharaoh is “like a monster in the seas”, and in Isaiah 13:22 & 34:13 there are monsters in their palaces/temples.  God destroys Jerusalem, Judah, Hazor (the greatest city in the land of Israel in the late Canaanite period, “the head of all those kingdoms” Joshua 11:10, which today is Tel Hazor), and Babylon, leaving them desolate, a place where only monsters live Jer 9:11, 10:22, 49:33, & 51:37. God destroys the mighty ones like Pharaoh by the sword of other mighty ones, desolating them, bringing them down to the pit, to Sheol where the strong and mighty ones slain by the sword end up Ezek 32: 11 to 32. 

Birds flying in the heavens represent Israel, however “they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel” Romans 9:6.  The nation of Israel became Babylon the great, glorified itself and lived sensuously, and was burned up with fire Rev 18:2, 7 & 8.  Which is what Paul meant when he quoted Isaiah “though the number of the sons of Israel be like the sand of the sea, it is the remnant that will be saved” in Romans 9:27.  Righteous Israel (Israel of God) are represented as doves that God settles in their houses in Hosea 11:11 & Isaiah 60:8.

God had a plan from the beginning, ancient times, that was brought to pass Isaiah 37:26, established an ancient nation and let them declare the things that are coming, events that are going to take place Isaiah 44:7, declared the end from the beginning Isaiah 46:10, the purpose of rebuilding the ancient ruins Isaiah 58:12, on the favorable year of Yahweh Isaiah 61: 1 to 4, which Yahshua stated was fulfilled in Luke 4: 16 to 21.

In order to rebuild the ancient ruins, “God, intending to show wrath and make power known, bore with great patience the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction” Romans 9:22.  Throughout time, God uses the nations to refine and test Israel, that those who call on God’s name, God will answer and say “they are my people” and they will say “Yahweh is my god” Zech 13:9.   When judgment takes place, mighty ones like Pharaoh are given for food to the beasts of the earth and the birds of the heavens Ezek 29: 5, and birds that fly in mid-heaven are called to the great supper of God to eat the flesh of kings, commanders and mighty men and their horses in Rev 19: 17 & 18.

In my next article, I will look at Genesis 1: 24 to 31.