How Many Evenings are in a Day?

[daq]

this is a good focus. overly interpreted translations have value because scripture is more accessible but if you want to study it you need to be willing to get deeper and look at the words presented as they are. This may be a bit of an unknown translation and the guy who writes it (Jeff Benner) doesn't appear to have any accreditation or authority in Hebrew (seems to be somewhat self-taught) so it may be somewhat controversial but he makes an interesting translation called the Mechanical Translation or MT for short. his philosophy is that the same Hebrew word should not be translated into many different English words and as best as it can a single word should be used in all instances to maintain the inherent concrete nature of the language, he also breaks it down word for word and has his own lexicon so is transparent. here are the first verses of Genesis ending at the end of the first day

1 In the summit Elohiym shaped the skies and the land, 2 and the land had existed in confusion and was unfilled, and darkness was upon the face of the deep water and the wind of Elohiym was fluttering upon the face of the waters, 3 and Elohiym said, light will exist, and light existed, 4 and Elohiym saw the light, given that it was functional, and Elohiym made a separation between the light and the darkness, 5 and Elohiym called out to the light, day, and to the darkness he called out, night, and evening existed and morning existed, a day unit,

Thanks for posting this. I am somewhat familiar with the work of Jeff Benner but do not have his "Mechanical Translation". I'll say this much: at least he renders ereb as evening in this passage!

However Yhoshua taught me that bara' is to cut down, in the sense of cutting down trees to build a house, (Joshua 17:15-18).

 

[DamianWarS]

Thanks for posting this. I am somewhat familiar with the work of Jeff Benner but do not have his "Mechanical Translation". I'll say this much: at least he renders ereb as evening in this passage!

However Yhoshua taught me that bara' is to cut down, in the sense of cutting down trees to build a house, (Joshua 17:15-18).

Genesis is free on his website and that's where I quoted the MT from (I don't own it myself). his lexicon is free too and I think there used to be a PDF for free but it looks only for purchase now (but I think you can still google it and find some sources out there).

he unpacks his justification for bara here. I can't find any accreditation for him and for all I know he has a PhD in Ancient Hebrew or nothing at all, but he speaks with a confidence and explains things in way that you tend to want to agree with him except the hesitation is that no one else is saying it.

 

[daq]

Genesis is free on his website and that's where I quoted the MT from (I don't own it myself). his lexicon is free too and I think there used to be a PDF for free but it looks only for purchase now (but I think you can still google it and find some sources out there).

he unpacks his justification for bara here. I can't find any accreditation for him and for all I know he has a PhD in Ancient Hebrew or nothing at all, but he speaks with a confidence and explains things in way that you tend to want to agree with him except the hesitation is that no one else is saying it.

While the video makes some good points, (I just watched all of it), it also reveals somewhat of an error in thinking that we should try to render as many words as possible with a single English word in translation, (at least in my opinion). Some of the associated words he mentions for bara can also be understood in the manner of cutting, or cutting down, as mentioned in my previous statements. Covenant is one of those words, just to name one, (berith or briyt). It is one thing to study words and roots: but any conclusions must ultimately be based on scripture context and usage, which I am sure you probably already know and understand.

For another example, if we take his meaning of the word bara as meaning to fill up, what does that do to Isaiah 45:7? (if we are going to try to stick with that one primary meaning)?

Isaiah 45:7-8 KJV
7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.
8 Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness: let the earth open, and let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together; I the LORD have created it.

Notice what the Prophet says at the start of verse eight? Why does he say, "Drop down, ye heavens, from above"?

Could Yeshayah be speaking of Genesis 1:1?

Yeshayah 45:7-8
7 I form the light, and cut down darkness: I make peace, and cut down evil: I the LORD do all these things.
8 Drop down, O heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness: let the earth open, and let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together: I the LORD have cut it down [created it].

This way of understanding may even be seen in the Greek word used for the foundation of the world. I thought the actual meaning of this word a strange thing until I came to understand the things above. The Greek word is katabole and its root literally means to cast down or throw down. Why would the authors of the scripture choose this word when speaking of the foundation of the world?

Revelation 13:8 KJV
8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

Simple and brief (Mickelson's) lexicon entries:

G2602 καταβολή katabole (ka-ta-ɓo-lee') n.
1. a deposition, i.e. founding.
2. (figuratively) conception.
[from G2598]
KJV: conceive, foundation

And what is the root, G2598?

G2598 καταβάλλω kataballo (ka-ta-ɓal'-lō) v.
to throw down.
[from G2596 and G906]
KJV: cast down, lay

Elohim cuts down the heavens and the earth: and the earth becomes wasted and empty...

 

[sparow]

Brother, you are using the wrong words to say what God chose not to say in Genesis first day. "Evening" and "morning" do not mean "night" and "day"! God defined other words to say what you are saying that He chose not to use when He used other words at the end of the first day, because He is saying something different than what you are saying.

Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day” and the darkness “night.” And evening passed and morning came, marking the first day. (Genesis 1:3-5 NLT)​

God chose not to say "night" and "day" when He said "evening" and "morning", which He uses differently from "night" and "day" in the following passage. God is not saying below what you say above with the word "evening", because He chose to say something else above using other words than "night" and "day". God does not use "evening" below the way you use it above. He is not saying from the "night" of the ninth day of the month to the "night" of the tenth as He defined those words above to mean what He chose not to say using different words that He uses below differently from how you use them above. The way God uses "evening" below helps us understand what He means above. He means above that a "night" ends the first day from "evening to morning", because the days of the week begin with "morning to evening", which God called "day". The same word above as "evening" is translated below as "sundown".

This will be a Sabbath day of complete rest for you, and on that day you must deny yourselves. This day of rest will begin at sundown on the ninth day of the month and extend until sundown on the tenth day.” (Leviticus 23:32 NLT)​

United in our hope for the soon return of Jesus, Jorge

You have taken my usage out of the context of the question I was answering; I suspect that question was defective.