Open AccessTheophany in the Old Testament and its Interpretation in Aramaic Translations (The Concept of the Divine Word in the Targum)
Author(s) -
Dmytro Tsolin
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
ukraïnsʹke relìgìêznavstvo
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2617-9792
pISSN - 2306-3548
DOI - 10.32420/2007.43.1865
Subject(s) - old testament , literature , philosophy , nothing , narrative , interpretation (philosophy) , transcendence (philosophy) , poetry , transcendental number , messiah , new testament , eudaimonia , theology , art , linguistics , epistemology
Every reader of the Old Testament, both experienced researcher and newcomer, cannot fail to pay attention to one peculiarity in the presentation of the idea of God: it is a harmonious (and, at times, amazing) combination of transcendence and immanence. The History of the Creation of the World (Genesis 1: 1 - 2: 3), which begins the first book of the Strictly Testament - Genesis - is an example of an exquisite prose genre with elements of epic poetry.
In it, the Creator of the Universe appears to the Almighty, the Wise, and the All-Powerful, standing above the created world: Only one word of it evokes the material world from nothingness. This is emphasized by the repeated use of the formulas אלהים וימר / wa-yyo'mer 'ělohîm ("And Elohim said ...") and ויהי־כן / wa-yəhî khēn ("And so it became"). This use of two narrative constructs at the beginning and at the end of messages about the creative activities of God clearly emphasizes the idea of reconciling the divine Word and being. God is shown here to be transcendental.