Genesis 1 revisited
Reysheeth baurau Elohim ate hah-shau-mahyim ueh-ate erets.
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
How accurately translated is the first verse of the Bible?
Raysheeth
--[Strongs 7225] The
first,
in place, time, order or rank. (Spec. a
firstfruit
)
Baurau
--[Strongs 1254](absolutely) to
create
; (qualified) to
cut
down (a wood),
select, feed
(as a formative processes)
Elohim
--[Strongs 430] plural of 433 (eloah);
gods
in the ordinary sense
Ate
--a conjunction dependent on context.
Hah-shau-mahyim
--[Strongs 8064]
to be lofty
; the
sky
.
Ueh
--and/but
ate
--a conjunction dependent on context.
Erets
--[Strongs 776] to
be firm
the
earth
.
So we have “[The first in place, time, order or rank] [selected, created, or cut down] [Gods/God] [?] [Heavens] [and ?] [the earth]”
Perhaps it should have been translated: “The First (in rank) brought forth the Gods with the Heavens and with the earth.”
Why, that's exactly what the Bible says! God our Father, The Most High, is the God of Gods! Surely, he isn't the God of heathen and false gods, but is the God of gods like himself.
Verse three reads in the Hebrew, “And the Gods said, Let there be light: and there was light.”
The plurality of “Elohim” presents what might appear to be a problem. The translation “The LORD God” was translated from the hebrew “Yahweh Elohim.” If it were translated literally, it would be "Yahweh (or Jehovah) Gods." Yahweh means “Eternal or Everlasting.” So "Yahweh Elohim" could be translated "The Eternal Gods." Or even the "Jehovah (Eternal One) of the Gods." Genesis 2:7 would then read “And the Eternal Gods(or the Eternal One of the Gods) formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." I tend to agree with "The Eternal One of the Gods" because I believe God the Father created man personally, instead of anyone else.
Joseph Smith taught that the creation was carried out by several valient spirits under the direction of God the Father, and I believe him. This supports such teachings.
Please visit the official hompage of