ࠅࠊࠋ ࠄࠇࠉࠄ ࠀࠔࠓ ࠀࠕࠊ ࠌࠊࠋ ࠁࠔࠓ ࠁࠏࠅࠐ ࠅࠁࠁࠄࠌࠄ ࠅࠁࠊࠋ ࠄࠓࠌࠔ ࠄࠓࠌࠔ ࠏࠋ ࠄࠀࠓࠑ ࠄࠅࠑࠀ ࠀࠕࠊ ࠅࠔࠓࠑࠅ ࠁࠀࠓࠑ ࠅࠐࠓࠅ ࠅࠓࠁࠅ ࠏࠋ ࠄࠀࠓࠑ
Gen. 8:17 [Samaritan Pentateuch]
וכל החיה אשר אתך מכל בשר בעוף ובבהמה ובכל הרמש הרמש על הארץ הוצא אתך ושרצו בארץ ופרו ורבו על הארץ׃
And every living thing that is with you, from all flesh: the birds, and the livestock, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, bring out with you, and let them swarm on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth.”
Gen. 8:17 [Masoretic Text]
כָּל־הַחַיָּ֨ה אֲשֶֽׁר־אִתְּךָ֜ מִכָּל־בָּשָׂ֗ר בָּעֹ֧וף וּבַבְּהֵמָ֛ה וּבְכָל־הָרֶ֛מֶשׂ הָרֹמֵ֥שׂ עַל־הָאָ֖רֶץ הוצא אִתָּ֑ךְ וְשָֽׁרְצ֣וּ בָאָ֔רֶץ וּפָר֥וּ וְרָב֖וּ עַל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃
* הֹוצֵא כ | הַיְצֵא ק
Every living thing that is with you, from all flesh: the birds, and the livestock, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, bring out with you, and let them swarm on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth.
| Number | Hebrew | Samaritan | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | וכל | ࠅࠊࠋ | And all |
| 2 | החיה | ࠄࠇࠉࠄ | the living creatures |
| 3 | אשר | ࠀࠔࠓ | that |
| 4 | אתך | ࠀࠕࠊ | with you |
| 5 | מכל | ࠌࠊࠋ | from all |
| 6 | בשר | ࠁࠔࠓ | flesh |
| 7 | בעוף | ࠁࠏࠅࠐ | in birds |
| 8 | ובבהמה | ࠅࠁࠁࠄࠌࠄ | and in cattle |
| 9 | ובכל | ࠅࠁࠊࠋ | and in all |
| 10 | הרמש | ࠄࠓࠌࠔ | the creeping things |
| 11 | הרמש | ࠄࠓࠌࠔ | that creep |
| 12 | על | ࠏࠋ | on |
| 13 | הארץ | ࠄࠀࠓࠑ | the earth |
| 14 | הוצא | ࠄࠅࠑࠀ | bring out |
| 15 | אתך | ࠀࠕࠊ | with you |
| 16 | ושרצו | ࠅࠔࠓࠑࠅ | and let them swarm |
| 17 | בארץ | ࠁࠀࠓࠑ | on the earth |
| 18 | ופרו | ࠅࠐࠓࠅ | and be fruitful |
| 19 | ורבו | ࠅࠓࠁࠅ | and multiply |
| 20 | על | ࠏࠋ | on |
| 21 | הארץ | ࠄࠀࠓࠑ | the earth |
Morphology
- כָּל־הַחַיָּ֨ה (kol-haḥayyāh) – Root: חיה (ḥ-y-h); Form: Noun, singular feminine with definite article; Translation: “Every living thing”; Notes: Refers to all living creatures in general.
- אֲשֶֽׁר־אִתְּךָ֜ (ʾăšer-ʾitteḵā) – Root: את (ʾ-t); Form: Relative pronoun אֲשֶׁר + preposition אִתְּ + second masculine singular suffix; Translation: “that is with you”; Notes: Specifies those living creatures accompanying Noaḥ.
- מִכָּל־בָּשָׂ֗ר (mikkol-bāśār) – Root: בשר (b-ś-r); Form: Preposition מִן + noun, singular masculine construct; Translation: “from all flesh”; Notes: Refers to all categories of animals.
- בָּעֹ֧וף (bāʿōp̄) – Root: עוף (ʿ-w-p); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun, singular masculine; Translation: “in the birds”; Notes: Refers to the avian creatures.
- וּבַבְּהֵמָ֛ה (ūḇabbəhēmāh) – Root: בהמה (b-h-m); Form: Conjunction וְ + preposition בְּ + noun, singular feminine with definite article; Translation: “and in the livestock”; Notes: Refers to domesticated animals.
- וּבְכָל־הָרֶ֛מֶשׂ (ūḇəḵol-hāremeś) – Root: רמש (r-m-ś); Form: Conjunction וְ + preposition בְּ + noun, singular masculine with definite article; Translation: “and in every creeping thing”; Notes: Refers to small creatures that move on the ground.
- הָרֹמֵ֥שׂ (hārōmēś) – Root: רמש (r-m-ś); Form: Qal participle, singular masculine; Translation: “that creeps”; Notes: Describes the action of the creeping creatures.
- עַל־הָאָ֖רֶץ (ʿal-hāʾāreṣ) – Root: ארץ (ʾ-r-ṣ); Form: Preposition עַל + noun, singular feminine with definite article; Translation: “on the earth”; Notes: Refers to the surface of the land.
- הוצא (hôṣēʾ) – Root: יצא (y-ṣ-ʾ); Form: Hiphil imperative, second masculine singular; Translation: “Bring out”; Notes: Command to release the creatures from the ark.
- אִתָּ֑ךְ (ʾittāḵ) – Root: את (ʾ-t); Form: Preposition אִתְּ + second masculine singular suffix; Translation: “with you”; Notes: Refers to the creatures leaving the ark along with Noaḥ.
- וְשָֽׁרְצ֣וּ (wəšārṣū) – Root: שרץ (š-r-ṣ); Form: Conjunction וְ + Qal perfect, third plural masculine; Translation: “and let them swarm”; Notes: Refers to the spreading out of creatures on the earth.
- בָאָ֔רֶץ (bāʾāreṣ) – Root: ארץ (ʾ-r-ṣ); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun, singular feminine with definite article; Translation: “on the earth”; Notes: Specifies the location of the swarming.
- וּפָר֥וּ (ūpārū) – Root: פרה (p-r-h); Form: Conjunction וְ + Qal perfect, third plural masculine; Translation: “and let them be fruitful”; Notes: Refers to reproduction.
- וְרָב֖וּ (wərāḇū) – Root: רבה (r-b-h); Form: Conjunction וְ + Qal perfect, third plural masculine; Translation: “and multiply”; Notes: Describes the increase in population.
- עַל־הָאָֽרֶץ (ʿal-hāʾāreṣ) – Root: ארץ (ʾ-r-ṣ); Form: Preposition עַל + noun, singular feminine with definite article; Translation: “on the earth”; Notes: Refers to the location where the creatures will multiply.
Textual Commentary on Genesis 8:17
Genesis 8:17 presents a minor textual variation between the Masoretic Text (MT) and the Samaritan Pentateuch (SP), with support from the Septuagint (LXX) and the Peshitta for the Samaritan reading. The key differences involve the presence of the conjunction “ו” (“and”) at the beginning of the verse and a variant reading in the verb commanding Noah to bring out the animals.
Key Differences
| Feature | Samaritan Pentateuch (SP) | Masoretic Text (MT) | Effect on Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| “And every living thing that is with you” | וכל החיה אשר אתך (ve-kol haḥayah asher itekha) | כל החיה אשר אתך (kol haḥayah asher itekha) | The SP includes “ו” (“and”), linking the verse more explicitly to the previous passage. The LXX and Peshitta also support this reading, suggesting an ancient tradition. |
| “Let them swarm on the earth” | ושרצו בארץ (veshartsu ba-arets) | ושרצו בארץ (veshartsu ba-arets) | Identical wording. |
| “And be fruitful and multiply on the earth” | ופרו ורבו על הארץ (u-feru ve-rabu al ha-arets) | ופרו ורבו על הארץ (u-feru ve-rabu al ha-arets) | Identical wording. |
Support for the Samaritan Reading from the LXX and Peshitta
Inclusion of “ו” (“and”)
- The Samaritan Pentateuch, LXX, and Peshitta include the conjunction “ו” (“and”) before “כל החיה” (“every living thing”).
- The MT omits this conjunction, making the sentence stand more independently.
- The presence of “ו” in multiple ancient witnesses suggests that the SP may preserve an older reading.
Textual and Linguistic Implications
- The presence of “ו” (“and”) in the SP, LXX, and Peshitta suggests that the MT’s omission might be a later simplification.
Conclusion
The primary differences between the Masoretic Text and the Samaritan Pentateuch in Genesis 8:17 are the inclusion of “ו” (“and”) at the beginning of the verse .The LXX and Peshitta support the SP’s reading of “וכל החיה” (“and every living thing”), suggesting that this may represent an earlier textual tradition.