Ambiguity in Genesis 3?

[ragincajunjoe]

Okay, I have a question. Here are 2 versions of Genesis 3:15

DR: “I will put enmities between thee and the woman, and thy seed and her seed: she shall crush thy head, and thou shalt lie in wait for her heel.”

RSV 2nd Catholic Edition: “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”

Now, there seems to be some ambiguity here … is the Hebrew gender of that pronoun ambiguous?

The Latin Vulgate, like the Douay-Rheims, has the feminine pronoun there.

The Septuagint, like the RSV, has the masculine pronoun.

So why is there dispute over this?

I know that Pius IX in Ineffabilis Deus used the “she” as part of his reasoning to define the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of Mary … but his reasoning is not infallible, it is the dogma that is. Also, I know the Latin Vulgate is free from error in faith and morals … but the “she” vs. “he” is not exactly faith and morals … so what do you guys think?

 

[Ruthie]

Well, I checked the KJV, which has “it!”

I don’t think it matters that much, though. Mary is the second Eve, and her seed certainly bruises Satan’s head!

In other words, if she does the bruising, it is through her seed, Jesus. So the pronoun doesn’t really matter. At least, that’s my opinion!

Ruthie

 

[Verbum]

Hi Ragin,

The Hebrew actually refers to the seed, the descendents of the woman Eve, and in particular THE descendent who would save humanity, Jesus Christ.

The Vulgate text :

15. Inimicitias ponam inter te et mulierem et semen tuum et semen illius.* Ipsa** conteret caput tuum et tu insidiaberis calcaneo eius*.

**Ipsa **is feminine, Many specialists believe that the error crept early into the Vulgate manuscripts.

The Nova Vulgata, the revision of the Vulgate according to the latest biblical science is as follows :

15 Inimicitias ponam inter te et mulierem
et semen tuum et semen illius;
***ipsum *conteret caput tuum,
et tu conteres calcaneum eius”.

Ipsum refers to semen, the seed.

The fact that some fathers may have interpreted this passage in a Marian sense remains a precious testimony of the beliefs of the early church about Mary’s special position in the history of our salvation.

Does this answer your question?

Verbum

 

[ragincajunjoe]

Hi Ragin,

The Hebrew actually refers to the seed, the descendents of the woman Eve, and in particular THE descendent who would save humanity, Jesus Christ.

The Vulgate text :

15. Inimicitias ponam inter te et mulierem et semen tuum et semen illius.* Ipsa*** conteret caput tuum et tu insidiaberis calcaneo eius.

**Ipsa **is feminine, Many specialists believe that the error crept early into the Vulgate manuscripts.

The Nova Vulgata, the revision of the Vulgate according to the latest biblical science is as follows :

15 Inimicitias ponam inter te et mulierem
et semen tuum et semen illius;
***ipsum ***conteret caput tuum,
et tu conteres calcaneum eius”.

Ipsum refers to semen, the seed.

The fact that some fathers may have interpreted this passage in a Marian sense remains a precious testimony of the beliefs of the early church about Mary’s special position in the history of our salvation.

Does this answer your question?

Verbum

yes it does. thx