I was working on some translations today and came across a perfect example of why the Christian view of the flood is errant.

If 'erets is the Earth as Christians are want to say it is concerning the flood, then this verse is God telling Ya'aqob to leave the Earth he is in and return to the Earth of his relatives.

Ba'reshiyth 31:13
Now (attah) stand up (qum – rise up), go (yatsa’ - depart) from this land (‘erets – region and area) and return (suwb – come back and be restored) to the land (‘erets – region and area) of your relatives (‘atah moledeth - your kin and family, your birthplace and origins).

James you make a good case, although I doubt most would casual Christians would question the popular translations enough to examine the underlying Hebrew texts , figuring the translators must have it right since it is reinforced by relegious authorities and is rarely questioned.

What puzzles me, is why Erets has so many plausible meanings dependig on what the context is. I recently was discussing Genesis chapter one with a few Christians and wish to share the amplified YY rendering of the chapter and realize that Erets is conveyed as the material universe as well which I wish a more specific Hebrew word was available to make the distictions: region, land, planet Earth, all physical matter. While I think YY has it correct, I wish that we could more definity make it apparent to a sincere seeker of Yah's truth.

Respectfully,

-Theophilus

FWIW, I agree with you YT, that trnsalting does indeed seem to be more of an art than a science, but wish that were otherwise.

From my recent early Genesis conversations, it seems to me that people who view Adam as the first humanoid, vey often need a global flood event, while a first human with a neshamah permits a vast regional flood to accomplish the what it appears to me to the texts say occur. I'm not sure if these are abosultely tied, but seems to be the trend. Also the young earth global flood position seems to me to more supported by the popular translations, while the first with neshamah, targeted flood may require amplified Hebrew renderings.

Respectfully,

-Theophilus

Theo, just want to say I complete agree with that. That does seem to be the trend. Also, it seems to me that most people who believe in young earth and Adam being the first human tend to be the same ones who don't care about amplified Hebrew renderings because they have enough faith to believe whatever their preacher tells them. I find it to be a waste of time to even talk about it with that sort of folk until I stumble across one that is actually searching for the unbiased truth.