Heavens and the Earth

[cloaked_dagger]

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." (Gen. 1:1) This may seem like a simple question for the easiest and most remembered verse in the Bible, but is the word heavens referring to Heaven (where the angels dwell and the place we inhabit after death) or the heavens (the sky and the stars etc.)? It would seem to me it's referring to the latter because of word usage. Anybody have an idea?

[GrayPilgrim]

Heavens and earth is what is known as a merism. A merism takes two opposites and puts them together (like The tree of the knowledge of good and evil) and by their use implies everything pertaining to it. Thus Gen 1 means all "space" was created. (Good and evil woudl imply all moral knowledge).

GP

[Socrates]

Thanx for the confirmation of "heavens and earth" as a merism. :thumb: It certainly seems to be used as a synonym for the totality of creation everywhere else in Scripture. Cool beans about "good and evil" -- I never thought of that before! :read:

[Bob Jenkins]

Heavens and earth is what is known as a merism. A merism takes two opposites and puts them together (like The tree of the knowledge of good and evil) and by their use implies everything pertaining to it. Thus Gen 1 means all "space" was created. (Good and evil woudl imply all moral knowledge).

GP

[comment] I tried Wester's New World Dictionary and Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary (both rather heafty tomes)and could not find any definition of "merism' Could you enlighten me, Please.

Is it like "salt" and "pepper" standing for all cooking?

[Solly]

Furthermore, "good and evil" in
the context of the tree is a "merism". A merism is a poetic way of
expressing totality by referring to polar opposites. In this case, eating
of the tree of knowledge of good and evil is tantamount to trying to
possess knowledge of everything, an act of hubris (hutzpah). Such
knowledge surely is reserved only for God. One can engage in inquiry into
such knowledge (one can touch the tree) but one should not think that
he/she can have complete knowledge as God does.

The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism (http://www.uscj.org/generic932.html)

merism
a grouping of words that means something other than the combined meanings of each of the words individually.

Fun with words: Glossary of Linguistics and Rhetoric (http://www.rinkworks.com/words/linguistics.shtml)

[John Reece]

Solly, you are invaluable.

:thumb:

[Solly]

Careful, I won't get my head out of the door.

[John Reece]

:smile:

Enjoy the appreciation, Solly.

:yipee:

God loves you too much to let you become bigheaded. If the cranium becomes too crowded, corrective measures will be taken.

:help:

[Solly]

Solly thinks No...no...not the Nebuchadnezzar Option, ple-e-e-ase, not thaaaaaaaaa....

Hey Dude, wassup? Gimme a beer and turn on the TV

[John Reece]

:smile:

[Bob Jenkins]

“ merism
a grouping of words that means something other than the combined meanings of each of the words individually.
”


Fun with words: Glossary of Linguistics and Rhetoric

[comment]
From the reference above"
mendaciloquence
lying as an art; adroit prevarication.
merism
a grouping of words that means something other than the combined meanings of each of the words individually.
meronym
a concept that is part of another concept. A room is a meronym of a house

Now, taking these three words and thier definition I find none of them in my dictionaries? I looked in the Fun Word web site and cound find no use of any authority.

I guess anybody can create a web page

Have you been "funned" , Solly?