Other than because of cherished traditions, why should KOL ERETZ in the Noah's Flood passage be translated....?

Question

.....as "the entire earth" instead of "the whole land"?

Jewish scholars have long understand the Noah's Flood scriptures to refer to a regional flood, also realizing that KOL ERETZ throughout the Tanakh refers to "the entire country" and "the entire land" and can only with difficulty be extrapolated to mean "the entire globe" or "all of the planet earth".

So why does the translation tradition of a planet-wide flood persist? Is it simply to please the masses who would reject a Bible translation which didn't reflect the tradition?

? · Accepted Answer

Eretz means earth. It also means land. And it also means nation or country. It says in Genesis that G-d created/separated the eretz (earth/land) and the mayim (water). Do you think this would make sense to be translated as "and G-d separated the country and the water"? No, it means land/earth/ground. Just because it has more than one meaning that doesn't mean that its other meanings don't exist.

Bereishis 1:10
י. וַיִּקְרָא אֱ־לֹהִים לַיַּבָּשָׁה אֶרֶץ וּלְמִקְוֵה הַמַּיִם קָרָא יַמִּים וַיַּרְא אֱ־לֹהִים כִּי טוֹב:
10. And God called the dry land earth (אֶרֶץ), and the gathering of the waters He called seas, and God saw that it was good.

Someone who cares · Answer

It says ALL the high mountains were covered. It would be impossible for this to happen in a regional flood.

Earth passes through existence as does man. Earth, born of primeval waters(as men are born of water), is cleansed from sin by baptism (immersion) in water, shall be cleansed by fire at the last day (as men are cleansed by the fire of the Holy Ghost), the earth shall pass away (die) and shall be made new (resurrect).

4325 [e]	wÉÂ·hamÂ·maÂ·yim,	×Ö°×Ö·×Ö·Ö¼Ö×Ö´×	the water
1396 [e]	gÄÂ·á¸ÉÂ·rÅ«	×Ö¸Ö¼Ö¥×Ö°×¨Ö×Ö¼	prevailed
3966 [e]	mÉÂ·’Åá¸	×Ö°×Ö¹Ö¥×	more
3966 [e]	mÉÂ·’Åá¸	×Ö°×Ö¹Ö×	and more
5921 [e]	‘al-	×¢Ö·×Ö¾	upon
776 [e]	hÄÂ·’ÄÂ·reá¹£;	×Ö¸×Ö¸Ö×¨Ö¶×¥	the earth
3680 [e]	wayÂ·á¸µusÂ·sÅ«,	×Ö·×Ö°×Ö»×¡Ö¼Ö×Ö¼	were covered
3605 [e]	kÄl-	×Ö¸Ö¼×Ö¾	all
2022 [e]	heÂ·hÄÂ·rÃ®m	×Ö¶Ö½×Ö¸×¨Ö´××Ö	mountains
1364 [e]	hagÂ·gÉÂ·á¸ÅÂ·hÃ®m,	×Ö·×Ö°Ö¼×Ö¹×Ö´Ö××	the high
834 [e]	’ÄÂ·Å¡er-	×Ö²×©Ö¶××¨Ö¾	after
8478 [e]	taÂ·á¸¥aá¹¯	×ªÖ·Ö¼Ö×Ö·×ª	under
3605 [e]	kÄl-	×Ö¸Ö¼×Ö¾	everywhere
8064 [e]	haÅ¡Â·Å¡ÄÂ·mÄÂ·yim.	×Ö·×©Ö¸Ö¼××Ö¸Ö½×Ö´××	the heavens

Anonymous · Answer

The flood covered the whole earth.

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Other than because of cherished traditions, why should KOL ERETZ in the Noah's Flood passage be translated....?

3 Answers