The Hebrew Text describes the Hydroplate Theory & not Plate Tectonics
From what I’ve see, researchers tend to take a Hebrew word out of a passage & dissect it, without reading the rest of the passage in Hebrew. That doesn’t work! You need to read the whole thing. It’s also a bad idea to rely on what an unbelieving Hebrew scholar will tell you about it. You need to read the whole passage in Hebrew for yourself, and yes it can be done.
Over a dozen years ago I started researching Creation Science in earnest because I wanted to write a novel about Noah and his sons. My constant prayer has been to be as accurate as possible, and the LORD answered me in a way that I never thought was possible. I became involved in a Messianic Jewish Congregation because my son was learning Hebrew as his 2nd language for High School. In those sorts of congregations, everyone is encouraged to learn Hebrew, and not just the pastor/rabbi. By the grace of God, our Hebrew Teacher was also into Creation Science and he encouraged me to translate Genesis chapters 1 through 11 from the Hebrew Text, the goal being to see what the Hebrew Text had to say about Creation Science. It took me 3½ years to do it, and then another 3½ years just to mull over it again!
As a result I now hold all Creation Science research up to the light of the Hebrew Text. The Hebrew Text describes the Hydroplate Theory & not Plate Tectonics, but before I explain how, I need to point out that Dr Walt Brown’s interpretation of the word ‘Raqia’ as referring to the dry land doesn’t work, because the Hebrew Text explains that the ‘Raqia’ is ‘outer space’. [Dr Russell Humphries version of what the ‘Raqia’ is , is more in keeping with the Hebrew Text] However, Walt Brown doesn’t need his interpretation of ‘Raqia’ to back up his theory, and here’s why:
Hebrew has plural words with multi values just like we do in English. Hebrew also has plural words that have the value of 2. This type of word is called a ‘dual plural’. In the Genesis 1-11 portion of scripture there’s a lot of dual plurals in reference to water, and they describe what Dr Walt Brown is talking about when he says that the pre-flood earth had shallow oceans and seas separated by a land mass approximately 10 miles in depth, with an global ocean of water underneath it.
Genesis 1:9 describes there being a sheet of land between 2 waters. Here’s how it reads word for word in the Hebrew transliteration (Please compare it with your preferred English translation):
“And He says Elohim gathers the 2-waters from under the Heavens to place one and appears the dry land [singular] and he is exist.” {Keep in mind, that at that point in time both bodies would have been fresh water, and not one salt water and the other fresh water.}
Then verse 10 says “and He calls Elohim to dry land ‘land’ and to the mikvah (collection) the 2-waters calls ‘seas’.”
This is what Peter is referring to when he says “And the land was standing in the water and out of the water” ( 2 Peter 3:5). In order for a thing to 'stand', it has to have some sort of 'legs'. 1 Samuel 2:8 says that 'the inhabited part of the globe' [root meaning of 'world'] is set on pillars/columns. Those 'legs' are standing in the water underneath the land.
The 2-waters are also mentioned in verses 20-22.
Now let’s go to the flood chapters where the word ‘2-waters’ is mentioned 12 times, along with the mechanics of the flood:
In the Hebrew Text for Genesis 6:17 God says “And I behold-Me! will-bring et the flood 2-waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh that in-him breath life from under the heavens all that in land will die.”
Genesis 7:6 says “and the flood is 2-waters upon the earth”
Genesis 7:10 says “And it-was to seven the days and waters the flood [in the sense of flowing, inundation, deluge] were upon the earth” {In other words God gave them a week to load the animals on to the Ark, and then as soon as He shut the door, the mechanics of the flood began and within a short period of time the waters were flowing across the land on that very day. }
In Genesis 7:11 we also find the mechanics of the flood. The 2nd part of that verse says “split/broke-open all fountains deep great and windows/floodgates/ambush the 2-heavens were-opened/let-loose
Here’s the breakdown of those words:
The word ‘fountains’ (maynot) means FOUNTAINS-OF-WATER. It doesn’t have anything to do with ‘fountains of fire’, as some claim!! Scripture explains scripture, see next word.
The word ‘deep’ (t-hom) is referring to ‘water’ or else it wouldn’t be in keeping with the concept of God making everything out of water in Genesis 1:2-5. [In Genesis 1:2-5, where deep/t-hom is first used, the only thing that exists at that point in time is water & God’s light. For this reason, ‘deep’ cannot mean ‘hot molten lava & that sort of thing’ as some purpose. It can only mean ‘water’ because Genesis 1:2-5 explains Genesis 7:11.] ‘t’hom’ in the Hebrew not only means ‘deep’, but it also means something that is in perpetual motion. This great body of water under the land mass was in a constant state of motion right from day one of its existence.
The word ‘great’ (rabah) is used here to distinguish the ‘great deep’ from the shallow pre-flood seas. And it also has to do with rank, as to ‘chief’. Apparently, this underground body of water was the chief or biggest body of water on earth.
windows/floodgates/ambush (arubot) means ‘to lie in wait or ambush’. This is not the same word as Genesis 8:6. The word ‘floodgates’ used in NASB is closer to the true meaning.
2-heavens: (Genesis 1:14 & 15 says that the sun, moon and stars are in the 2-heavens.) The only way that rain can come from outer space is if the fountains of the great deep shot it up there to begin with! Compare with 8:2.
Here’s some more places where it says 2-waters in the Hebrew Text:
Genesis 7:17 says “And is the flood 40 day upon the earth/land and increases the 2-waters and lifts et the ark and it-was-lifted (lofty, high elevation) from-above the land/earth”
Genesis 7:18 says “And prevailed the 2-waters and increased greatly (‘very exceedingly’) upon the earth/land and went the ark upon the face of the waters”
Genesis 7:19 “And the 2-waters strengthened greatly (‘very exceedingly’) greatly (‘very exceedingly’) upon the earth…”
Genesis 7:24 “And prevails the 2-waters upon the earth 50 and 100 days
Genesis 8:2-3 “And were-closed/shut-up/stopped fountains-of deep and windows of the heavens and was-restrained the rain (violent, heavy) from the heavens” verse 3 “And receded (yashuvu) the 2-waters from the earth going and receding (haloch va shov) {‘yashuvu’ is the idea of ‘to turn back’, not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point and ‘haloch va shov’ means going on & returning (continually returning). This could be caused by the changing of the tides & also by tsunamis etc.} “and diminishes the 2-waters from end-of 50 and 100 day
Genesis 8:5 “And the 2-waters were going and decreasing until the month the 10th….
Verse 7 “dries up the 2-waters”.
Verse 8 “had subsided the 2-waters from upon the face of the ground”
Verse 11 “And knows Noah that subsides the 2-waters from upon the face of the land”
Verse 13 “dried the 2-waters from upon the land”
Genesis 9: 15 “And not shall-be again the 2-waters to flood to destroy all flesh”
If you would like to see the rest of the Hebrew research go to www.w-rocs.org and click on either ‘Creation Science & Hebrew research project’ or ‘Brain Pickers’