Real Bible Translation

Chapter 3

Exodus 3:2

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RBT Hebrew Interlinear:

וירא וַ֠יֵּרָא

and he is perceiving

conjunctive, Verb Niphal sequential imperfect third person masculine singular

מלאך מַלְאַךְ

an angel

Noun common both singular construct

יהוה יְהֹוָה

He Is

Noun proper name

אליו אֵלָיו

toward himself

Preposition Suffix pronominal third person masculine singular

בלבת בְּלַבַּת־

within a heart

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Preposition, Noun common feminine singular construct

אש אֵשׁ

fire

Noun common both singular absolute

מתוך מִתּוֹךְ

from the center

Prep-M, Noun common both singular construct

הסנה הָסְּנֶה

the Bramble

Particle definite article, Noun common both singular absolute

וירא וַיַּ֗רְא

and he is perceiving

conjunctive, Verb Qal sequential imperfect third person masculine singular

והנה וְהִנֵּה

And behold!

Conjunction, Particle interjection

הסנה הָסְּנֶה

the Bramble

Particle definite article, Noun common both singular absolute

בער בֹּעֵר

he consumed/devoured

Verb Qal participle active masculine singular absolute

באש בָּאֵשׁ

within a fire

Preposition -Within Art, Noun common both singular absolute

והסנה וְהָסְּנֶה

and the Bramble

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Conjunction, Particle definite article, Noun common both singular absolute

איננו אֵינֶנּוּ

he is not

Noun common both singular construct, Suffix pronominal third person masculine singular

אכל אֻכָּל׃

he has eaten/food

Verb Pual participle passive masculine singular absolute

RBT Translation:

and he is perceiving an angel He Is toward himself within a heart fire from the center the Bramble and he is perceiving And behold! the Bramble he consumed/devoured within a fire and the Bramble he is not he has eaten

RBT Paraphrase:

A Consuming Bramble

And he is seeing an angel of He Is toward himself within a heart of fire from the center of the Bramble. And he is seeing, and behold! the Bramble has consumed within a fire, and the Bramble, he is not food.^2,³

Julia Smith Literal 1876 Translation:
And the messenger of Jehovah will be seen to him in a flame of fire from the midst of the bramble; and he will see, and behold, the bramble burning in fire, and the bramble was not consumed.

LITV Translation:
And the Angel of Jehovah appeared to him in a flame of fire from the middle of a thorn bush. And he looked, and behold, the thorn bush was burning with fire, and the thorn bush was not burned up!

Brenton Septuagint Translation:
And an angel of the Lord appeared to him in flaming fire out of the bush, and he sees that the bush burns with fire—but the bush was not consumed.

Footnotes

Exo. 3:2

איננו (einenu) is a word that specifically refers to non-existence or absence rather than negating a verb. It is used to mean "he is not" or "it is not," and primarily conveys the idea of something not existing or being absent, rather than negating an action.

The word איננו (inenu) is a negation/counterpart of the verb היה (to be), meaning "is not" or "does not exist." This construct occurs 47 times. It is used to express the absence or non-existence of something or someone, often indicating temporal or spatial absence. Commonly found in contexts describing the disappearance or non-presence of a subject or entity, איננו negates the presence or state of being of the subject. For example, in Gen. 5:24, "And Enoch walked with God, and he is not (איננו) because God took him," איננו emphasizes Enoch's departure. Similarly, in Gen. 31:2, it indicates Laban's absence: "And Jacob saw the face of Laban, and behold, he is not (איננו) with him." The term appears frequently in the Hebrew Bible to signify the absence or non-existence of persons, actions, or conditions in a given time or space.

The literal translation of איננו אכל therefore would be "there is no eating" or "eating is not happening," which emphasizes the absence of the action of eating, rather than focusing on the subject of the action.

איננו: "there is not" or "it is not" (indicating the non-existence or absence of the action).
אכל: "eating" (noun or gerund form of the verb).

Exo. 3:2

To say "he is not eaten" in Hebrew, you use the passive form of the verb אכל (to eat). The correct construction would be:

איננו נאכל. That is not used here.

אכל here has been "interpreted" via "vowel points" as a "Qal Passive participle" which properly would be אכול and thus is not quite accurate, or by others as a Pual אכל which is the passive form of the Piel which would imply "he who is caused to eat" or "he who is fed," the Piel being "he caused to eat" or "he fed."