selesit
שלשית
Due to standardization of the transliterative alphabet this page has been moved to selesit
Almost all biblical translation of Genesis 1 incorrectly translate 'selesit' as “the third day”. In actual fact, 'selesit' means a third portion - a fraction of a whole, one third. This meaning can be clearly seen in Job 42:14, 1 Kings 18:1, 2 Chronicles 23:5, Zechariah 6:3, Zechariah 13:8, and many other instances too numerous to list.
- show a few of these examples
This fractional meaning brings a very different meaning to Genesis 1. In this context, the meaning of the “third portion”, this could be interpreted as “the third part of the story” or even “phase three of the plan”. Both of these phrases capture the fractal nature implied in the 'sit' suffix. This is a nuance that is lost, or perhaps even opposed in the typical rendering of “third day” which itself implies a certain completeness of the day-night cycle. This cyclical completeness is not at all representative of the literal semantics of the Hebrew text of Genesis 1.
Furthermore, consider again the meaning of the root word 'sit'. It speaks of “setting up”, “establishing”, and “appointing”. Thus there is a sense of an establishment of a third portion that parallels the establishment discussed further in the berasit page. Genesis one is firmly rooted in the concept of establishment by division as opposed to the creation of complete cycles.