Date: January 31st, 2026 9:33 PM
Author: Jeffrey Edward Epstein
the Hebrew radah specifically limits Adam's dominion to the "fish, birds, and creeping things.
To explain why the Hebrew of the Torah contradicts John Locke’s interpretation, we have to look at the specific grammar of Genesis 1:28 and the etymology of the word Radah (רדה).
Locke’s argument in his Two Treatises of Government treats dominion as a "donation"—a property grant. He views it as a noun of possession. The Hebrew text, however, presents it as an imperative of action.
1. The Linguistic Error: Active vs. Passive
Locke (and many English readers) looks at the phrase "have dominion" and sees "dominion" as a thing Adam received (like a deed to a house).
In the actual Hebrew, the word is וּרְדוּ (u-redu):
The Stem: It is in the Qal stem. In Hebrew grammar, Qal is the simple active voice.
The Mood: It is an imperative. It is a command, not a description of a gift.
The Translation: A more literal translation isn't "I give you dominion," but rather "Rule!" or "Tread down!"
The Refutation of Locke: You cannot have a "passive" imperative. God is not saying "dominion is being granted to you" (passive); He is saying "You, go and exercise rule" (active). Locke’s mistake was treating a verb of movement as a noun of property.
2. What Radah Reveals About Man’s Role
The root רדה (R-D-H) provides a much more intense picture of man's role than Locke’s "property owner" model.
The "Treading" Aspect: Etymologically, radah is related to treading a winepress. It implies a "stepping down" or "prevailing over." This suggests that the Earth is not a passive garden that serves man, but a "wild" system that requires man to actively exert his will to keep it in order.
The Viceroy Model: In the Ancient Near East, a king would set up a statue of himself in distant provinces to show his authority. The Torah says Man is made in the Tzelem (Image) of God. Radah is the function of that image. Man isn't the owner; he is the Viceroy.
3. The Difference Locke Missed
Locke was a "Literalist" of the English translation, but he missed two key Hebrew distinctions:
A. Radah vs. Kivshu (Subdue) In the same verse, God says ve-kivshuha ("and subdue it"). Kavash means to conquer or bring into bondage. By pairing Radah (ruling/governing) with Kavash (subduing), the Torah indicates that man's role is a struggle.
Locke’s View: God gave man a "donation" because he was "weak and slow."
The Hebrew View: God gave man a command to overcome his physical limitations through his spiritual/intellectual authority. Man's "power" isn't in his teeth or claws; it is in the Radah—the divine mandate to impose order on chaos.
B. The "Gift" vs. The "Work" Locke wanted to prove that "the world was given to men in common" to justify private property through labor. But the Hebrew suggests the world wasn't "given" as a finished product.
In Hebrew, the word for "given" (natan) is used elsewhere, but not here.
By using u-redu, the Torah suggests that Man has no dominion unless he is actively ruling. It is not a "status" you have; it is an "act" you perform.
dominion is a functional frequency that Adam lost.
When Adam failed to "tread down" (radah) his lower instincts (the Serpent), he lost the ability to manage the higher elements of the Earth. According to the mystical view Metatron took over the "administrative" side of the laws of physics, leaving Adam (humanity) with only the "manual labor" of physical farming.
Locke saw a Property Deed; the Torah wrote a Job Description.
(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5829361&forum_id=2).#49637037)