Translating the Cosmology of the Biblical Flood

The commentaries are divided as to how to interpret “the windows of heaven were opened” and “the fountains of the great deep burst forth” in Gen 7.11. Some understand Gen 7.11 to be describing an anti-cosmogony or uncreation where the waters separated in Gen 1.6–8 pour back into the cosmos. Other commentators try to interpret “the windows of heaven were opened” and “the fountains of the great deep burst forth” in Gen 7.11 within the context of how we understand the cosmos to be today. With regard to translation, those English versions that translate “the windows of heaven” and “the fountains of the great deep” literally are coherent if it is made known that the text is set in an ancient cosmological context. If this is not made known then the translation is incoherent to a modern audience. However, for those English versions that translate “the windows of heaven” and “the fountains of the great deep” as natural language equivalents it is not possible to make the translation coherent as the alternative referents for “the windows of heaven” as a cloud burst and “the fountains of the great deep” as an eruption of underground water cannot do the job they are called upon to do in the narrative. A translation that brings the audience to the text is therefore preferred to a translation that brings the text to the audience.