Editing East of Eden (novel) (section)

=== ''Timshel'' ===
''Timshel'' is a major theme in the novel. However, there is no word ''timshel'' in Hebrew; Genesis 4:7 reads ''timshol'' ({{Script/Hebrew|תמשל}}) , the second person singular masculine future indicative form of the verb ''moshel'' 'to rule', thus 'you shall/will rule'.<ref>{{cite book|first=Henri|last=Meschonnic|title=Ethics and Politics of Translating|url=https://archive.org/details/ethicspoliticstr00mesc_109|url-access=limited|publisher=John Benjamins Publishing|date=2011|page=[https://archive.org/details/ethicspoliticstr00mesc_109/page/n159 154]|isbn=978-90-272-2439-2}}</ref> In the novel itself, the character Lee explains the meaning of ''timshel'' as "Thou mayest."<ref>Steinbeck, John. ''East of Eden.'' p. 302. The Viking Press. {{ISBN|9780140186390}}.</ref>

Daniel Levin explores the nuances of Steinbeck's use of the Hebrew word, investigating potential reasons for and implications of Steinbeck's error in translation.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Levin|first=Daniel|date=2015|title=John Steinbeck and the Missing ''Kamatz'' in ''East of Eden'': How Steinbeck Found a Hebrew Word but Muddled Some Vowels|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5325/steinbeckreview.12.2.0190|journal=The Steinbeck Review|volume=12|issue=2|pages=190–198|doi=10.5325/steinbeckreview.12.2.0190|jstor=10.5325/steinbeckreview.12.2.0190|s2cid=147212744|issn=1546-007X|archive-date=2021-08-22|access-date=2021-08-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210822222152/https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5325/steinbeckreview.12.2.0190|url-status=live}}</ref>