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Teo Posted 20 years ago
Grammar

make + object + to V

And out of the ground the Lord God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. (Genesis 2:9, English Standard Version, 2001)

Normally we use the structure "make + object + infinitive without to." Why use to here?
  

Top answer

Hello, Biblical text like this may have been written a LONG time ago. It is not typical of the English that is widely used today. "

— Nef

  • Hello, Biblical text like this may have been written a LONG time ago.
  • It is not typical of the English that is widely used today.
  • "
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4 Answers
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Hello,

Biblical text like this may have been written a LONG time ago. It is not typical of the English that is widely used today. If someone wanted a modern version, I suppose it would be possible to say something like:

"And the Lord *** made every beautiful tree that has edible fruit spring out of the ground."
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But it's a new translation published in the 21st century.
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TeoAnd out of the ground the Lord *** made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. (Genesis 2:9, English Standard Version, 2001)
Normally we use the structure "make + object + infinitive without to." Why use to here?

i suppose one interpretation (i'm not saying it's
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The "made X + to-infinitive" here means "caused to"; "made X + bare infinitive" in modern speech can have a sense of "compelled to". Perhaps that was why the translators retained the slightly archaic formulation.

MrP
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