Saturday, 7 April 2012

What's the best way to partition Psalm 78?

I have the Monet fully laid out end to end. I will be spending the next year throwing different colours at it or repartitioning various psalms to maximize the visibility of recurrence, and finding and changing bits and pieces. As I do this, I will be muttering through the psalms becoming more conversant with the language. The colour I am applying right now is light blue, the colour of theology. Fortunately I just found a new acquisition at the UVic library that I mentioned - Rendtorff. Rolf. It has some very nice sections.  This is a Monet - but not too much blue please.

Do let me know if you can assist with the painting.

Here's bits and pieces of Psalm 78 - just the tables. I had originally tested 9 parts - 8 verses each and compared the parts to see if there was a fully concentric structure. There are hints. The whole poem is framed by people--Jacob--Israel - an Olympic ring structure. There are some other long distant circles: Ephraim (9 and 67), Egypt, Zoan (12,43), still to sin (17, 32) on 8-verse boundaries. But the 8 verse groupings seem arbitrary. They do not need to anticipate the obvious 8-verse groups of Psalm 119.  Terrien has 1-2, Part 1, 3-8, Part 2, 9-17, Part 3, 18-28, Part 4, 29-40, Part 5, 41-51, Part 6, 52-63, Part 7, 64-72. He gives no justification. My justification for the following is that it seems to me to maximize the visibility of the recurrence.

The psalm is for continuity between the generations (v1-10 are bound by instruction - not to be thought of as 'law' in a legal sense.) Equipped and kiss are homonyms. Ephraim is equipped through love. But he is not ready. How will we learn? How will we be equipped? Is it sufficient to learn second-hand by rote?

Like the book of Job, this psalm is a parable (v2). This leaves us open to apply the history of Israel as parable to ourselves. Such an application includes slavery, escape, complaint, provocation, exile and restoration, even the unresolved tension of diaspora, a condition that is common to all peoples. The focus on Judah points to a restoration of only the southern kingdom.

Any thoughts? The following looks promising to me. I am going to write it up as a centrepiece. I would happily share my thoughts with any who care to take on this puzzle. It has to make sense as an aid both for composition and memorization.

Selected recurring words in relative order (1 to 10)

Word and gloss * first usage123456789101234VsRoot
האזינה listen to
░
1אזן
תורתי my instruction
░
1תורה
אזנכם your ears
░
1אזן
פי my mouth
░
1פה
פי my mouth
░
2פה
אשׁר which
░
3אשׁר
ונדעם and known
░
3ידע
ואבותינו and our ancestors
░
3אב
ספרו recounted
░
3ספר
לא not
░
4לא
מבניהם from their children
░
4בן
לדור to the generation
░
4דור
אחרון to follow
░
4אחר
מספרים recounting
░
4ספר
אשׁר which
░
4אשׁר
ויקם he raised
░
5קום
ותורה and instruction
░
5תורה
שׂם he set
░
5שׂום
אשׁר which
░
5אשׁר
* צוה he commanded
░
5צוה
אבותינו our ancestors
░
5אב
להודיעם to make known
░
5ידע
לבניהם to their children
░
5בן
ידעו will know
░
6ידע
דור the generation
░
6דור
אחרון to follow
░
6אחר
בנים the children
░
6בן
יקמו will arise
░
6קום
ויספרו and recount to
░
6ספר
לבניהם their children
░
6בן
וישׂימו so they might set
░
7שׂום
ולא and not
░
7לא
* ומצותיו and his commandments
░
7צוה
ולא and not
░
8לא
כאבותם like their ancestors
░
8אב
דור a generation
░
8דור
דור a generation
░
8דור
לא not
░
8לא
ולא and not
░
8לא
בני the children of
░
9בן
לא not
░
10לא
ובתורתו and in his instruction
░
10תורה

Selected recurring words in relative order (11 to 20)

Word and gloss * first usage123456VsRoot
ונפלאותיו and his wonders
░
11פלא
פלא a wonder
░
12פלא
* בקע he split
░
13בקע
מים waters
░
13מים
* יבקע he split
░
15בקע
צרים rocks
░
15צור
במדבר in the wilderness
░
15מדבר
מים waters
░
16מים
* היוכל is able
░
19יכל
במדבר in the wilderness
░
19מדבר
צור a rock
░
20צור
מים water
░
20מים
* יוכל is he able
░
20יכל

Selected recurring words in relative order (21 to 32)

Word and gloss * first usage1234567891012VsRoot
אף anger
░
21אף
עלה ascended
░
21עלה
בישׂראל against Israel
░
21ישׂראל
לא not
░
22לא
האמינו they did believe
░
22אמן
ולא and not
░
22לא
ממעל from above
░
23עלה
שׁמים heaven
░
23שׁמים
* וימטר and he rained
░
24מטר
לאכל to eat
░
24אכל
שׁמים heaven
░
24שׁמים
אכל ate
░
25אכל
להם among them
░
25להם
לשׂבע to satiation
░
25שׂבע
בשׁמים in the heavens
░
26שׁמים
* וימטר and he rained
░
27מטר
ויאכלו and they ate
░
29אכל
וישׂבעו and were sated
░
29שׂבע
ותאותם and their desires
░
29אוה
להם to them
░
29להם
לא not
░
30לא
מתאותם to their desires
░
30אוה
עוד while
░
30עוד
אכלם their food
░
30אכל
ואף and the anger of
░
31אף
עלה ascended
░
31עלה
ישׂראל Israel
░
31ישׂראל
עוד still
░
32עוד
ולא and not
░
32לא
האמינו did believe
░
32אמן

Selected recurring words in relative order (33 to 48)

Word and gloss * first usage123456789VsRoot
ימיהם their days
░
33יום
* הרגם he slew them
░
34הרג
ושׁבו and they turned
░
34שׁוב
ויזכרו and they remembered
░
35זכר
כי for
░
35כי
לא not
░
37לא
ולא and not
░
37לא
ולא and not
░
38לא
* ישׁחית he did destroy
░
38שׁחת
להשׁיב turned
░
38שׁוב
ולא and not
░
38לא
ויזכר for he remembered
░
39זכר
כי that
░
39כי
ולא and not
░
39לא
ישׁוב it does return
░
39שׁוב
וישׁובו and they turned back
░
41שׁוב
לא not
░
42לא
זכרו they did remember
░
42זכר
יום the day
░
42יום
אשׁר --
░
42אשׁר
אשׁר that
░
43אשׁר
* ותשׁחיתם and he destroyed them
░
45שׁחת
* יהרג he slew
░
47הרג
בברד with hail
░
47ברד
לברד to the hail
░
48ברד

Selected recurring words in relative order (49 to 59)

Word and gloss * first usage123456VsRoot
ישׁלח he sent
░
49שׁלח
אפו his anger
░
49אף
עברה fury
░
49עבר
משׁלחת by sending
░
49שׁלח
לאפו for his anger
░
50אף
לא not
░
50לא
באהלי in the tents of
░
51אהל
ולא and not
░
53לא
באהליהם in their tents
░
55אהל
ישׂראל Israel
░
55ישׂראל
לא not
░
56לא
ויתעבר and was furious
░
59עבר
בישׂראל in Israel
░
59ישׂראל

Selected recurring words in relative order (60 to end)

Word and gloss * first usage1234567891012VsRoot
משׁכן the tabernacle in
░
60שׁכן
אהל the tent
░
60אהל
שׁכן where he dwelt
░
60שׁכן
ויתן and he gave
░
61נתן
צר trouble
░
61צר
לחרב with the sword
░
62חרב
עמו his people
░
62עם
* ובנחלתו and with his inheritance
░
62נחלה
* בחוריו his young men
░
63בחר
לא not
░
63לא
בחרב by the sword
░
64חרב
לא not
░
64לא
צריו his foes
░
66צר
עולם ever
░
66עלם
נתן he gave
░
66נתן
באהל the tent of
░
67אהל
ובשׁבט and the sceptre of
░
67שׁבט
לא not
░
67לא
* בחר he did choose
░
67בחר
* ויבחר but he chose
░
68בחר
שׁבט the sceptre of
░
68שׁבט
לעולם forever
░
69עלם
* ויבחר and he chose
░
70בחר
לרעות to shepherd
░
71רעה
עמו his people
░
71עם
* נחלתו his inheritance
░
71נחלה
וירעם and he shepherded them
░
72רעה
Or this division
Selected recurring words in relative order (33 to 42)

Word and gloss * first usage12345VsRoot
ימיהם their days
░
33יום
ושׁבו and they turned
░
34שׁוב
ויזכרו and they remembered
░
35זכר
כי for
░
35כי
לא not
░
37לא
ולא and not
░
37לא
ולא and not
░
38לא
להשׁיב turned
░
38שׁוב
ולא and not
░
38לא
ויזכר for he remembered
░
39זכר
כי that
░
39כי
ולא and not
░
39לא
ישׁוב it does return
░
39שׁוב
וישׁובו and they turned back
░
41שׁוב
לא not
░
42לא
זכרו they did remember
░
42זכר
יום the day
░
42יום
Selected recurring words in relative order (43 to 56)

Word and gloss * first usage12345678VsRoot
* במצרים in Egypt
░
43מצרים
ישׁלח he sent
░
45שׁלח
בברד with hail
░
47ברד
* ויסגר and he imprisoned
░
48סגר
לברד to the hail
░
48ברד
* ומקניהם and their herds
░
48קנה
ישׁלח he sent
░
49שׁלח
אפו his anger
░
49אף
משׁלחת by sending
░
49שׁלח
לאפו for his anger
░
50אף
לא not
░
50לא
* הסגיר he imprisoned
░
50סגר
* במצרים in Egypt
░
51מצרים
באהלי in the tents of
░
51אהל
ולא and not
░
53לא
* קנתה purchased
░
54קנה
באהליהם in their tents
░
55אהל
לא not
░
56לא
Selected recurring words in relative order (57 to end)

Word and gloss * first usage1234567891012345VsRoot
ויתעבר and was furious
░
59עבר
* וימאס and he refused
░
59מאס
בישׂראל in Israel
░
59ישׂראל
משׁכן the tabernacle in
░
60שׁכן
אהל the tent
░
60אהל
שׁכן where he dwelt
░
60שׁכן
ויתן and he gave
░
61נתן
צר trouble
░
61צר
לחרב with the sword
░
62חרב
עמו his people
░
62עם
* ובנחלתו and with his inheritance
░
62נחלה
התעבר he was furious
░
62עבר
* בחוריו his young men
░
63בחר
לא not
░
63לא
בחרב by the sword
░
64חרב
לא not
░
64לא
צריו his foes
░
66צר
עולם ever
░
66עלם
נתן he gave
░
66נתן
* וימאס and he refused
░
67מאס
באהל the tent of
░
67אהל
ובשׁבט and the sceptre of
░
67שׁבט
לא not
░
67לא
* בחר he did choose
░
67בחר
* ויבחר but he chose
░
68בחר
שׁבט the sceptre of
░
68שׁבט
לעולם forever
░
69עלם
* ויבחר and he chose
░
70בחר
לרעות to shepherd
░
71רעה
עמו his people
░
71עם
ובישׂראל and in Israel
░
71ישׂראל
* נחלתו his inheritance
░
71נחלה
וירעם and he shepherded them
░
72רעה


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