| והיה and it will happen |
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| 1 | היה | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| אם that if |
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| 1 | אם | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| לשׁמר to keep |
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| 1 | שׁמר | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| לעשׂות and to do |
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| 1 | עשׂה | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| אנכי I |
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| 1 | אנכי | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| היום today |
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| 1 | יום | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| הארץ the earth |
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| 1 | ארץ | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| האלה these |
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| 2 | אלה | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| והשׂיגך and will overtake you |
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| 2 | נשׂג | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| בעיר will be in the city |
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| 3 | עיר | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| בשׂדה in the field |
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| 3 | שׂדה | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| בטנך your belly |
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| 4 | בטן | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| אדמתך your ground |
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| 4 | אדם | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| שׁגר the issue of |
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| 4 | שׁגר | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| אלפיך your oxen |
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| 4 | אלף | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ועשׁתרות and the breeding of |
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| 4 | עשׁר | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| צאנך your flock |
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| 4 | צאן | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| טנאך your basket |
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| 5 | טנא | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ומשׁארתך and your warehouse |
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| 5 | שׁאר | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| בצאתך when you go forth |
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| 6 | יצא | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| לפניך before you |
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| 7 | פנה | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| בדרך in way |
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| 7 | דרך | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| יצאו they will emerge |
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| 7 | יצא | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| דרכים ways |
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| 7 | דרך | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| לפניך before you |
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| 7 | פנה | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| בארץ in the land |
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| 8 | ארץ | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| והיה but it will happen |
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| 15 | היה | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| אם if |
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| 15 | אם | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| לשׁמר to keep |
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| 15 | שׁמר | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| לעשׂות and to do |
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| 15 | עשׂה | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| אנכי I |
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| 15 | אנכי | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| היום today |
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| 15 | יום | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| האלה these |
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| 15 | אלה | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| והשׂיגוך and will overtake you |
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| 15 | נשׂג | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| בעיר will be in the city |
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| 16 | עיר | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| בשׂדה in the field |
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| 16 | שׂדה | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| טנאך your basket |
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| 17 | טנא | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ומשׁארתך and your warehouse |
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| 17 | שׁאר | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| בטנך your belly |
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| 18 | בטן | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| אדמתך your ground |
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| 18 | אדם | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| שׁגר the issue of |
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| 18 | שׁגר | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| אלפיך your oxen |
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| 18 | אלף | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ועשׁתרות and the breeding of |
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| 18 | עשׁר | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| צאנך your flock |
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| 18 | צאן |
Saturday, 25 April 2015
Evidence of a literate culture?
In Deuteronomy 28 again, there is an obvious parallel structure made clearer if we just pick words that recur exactly twice and also omit some verses so the table is manageable. If I were composing a speech orally, I doubt I could manage 20 odd words in a sequential parallel like this. Hmmm, the sequence is not as unvaried as it seems. Perhaps verse 5, or verse 17, each only 3 words long, got displaced.
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I can only offer anecdotal evidence in rebuttal, when we first arrived in Congo I had to set a resit exam for half a dozen students my predecessor had failed. I invigilated, but when I marked the scripts two students had almost word for word the same answers, even down to the same errors of fact and spelling often. Being new I took the case to the academic dean. When confronted the students said: "We studied from the same notes and we were stilling on opposite sides of the room." They fetched the notes, which also had the same errors!
ReplyDeleteWhen you add that the speech is repetitive of topic deliberately I think oral composition in this case is quite possible. (Though I wouldn't want necessarily to argue for that...) It is larger scale correspondences and patterns that suggest a necessarily written stage, for me.
As I think of it, it is quite possible that this list of troubles could come from the heart of the lives of those of the time. It is curious to me that the short verse seems to be displaced. I must look up some history of comment on it but I haven't yet had the chance to get to the University Library or query online with that objective.
ReplyDeleteTrue, I did not get as far as comparing the rest of the blessings with their corresponding but extended curses. I may get to more b & c this week - never know where I will be led. I had such a beef with the translation of 1 John 3 today, I took Raymond Brown's commentary out of the library for investigation. While I was there I read a page of Driver's comments on this passage, but I didn't see anything earth-shattering so I ended up also taking out a 2014 commentary by Deanna Thompson, part of the Belief series. It looks like a light read (only 250 pages) but was quite helpful for me, pointing out that the tradition of lists of blessings and curses is a part of the conclusion of many ancient near eastern treaties - so a person might well be familiar with the lists as part of both a written and oral tradition. Of course, Deuteronomy is phrased as the last of Moses words and to be written down, thus perhaps signalling a change from oral to written. Thanks for the von Rad example. I expect to be further edified by the words of the remaining 46 verses - but even at 15 verses a day this will take me some time - I am so slow with my process!
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