Job 9 - recurrence, music, and text

This is the first half of Job's reply to Bildad. In it he prepares himself to speak to God directly. Only in Job and the Psalms do we have these poems of direct speech. My reading differs from traditional readings at several points. Some verses seemed impossible to read traditionally with what almost seemed the invention of a homonym to conform to a guessed meaning. I should explore these verses in more detail (e.g. verse 26 which I have read as irony rather than a parallel - REB is not bad for once but I did not follow it today.) Also verse 24 to me seems quite transparent. (REB leaves out the last 4 words).

Bear in mind that it is always possible I will change my mind on a reading. (Who would not with this difficult book?)

Five words occur more than 4 times in the chapter, they are if, not, say, answer and the interrogative who/where. This reveals a dense mental pattern of personal questioning. These are the only words that recur in the last 11 verses (25-35). If I were dividing the poem in sections, I might chose 1-10, 11-23, and 24-35.

ויעןּ and answered	░					1	ענּה
ויאמּר and said		░				1	אמּר
אםּ if			░			3	אםּ
לא not				░		3	לא
יענּנּו one can answer him	░					3	ענּה
מּי who					░	4	מּי
ולא and not				░		5	לא
האמּר saying		░				7	אמּר
ולא and not				░		7	לא
ולא and not				░		11	לא
ולא and not				░		11	לא
מּי who					░	12	מּי
מּי who					░	12	מּי
יאמּר will say		░				12	אמּר
לא not				░		13	לא
אענּנּו I answer him	░					14	ענּה
אםּ if			░			15	אםּ
לא not				░		15	לא
אענּה I would answer	░					15	ענּה
אםּ if			░			16	אםּ
ויענּנּי and he answers me	░					16	ענּה
לא not				░		16	לא
לא not				░		18	לא
אםּ if			░			19	אםּ
ואםּ and if			░			19	אםּ
מּי where					░	19	מּי
אםּ if			░			20	אםּ
לא not				░		21	לא
אמּרתּי I said		░				22	אמּר
אםּ if			░			23	אםּ
אםּ if			░			24	אםּ
לא not				░		24	לא
מּי where					░	24	מּי
לא no				░		25	לא
אםּ if			░			27	אםּ
אמּרי I say		░				27	אמּר
לא not				░		28	לא
אםּ if			░			30	אםּ
לא not				░		32	לא
אענּנּו I answer him	░					32	ענּה
לא not				░		33	לא
ולא and not				░		35	לא
לא not				░		35	לא

Three verses 1, 9, 21 stand out as undivided in the music. Verse 11 begins on a high C and perhaps this suggests a new section, a bit of an outburst. [No - it is clearly a response to the quoted text.]

I am tempted to try to analyse musical sequences, but a cursory glance is difficult to remember. Music requires the aural memory and that is experiential and requires extensive real time. Verses 3, 20, 23, and 27 have the same simple approach to the atenach: a triad up and a note down. These verses also have similarly shaped lower tessitura second verse-halves. This does not appear at first glance to be significant. They are, however, all conditional sentences and they seem to surround phases of the internal argument - so maybe there is some rationale for the musician's choice. Here is a PDF.

Job 9		Fn		Min	Max	Syll
וַיַּ֥עַן אִיּ֗וֹב וַיֹּאמַֽר	1		And Job answered and said,	3e	3f	8
אָ֭מְנָם יָדַ֣עְתִּי כִי־כֵ֑ן וּמַה־יִּצְדַּ֖ק אֱנ֣וֹשׁ עִם־אֵֽל	2	g	Truly I know that is so. And how is a mortal righteous with the One!	3e	4B	7 8
אִם־יַ֭חְפֹּץ לָרִ֣יב עִמּ֑וֹ לֹֽא־יַ֝עֲנֶ֗נּוּ אַחַ֥ת מִנִּי־אָֽלֶף	3		If one delighted to contend with him, one cannot answer him once in a thousand.	3e	4B	7 9
חֲכַ֣ם לֵ֭בָב וְאַמִּ֣יץ כֹּ֑חַ מִֽי־הִקְשָׁ֥ה אֵ֝לָ֗יו וַיִּשְׁלָֽם	4		Shrewd of heart or assured of power, who hardens against him and remains whole?	3e	4B	9 8
הַמַּעְתִּ֣יק הָ֭רִים וְלֹ֣א יָדָ֑עוּ אֲשֶׁ֖ר הֲפָכָ֣ם בְּאַפּֽוֹ	5		He shifts mountains and they don't know, what hit them in his anger.	3e	4B	10 8
הַמַּרְגִּ֣יז אֶ֭רֶץ מִמְּקוֹמָ֑הּ וְ֝עַמּוּדֶ֗יהָ יִתְפַלָּצֽוּן	6		He shudders earth from her place, and her pillars tremor.	3e	4B	8 9
הָאֹמֵ֣ר לַ֭חֶרֶס וְלֹ֣א יִזְרָ֑ח וּבְעַ֖ד כּוֹכָבִ֣ים יַחְתֹּֽם	7		Saying to sunburn, and it does not rise, and about stars, he seals them.	3e	4B	10 7
נֹטֶ֣ה שָׁמַ֣יִם לְבַדּ֑וֹ וְ֝דוֹרֵ֗ךְ עַל־בָּ֥מֳתֵי יָֽם	8		Stretching out the heavens? he alone, and making his way over the high places of the sea.	3e	4B	7 8
עֹֽשֶׂה־עָ֭שׁ כְּסִ֥יל וְכִימָ֗ה וְחַדְרֵ֥י תֵמָֽן	9		Making the Great Bear, Orion, and Pleiades and the rooms of the South.	3e	3g	13
עֹשֶׂ֣ה גְ֭דֹלוֹת עַד־אֵ֣ין חֵ֑קֶר וְנִפְלָא֗וֹת עַד־אֵ֥ין מִסְפָּֽר	10		"Who does great things such that there is no examining, and wonderful things such that there is no count!"	3e	4B	9 8
הֵ֤ן יַעֲבֹ֣ר עָ֭לַי וְלֹ֣א אֶרְאֶ֑ה וְ֝יַחֲלֹ֗ף וְֽלֹא־אָבִ֥ין לֽוֹ	11	C	Lo, he passes over me and I don't see him. He renews and I don't discern him.	3e	4C	10 8
הֵ֣ן יַ֭חְתֹּף מִ֣י יְשִׁיבֶ֑נּוּ מִֽי־יֹאמַ֥ר אֵ֝לָ֗יו מַֽה־תַּעֲשֶֽׂה	12	B	Lo, he confiscates, who will make him return? Who will say to him, What are you doing?	3e	4B	8 8
אֱ֭לוֹהַּ לֹא־יָשִׁ֣יב אַפּ֑וֹ תַּחְתָּ֥יו שָׁ֝חֲח֗וּ עֹ֣זְרֵי רָֽהַב	13	g	God does not turn his anger. Under him, the helpers of Defiance [Rahab] are pressed down.	3e	4B	7 9
אַ֭ף כִּֽי־אָנֹכִ֣י אֶֽעֱנֶ֑נּוּ אֶבְחֲרָ֖ה דְבָרַ֣י עִמּֽוֹ	14	g	Indeed for myself, I answer him? and choose my words with him?	3e	4B	8 8
אֲשֶׁ֣ר אִם־צָ֭דַקְתִּי לֹ֣א אֶעֱנֶ֑ה לִ֝מְשֹׁפְטִ֗י אֶתְחַנָּֽן	15		who, if I were just, I would not answer. To my judge, would I make supplication?	3e	4B	10 6
אִם־קָרָ֥אתִי וַֽיַּעֲנֵ֑נִי לֹֽא־אַ֝אֲמִ֗ין כִּֽי־יַאֲזִ֥ין קוֹלִֽי	16		If I called and he answered me, I would not believe that he had listened to my voice,	3e	4A	9 8
אֲשֶׁר־בִּשְׂעָרָ֥ה יְשׁוּפֵ֑נִי וְהִרְבָּ֖ה פְצָעַ֣י חִנָּֽם	17		who, in sweeping tempest, bruises me, and multiplies my inflicted wounds for nothing.	3e	4B	9 8
לֹֽא־יִ֭תְּנֵנִי הָשֵׁ֣ב רוּחִ֑י כִּ֥י יַ֝שְׂבִּעַ֗נִי מַמְּרֹרִֽים	18		He will not give me a turn for me to aspirate, for he sates me with bitterness.	3e	4B	8 8
אִם־לְכֹ֣חַ אַמִּ֣יץ הִנֵּ֑ה וְאִם־לְ֝מִשְׁפָּ֗ט מִ֣י יוֹעִידֵֽנִי	19		If of power, assurance behold. And if of judgment, where is my appointment?	3e	4B	8 10
אִם־אֶ֭צְדָּק פִּ֣י יַרְשִׁיעֵ֑נִי תָּֽם־אָ֝֗נִי וַֽיַּעְקְשֵֽׁנִי	20		If I justify myself, my mouth condemns me. Complete, me? And I make myself devious.	3e	4B	8 8
תָּֽם־אָ֭נִי לֹֽא־אֵדַ֥ע נַפְשִׁ֗י אֶמְאַ֥ס חַיָּֽי	21		Complete, me? I do not know my being. I refuse my life.	3e	3g	11
אַחַ֗ת הִ֥יא עַל־כֵּ֥ן אָמַ֑רְתִּי תָּ֥ם וְ֝רָשָׁ֗ע ה֣וּא מְכַלֶּֽה	22		One thing it is, therefore I said, Complete or wicked, he, he consumes.	3e	4B	8 8
אִם־שׁ֭וֹט יָמִ֣ית פִּתְאֹ֑ם לְמַסַּ֖ת נְקִיִּ֣ם יִלְעָֽג	23		If a scourge makes death sudden, the temptation of the innocent he derides.	3e	4B	6 8
אֶ֤רֶץ ׀ נִתְּנָ֬ה בְֽיַד־רָשָׁ֗ע פְּנֵֽי־שֹׁפְטֶ֥יהָ יְכַסֶּ֑ה אִם־לֹ֖א אֵפ֣וֹא מִי־הֽוּא	24	C	Earth is given into the hand of the wicked. The faces of her judges he blindfolds. If not here, where is it?	3e	4C	16 5
וְיָמַ֣י קַ֭לּוּ מִנִּי־רָ֑ץ בָּֽ֝רְח֗וּ לֹא־רָא֥וּ טוֹבָֽה	25		So my days are fleeter than a race. They run away. They see no good.	3e	4B	8 6
חָ֭לְפוּ עִם־אֳנִיּ֣וֹת אֵבֶ֑ה כְּ֝נֶ֗שֶׁר יָט֥וּשׂ עֲלֵי־אֹֽכֶל	26	g	They are renewed with ships of appetite, like an eagle, swooping over me to eat.	3e	4B	8 8
אִם־אָ֭מְרִי אֶשְׁכְּחָ֣ה שִׂיחִ֑י אֶעֶזְבָ֖ה פָנַ֣י וְאַבְלִֽיגָה	27		If I say, I will forget my blathering, I will forsake my face, and I will smile,	3e	4B	8 9
יָגֹ֥רְתִּי כָל־עַצְּבֹתָ֑י יָ֝דַ֗עְתִּי כִּי־לֹ֥א תְנַקֵּֽנִי	28		I am afraid of all my tortures. I know that you will not acquit me.	3e	4A	7 8
אָנֹכִ֥י אֶרְשָׁ֑ע לָמָּה־זֶּ֝֗ה הֶ֣בֶל אִיגָֽע	29		And I, will I be wicked? Why? this is a futile labour.	3e	4B	5 7
אִם־הִתְרָחַ֥צְתִּי בְמֵי־שָׁ֑לֶג וַ֝הֲזִכּ֗וֹתִי בְּבֹ֣ר כַּפָּֽי	30		If I wash myself in waters of snow, and clear in purity my palms,	3e	4B	8 9
אָ֭ז בַּשַּׁ֣חַת תִּטְבְּלֵ֑נִי וְ֝תִֽעֲב֗וּנִי שַׂלְמוֹתָֽי	31	g	then into the destruction you will dip me, and my apparel will abhor me.	3e	4B	8 8
כִּי־לֹא־אִ֣ישׁ כָּמֹ֣נִי אֶֽעֱנֶ֑נּוּ נָב֥וֹא יַ֝חְדָּ֗ו בַּמִּשְׁפָּֽט	32		For not a man like me, I answer him. We are come together in the judgment.	3e	4B	9 7
לֹ֣א יֵשׁ־בֵּינֵ֣ינוּ מוֹכִ֑יחַ יָשֵׁ֖ת יָד֣וֹ עַל־שְׁנֵֽינוּ	33	B	There is not between us a referee, to set his hand on the two of us.	3e	4B	8 8
יָסֵ֣ר מֵעָלַ֣י שִׁבְט֑וֹ וְ֝אֵמָת֗וֹ אַֽל־תְּבַעֲתַֽנִּי	34		Let him put aside from me his sceptre, and let not his horror alarm me.	3e	4B	7 10
אַֽ֭דַבְּרָה וְלֹ֣א אִירָאֶ֑נּוּ כִּ֥י לֹא־כֵ֥ן אָ֝נֹכִ֗י עִמָּדִֽי	35		I will speak and I will not fear him, for not so am I with myself.	3e	4B	9 9