Tuesday 8 September 2015

Job 11

Job chapter 11 divides every 6 verses with reasonable but limited recurrence of words,
verses 1-6, these four in parallel sequence ענּה אמּר דּבּר שׂפּה
7-12 these in a circular pattern - what can you know ידּע מּצא אםּ מּה
13-20 these in a parallel sequence (except היה) focusing on expectation אםּ אתּה פּנּה היה בּטח קוה

Job 11 Fn Min Max Syll
וַ֭יַּעַן צֹפַ֥ר הַֽנַּעֲמָתִ֗י וַיֹּאמַֽר 1 g Then answered Zophar the Naamathite and said, 3e 3g 13
הֲרֹ֣ב דְּ֭בָרִים לֹ֣א יֵעָנֶ֑ה
וְאִם־אִ֖ישׁ שְׂפָתַ֣יִם יִצְדָּֽק
2 Will many words not be answered,
as if a person with lips will be justified?
3e 4B 9
8
בַּ֭דֶּיךָ מְתִ֣ים יַחֲרִ֑ישׁוּ
וַ֝תִּלְעַ֗ג וְאֵ֣ין מַכְלִֽם
3 g Your idle talk makes men speechless,
so you deride and there is none to humiliate.
3e 4B 9
7
וַ֭תֹּאמֶר זַ֣ךְ לִקְחִ֑י
וּ֝בַ֗ר הָיִ֥יתִי בְעֵינֶֽיךָ
4 g And you say, My take is clear,
and pure am I in your eyes.
3e 4B 6
9
וְֽאוּלָ֗ם מִֽי־יִתֵּ֣ן אֱל֣וֹהַּ דַּבֵּ֑ר
וְיִפְתַּ֖ח שְׂפָתָ֣יו עִמָּֽךְ
5 However, who will give God a word,
and open his lips against you?
3e 4B 10
8
וְיַגֶּד־לְךָ֨ ׀ תַּֽעֲלֻמ֣וֹת חָכְמָה֮ כִּֽי־כִפְלַ֪יִם לְֽת֫וּשִׁיָּ֥ה
וְדַ֡ע כִּֽי־יַשֶּׁ֥ה לְךָ֥ אֱ֝ל֗וֹהַ מֵעֲוֺנֶֽךָ
6 And make evident to you the obscurities of wisdom that they are a double enterprise,
and know that for you God is oblivious of your iniquity.
3d 4B 18
14
הַחֵ֣קֶר אֱל֣וֹהַ תִּמְצָ֑א
אִ֤ם עַד־תַּכְלִ֖ית שַׁדַּ֣י תִּמְצָֽא
7 Do you find God by examination?
As if you could find the consummations of the Sufficient.
3e 4C 8
8
גָּבְהֵ֣י שָׁ֭מַיִם מַה־תִּפְעָ֑ל
עֲמֻקָּ֥ה מִ֝שְּׁא֗וֹל מַה־תֵּדָֽע
8 Lofty as heaven, what work will you do?
Deep as Sheol, what do you know?
3e 4B 7
8
אֲרֻכָּ֣ה מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִדָּ֑הּ
וּ֝רְחָבָ֗ה מִנִּי־יָֽם
9 Lengthier than earth of measure,
and broader than sea,
3e 4B 8
6
אִם־יַחֲלֹ֥ף וְיַסְגִּ֑יר
וְ֝יַקְהִ֗יל וּמִ֣י יְשִׁיבֶֽנּוּ
10 if he renews or imprisons or congregates,
then who can turn him?
3e 4B 7
9
כִּי־ה֭וּא יָדַ֣ע מְתֵי־שָׁ֑וְא
וַיַּרְא־אָ֝֗וֶן וְלֹ֣א יִתְבּוֹנָֽן
11 For he himself knows a vain man,
and will he see mischief, and not understand?
3e 4B 6
9
וְאִ֣ישׁ נָ֭בוּב יִלָּבֵ֑ב
וְעַ֥יִר פֶּ֝֗רֶא אָדָ֥ם יִוָּלֵֽד
12 When a hollow person will be heartened,
and when the foal of a wild ass is born a human.
3e 4B 7
10
אִם־אַ֭תָּ֗ה‬ הֲכִינ֣וֹתָ לִבֶּ֑ךָ
וּפָרַשְׂתָּ֖ אֵלָ֣יו כַּפֶּֽךָ
13 If for you, you establish your heart,
and spread to him your palms,
3e 4B 10
9
אִם־אָ֣וֶן בְּ֭יָדְךָ הַרְחִיקֵ֑הוּ
וְאַל־תַּשְׁכֵּ֖ן בְּאֹהָלֶ֣יךָ עַוְלָֽה
14 if the mischief in your hands you put far away,
and not let injustice dwell in your tents,
3e 4B 10
11
כִּי־אָ֤ז ׀ תִּשָּׂ֣א פָנֶ֣יךָ מִמּ֑וּם
וְהָיִ֥יתָ מֻ֝צָ֗ק וְלֹ֣א תִירָֽא
15 for then you will lift up your face without spot,
and you will be infused and you will not fear.
3e 4C 9
10
כִּי־אַ֭תָּה עָמָ֣ל תִּשְׁכָּ֑ח
כְּמַ֖יִם עָבְר֣וּ תִזְכֹּֽר
16 For you, you will forget misery.
As waters pass onward, you will remember.
3e 4B 6
6
וּֽ֭מִצָּהֳרַיִם יָק֣וּם חָ֑לֶד
תָּ֝עֻ֗פָה כַּבֹּ֥קֶר תִּהְיֶֽה
17 And at noon, transience will arise and fly away.
As morning, it will become.
3e 4B 9
8
וּֽ֭בָטַחְתָּ כִּי־יֵ֣שׁ תִּקְוָ֑ה
וְ֝חָפַרְתָּ֗ לָבֶ֥טַח תִּשְׁכָּֽב
18 And you will trust, for there is expectation,
and you dig deep to trust and you lie down.
3e 4B 8
9
וְֽ֭רָבַצְתָּ וְאֵ֣ין מַחֲרִ֑יד
וְחִלּ֖וּ פָנֶ֣יךָ רַבִּֽים
19 You will recline and none will make you apprehensive,
and many will entreat your face.
3e 4B 9
8
וְעֵינֵ֥י רְשָׁעִ֗ים תִּ֫כְלֶ֥ינָה
וּ֭מָנוֹס אָבַ֣ד מִנְהֶ֑ם
וְ֝תִקְוָתָ֗ם מַֽפַּח־נָֽפֶשׁ פ
20 But the eyes of the wicked will be consumed,
and a haven perishes from them,
and their expectation, a petulant self.
3e 4B 9
7
9

and the music is here.

A little more analysis shows an 8-deep concentric structure between verses 2 and 13 - and I exclude these words שׂפּה,מּה,מּצא,דּבּר. Note how the stems recur from verse 6 onward in precisely the reverse order. Did the poet mean it? Does it highlight verse 6 as a central point in his complaint? I don't know that I would attribute to Zophar such profundity unless it was as eccentric as are most evangelicals in emphasizing something they need but have not thought about or obeyed very carefully (yet).
לא not
2לא
ואםּ as if
2אםּ
אישׁ person with
2אישׁ
מּתּיםּ men
3מּתּ
מּי who
5מּי
אלוה God
5אלוה
לךּ to you
6ל
כּי that
6כּי
ודּע and know
6ידּע
כּי that
6כּי
לךּ for you
6ל
אלוה God
6אלוה
אלוה God
7אלוה
אםּ as if
7אםּ
תּדּע do you know
8ידּע
אםּ if
10אםּ
ומּי then who
10מּי
כּי for
11כּי
ידּע he knows
11ידּע
מּתּי man
11מּתּ
ולא and not
11לא
ואישׁ when a person
12אישׁ
אםּ if
13אםּ


No comments:

Post a Comment