Job 18

And how does Bildad answer Job? The frame for the whole is the words after and place. From verse 5 to 18 the frame is light, darkness and tent. The inner frame is fright. (You do the coloring and you will see what I am saying.) The centre is solitude. Perhaps the beginning of this main section of the poem is signaled by verse 4, the only tricolon marked by the accents, ole-veyored, rest on the supertonic, and atnah, rest on the subdominant, in the same verse. The end of the verbal structure just pointed out is signaled by the accent on the first beat of verse 19 leading to the only recitation on high C (see the music below).

Don't tell me that the accents are confined to a single verse (Wickes, 1871, 1878, Dresher, 1994). That is a flat earth model of our textual inheritance. It is demonstrably wrong, not to mention confusing and misleading.

The poem uses a lot of spatial imagery, under, over, round about, from beneath, from above (10, 11, 16).  Again these reinforce the isolation at the centre of the poem. Good for Bildad - nice work, O poet. But these isolating truths are not truth. Don't put Bildad on a mental health committee.

Job 18		Fn		Min	Max	Syll
וַ֭יַּעַן בִּלְדַּ֥ד הַשֻּׁחִ֗י וַיֹּאמַֽר	1	g	Then answered Bildad the Shuhite and said,	3e	3g	11
עַד־אָ֤נָה ׀ תְּשִׂימ֣וּן קִנְצֵ֣י לְמִלִּ֑ין תָּ֝בִ֗ינוּ וְאַחַ֥ר נְדַבֵּֽר	2		How long please, will you put a wrench in speeches? You will understand, and after we will speak.	3e	4C	11 9
מַ֭דּוּעַ נֶחְשַׁ֣בְנוּ כַבְּהֵמָ֑ה נִ֝טְמִ֗ינוּ בְּעֵינֵיכֶֽם	3	g	For what purpose are we reckoned as beast, unclean in your sight?	3e	4B	9 7
טֹֽרֵ֥ף נַפְשׁ֗וֹ בְּאַ֫פּ֥וֹ הַ֭לְמַעַנְךָ תֵּעָ֣זַב אָ֑רֶץ וְיֶעְתַּק־צ֝֗וּר מִמְּקֹמֽוֹ	4		It tears itself in its anger. On account of you should earth be forsaken, a rock be shifted from its place?	3e	4B	7 9 7
גַּ֤ם א֣וֹר רְשָׁעִ֣ים יִדְעָ֑ךְ וְלֹֽא־יִ֝גַּ֗הּ שְׁבִ֣יב אִשּֽׁוֹ	5	C	Even the light of the wicked will be extinguished, and its scintillating fire will fail to illuminate.	3e	4C	7 7
א֭וֹר‬ חָשַׁ֣ךְ בְּאָהֳל֑וֹ וְ֝נֵר֗וֹ עָלָ֥יו יִדְעָֽךְ	6	g	Light is darkness in his tent, and its lamp upon him will be extinguished.	3e	4B	7 7
יֵֽ֭צְרוּ צַעֲדֵ֣י אוֹנ֑וֹ וְֽתַשְׁלִיכֵ֥הוּ עֲצָתֽוֹ	7		Refashioned is the march of his virility, and his own counsel will cast him down.	3e	4B	7 8
כִּֽי־שֻׁלַּ֣ח בְּרֶ֣שֶׁת בְּרַגְלָ֑יו וְעַל־שְׂ֝בָכָ֗ה יִתְהַלָּֽךְ	8		For he is sent into a net by his own feet, and on a mesh he walks.	3e	4B	8 8
יֹאחֵ֣ז בְּעָקֵ֣ב פָּ֑ח יַחֲזֵ֖ק עָלָ֣יו צַמִּֽים	9		A snare will grasp by the heel, thirsts resolute upon him.	3e	4B	6 7
טָמ֣וּן בָּאָ֣רֶץ חַבְל֑וֹ וּ֝מַלְכֻּדְתּ֗וֹ עֲלֵ֣י נָתִֽיב	10	B	Buried in the earth is his rope, and his catch is over a pathway.	3e	4B	7 8
סָ֭בִיב בִּֽעֲתֻ֣הוּ בַלָּה֑וֹת וֶהֱפִיצֻ֥הוּ לְרַגְלָֽיו	11	g	Round about frights alarm him, and propel him to his feet.	3e	4B	9 8
יְהִי־רָעֵ֥ב אֹנ֑וֹ וְ֝אֵ֗יד נָכ֥וֹן לְצַלְעֽוֹ	12		Famished is his virility, a misfortune prepared for his rib.	3e	4A	5 7
יֹ֭אכַל בַּדֵּ֣י עוֹר֑וֹ יֹאכַ֥ל בַּ֝דָּ֗יו בְּכ֣וֹר מָֽוֶת	13	g	He will eat the solitude of his skin. The firstborn of death will eat his solitude.	3e	4B	6 8
יִנָּתֵ֣ק מֵ֭אָהֳלוֹ מִבְטַח֑וֹ וְ֝תַצְעִדֵ֗הוּ לְמֶ֣לֶךְ בַּלָּהֽוֹת	14		Snapped from his tent is his trust, and it will march him to the king of frights.	3e	4B	10 11
תִּשְׁכּ֣וֹן בְּ֭אָהֳלוֹ מִבְּלִי־ל֑וֹ יְזֹרֶ֖ה עַל־נָוֵ֣הוּ גָפְרִֽית	15		It will dwell in his tent from its fright, and pitch will winnow his home.	3e	4B	8 9
מִ֭תַּחַת שָֽׁרָשָׁ֣יו יִבָ֑שׁוּ וּ֝מִמַּ֗עַל יִמַּ֥ל קְצִירֽוֹ	16	g	From beneath his roots dry up. And from above cut down is his harvest.	3e	4B	9 9
זִֽכְרוֹ־אָ֭בַד מִנִּי־אָ֑רֶץ וְלֹא־שֵׁ֥ם ל֝֗וֹ עַל־פְּנֵי־חֽוּץ	17		His memory will perish from earth, and he is nameless on the face of the street.	3e	4A	6 8
יֶ֭הְדְּפֻהוּ מֵא֣וֹר אֶל־חֹ֑שֶׁךְ וּֽמִתֵּבֵ֥ל יְנִדֻּֽהוּ	18	g	Evicted from light to darkness, and from the world fled away.	3e	4B	9 8
לֹ֘א נִ֤ין ל֣וֹ וְלֹא־נֶ֣כֶד בְּעַמּ֑וֹ וְאֵ֥ין שָׂ֝רִ֗יד בִּמְגוּרָֽיו	19	~	No posterity for him, nor descendant among his people, and there is no survivor in his abode.	3e	4C	9 7
עַל־י֭וֹמוֹ נָשַׁ֣מּוּ אַחֲרֹנִ֑ים וְ֝קַדְמֹנִ֗ים אָ֣חֲזוּ שָֽׂעַר	20		On his day those who follow after will be desolate, and those who came before grasp hair.	3e	4B	10 9
אַךְ־אֵ֭לֶּה מִשְׁכְּנ֣וֹת עַוָּ֑ל וְ֝זֶ֗ה מְק֣וֹם לֹא־יָדַֽע־אֵֽל ס	21		But these are the dwellings of injustice, and this is the place without knowledge of the One.	3e	4B	8 8