Oratorio part 5, Job 7:12, 40:15-19

Part 4 begins with day 5 of Genesis. Again this performance is the example for all recitative singing. 

The incipit is from Psalms 73:22. The psalmist helps us to understand the use of animal imagery in Job.

Psalms 73:22 - I myself was a brute without knowledge. // Behemoth I was with you. Mode 2

A Psalm of Asaph
Syllables: 16. Words: 7. Roots: 7. 

ani bhmh byr hih idy la ym

וַאֲנִי־בַ֭עַר וְלֹ֣א אֵדָ֑ע בְּ֝הֵמ֗וֹת הָיִ֥יתִי עִמָּֽךְ		22 I myself was a brute without knowledge. Behemoth I was with you.
cb vani-byr vla ady bhmot hiiti yimç	8 8	v/ani byr v/la a/dy bhm\vt h/i\iti ym\c

The character of Job with the text from 7:12, becomes 4 voices, playing on the corporate nature of our humanity as being insubordinate like the sea.

Syllables: 13. Words: 8. Roots: 8. 

am ani ci im tnin wmr wvm yl

הֲֽיָם־אָ֭נִי אִם־תַּנִּ֑ין כִּֽי־תָשִׂ֖ים עָלַ֣י מִשְׁמָֽר		12 Am I the sea or a dragon, that you put a guard over me?
ib him-ani am-tnin ci-twim ylii mwmr	7 6	h/im ani am tnin ci t/wim yl\i m/wmr

Then we follow with the description of Behemoth.

Job 40:15-19
Syllables: 82. Words: 36. Roots: 33. Root Recurrence: 17%. Average per verse: 1.2.

acl al apiq arz avn awr b'tn bhmh bqr brzl ck cmv drc 'tvl gid grm hnh (2) hva kpx krb kxr mtn na (2) ngw nkw pkd raw wr wrg ym ywh (2) yxm znb

הִנֵּה־נָ֣א בְ֭הֵמוֹת אֲשֶׁר־עָשִׂ֣יתִי עִמָּ֑ךְ חָ֝צִ֗יר כַּבָּקָ֥ר יֹאכֵֽל		15 Behold, if you will, Behemoth, whom I made with you. Grass like an ox he eats.
'tv hnh-na bhmot awr-ywiti yimç kxir cbqr iacl	13 7	hnh na bhm\vt awr yw\iti ym\c kxr c/bqr i/acl
הִנֵּה־נָ֣א כֹח֣וֹ בְמָתְנָ֑יו וְ֝אֹנ֗וֹ בִּשְׁרִירֵ֥י בִטְנֽוֹ		16 Behold if you will his power in his loins, and his virility in the navel of his belly.
'tz hnh-na coko bmotniv vaono bwriri b'tno	8 8	hnh na ck\v b/mtn\iv v/avn\v b/wr\iri b+n\v
יַחְפֹּ֣ץ זְנָב֣וֹ כְמוֹ־אָ֑רֶז גִּידֵ֖י פַחֲדָ֣יו יְשֹׂרָֽגוּ		17 He delights in his tail like a cedar. The sinews of his dreads are intertwined.
iz ikpox znbo cmo-arz gidi pkdiv iworgu	8 9	i/kpx znb\v cmv arz gid\i pkd\v i/wrg\v
עֲ֭צָמָיו אֲפִיקֵ֣י נְחוּשָׁ֑ה גְּ֝רָמָ֗יו כִּמְטִ֥יל בַּרְזֶֽל		18 ♪g His bones are channels of brass, his cartilage like cast-iron.
ik yxmiv apiqi nkuwh grmiv cm'til brzl	9 7	yxm\iv apiq\i nkw\h grm\iv cm/+l brzl
ה֭וּא‬ רֵאשִׁ֣ית דַּרְכֵי־אֵ֑ל הָ֝עֹשׂוֹ יַגֵּ֥שׁ חַרְבּֽוֹ		19 ♪g He is the beginning of the ways of the One. He who made him can make overture to his sword.
i't hua rawit drci-al hyowo igw krbo	6 7	hva raw\it drc\i al h/yw\v i/gw krb\v

15	Tur Sinai claims that Behemoth is simply 'the beasts' and not a single creature. He says the whole of the last speech is about one creature Leviathan, not identified till the middle of the poem. I can't find anyone who agrees with him. Pope has two pages of serious notes here - proving it is not the Egyptian hippo. Again we have plural antecedent with singular pronouns.(Curiouser and curiouser - said Alice!). Good has a whole chapter I will reflect on later. Chapter 40 has 24 verses in KJV and 32 in JPS. A little more investigation at Church this morning into the REB shows that they have two chapter 41's - one preceding chapter 40 consisting of 41:1-6, a complete non-sequitur to the eagles. The REB has marvelous English - but it isn't even close to the Hebrew in places and there is no attempt at concordance. So in chapter 3 Leviathan and in chapter 41, the same word is whale. In chapter 3 'the eyelids of the morning' and in chapter 41 the same phrase is translated 'the shimmering dawn'. If you do this, the English reader doesn't have a chance at seeing or hearing frame and thread. I will not subject my first reading to dictatorial and undocumented textual changes or shifts and will go with two creatures, Behemoth and Leviathan. It is not important to try and identify these beasties. (By the way if we go with one monster he eats oxen like grass.)
16	Pope has two pages of serious notes here - proving it is not the Egyptian hippo.
19	There is no doubt this is about creation! And of new creation - hidden in the sword that pierces the heart.

The beginning of the description of Behemoth