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Sunday 14 November 2021

Oratorio part 6, who are we?

The next section of the oratorio in day 6 - reflects on the question, what is this humanity in a trio, Job and the two similar verses that book end the psalter: Trio (Psalms 144:3-4, Job 7:17,19, reprise Psalm 8:4-5 - page 120).

The Bible is full of conundrums here - we can't escape that the characters in miniature reflect the same confusion and conflicts that we have today. Who are we and how will we take responsibility for what we have done? 

But the churches of course have a great deal of confusion to rid themselves of before they will be useful to the world and truly reflect love. There is no defense for the churches here. The banner wavers operate with lust to power, oversimplification, denial of the gift of science, all blended with ignorance and self-protection.

Psalms 144:3-4 - humanity - futility - as a shadow passing away

Syllables: 30. Words: 13. Roots: 12. Root Recurrence: 15%. Average per verse: 1.
יְֽהוָ֗ה מָה־אָ֭דָם וַתֵּדָעֵ֑הוּ
בֶּן־אֱ֝נ֗וֹשׁ וַֽתְּחַשְּׁבֵֽהוּ
3 Yahweh, what is this humanity that you know it,
a mortal child that you devised it?
g ihvh mh-adm vtdyhu
bn-anow vtkwbhu
10
7
ihvh mh adm vt/dy\hv
bn anvw vt/kwb\hv
אָ֭דָם לַהֶ֣בֶל דָּמָ֑ה
יָ֝מָ֗יו כְּצֵ֣ל עוֹבֵֽר
4 ♪g Humanity is like futility,
its days as a shadow passing away.

d adm lhbl dmh
imiv cxl yobr
7
6
adm l/hbl dmh
im\iv c/xl yvbr

Psalms 8:4-5 - mortal, remembered, visited, crowned
Syllables: 43. Words: 17. Roots: 15. Root Recurrence: 18%. Average per verse: 1.5.
כִּֽי־אֶרְאֶ֣ה שָׁ֭מֶיךָ מַעֲשֵׂ֣י אֶצְבְּעֹתֶ֑יךָ
יָרֵ֥חַ וְ֝כוֹכָבִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר כּוֹנָֽנְתָּה
4 For I see your heavens that your fingers make,
moon and stars which you have established.
d ci-arah wmiç mywi axbyotiç
irk vcocbim awr connt
14
12
ci a/rah wm\ic m/yw\i axby\tic
irk v/cvcb\im awr cvn\nth
מָֽה־אֱנ֥וֹשׁ כִּֽי־תִזְכְּרֶ֑נּוּ
וּבֶן־אָ֝דָ֗ם כִּ֣י תִפְקְדֶֽנּוּ
5 What is a mortal? for you remember it.
And a child of humanity? for you visit it,
h mh-anow ci-tzcrnu
ubn-adm ci tpqdnu
8
9
mh anvw ci t/zcr\nv
v/bn adm ci t/pqd\nv

Job 7:17-19 - a mortal, made great, imposed on, visited in the morning, tested
Syllables: 48. Words: 21. Roots: 18. Root Recurrence: 29%. Average per verse: 2.
מָֽה־אֱ֭נוֹשׁ כִּ֣י תְגַדְּלֶ֑נּוּ
וְכִי־תָשִׁ֖ית אֵלָ֣יו לִבֶּֽךָ
17 What is a mortal that you make him great,
and that you impose on him your heart?
iz mh-anow ci tgdlnu
vci-twit aliv libç
8
8
mh anvw ci t/gdl\nv
v/ci t/wit al\iv lb\c
וַתִּפְקְדֶ֥נּוּ לִבְקָרִ֑ים
לִ֝רְגָעִ֗ים תִּבְחָנֶֽנּוּ
18 And you visit him in the mornings.
At every moment you test him.
ik vtpqdnu lbqrim
lrgyim tbknnu
8
7
vt/pqd\nv l/bqr\im
l/rgy\im t/bkn\nv
כַּ֭מָּה לֹא־תִשְׁעֶ֣ה מִמֶּ֑נִּי
לֹֽא־תַ֝רְפֵּ֗נִי עַד־בִּלְעִ֥י רֻקִּֽי
19 ♪g How long till you not look at me,
or desist from me, even as I swallow my spit?
i't cmh la-twyh mmni
la-trpni yd-blyi ruqi
8
9
c/mh la t/wyh m/mn\i
la t/rp\ni yd bly\i rq\i

The above are a trio - A T B

Where is Jonah when we really need him to preach to Nineveh - and then himself to act in love rather than schadenfreude. (I've set Jonah as a cantata - it's a hoot as well as a good lesson. I even managed to get in an allusion to Gershwin - and that directly from the music that is in the Bible. Didn't know Gershwin was in the Biblical text, did you. Well, the things you are liable to read in the Bible, it ain't necessarily so.)


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