Wednesday 5 June 2024

Patterns in the music? The genealogy of Esau and Jacob

I note that we are considering these phrases related to genealogy in isolation from their immediate context. What type of recitation is the section that these verses are a part of? What characterizes these parts of Genesis as song? I hope to come back to this question.

So following up with my selection of verses for the genealogies, is there any additional information in the remaining verses: Gen 36:1, 9, and 37:2?

וְאֵ֛לֶּה תֹּלְד֥וֹת עֵשָׂ֖ו ה֥וּא אֱדֽוֹם And these are the successions of Esau. He is Edom.
a valh toldot ywiv hua adom 10
v/alh t/ld\vt ywv hva advm

Genesis 36:1 valh toldot ywiv

Within these verses that I have extracted from the genealogies, this is the first verse that has no internal rest point. There are times when such verses are significant. I have noted two extended passages, the impatience of the lovers in the Song of Songs, chapter 1,10-17 and the absence of rest in Lamentations chapter 3 with the exception of verse 56.

וְאֵ֛לֶּה תֹּלְד֥וֹת עֵשָׂ֖ו אֲבִ֣י אֱד֑וֹם
בְּהַ֖ר שֵׂעִֽיר
And these are the successions of Esau, the father of Edom,
in mount Seir.
T valh toldot ywiv abi adom
bhr wyir
11
4
v/alh t/ld\vt ywv ab\i advm
b/hr wyir
Genesis 36:9

Another matter of fact phrase. Nine verses share this shape.

אֵ֣לֶּה ׀ תֹּלְד֣וֹת יַעֲקֹ֗ב יוֹסֵ֞ף בֶּן־שְׁבַֽע־עֶשְׂרֵ֤ה שָׁנָה֙ הָיָ֨ה רֹעֶ֤ה אֶת־אֶחָיו֙ בַּצֹּ֔אן וְה֣וּא נַ֗עַר אֶת־בְּנֵ֥י בִלְהָ֛ה וְאֶת־בְּנֵ֥י זִלְפָּ֖ה נְשֵׁ֣י אָבִ֑יו
וַיָּבֵ֥א יוֹסֵ֛ף אֶת־דִּבָּתָ֥ם רָעָ֖ה אֶל־אֲבִיהֶֽם
2 ♪B These are the successions of Jacob. Joseph, a child of seventeen years, was shepherding with his brothers among the sheep, and he, a youth, was with the children of Bilhah and the children of Zilpah, wives of his father.
And Joseph brought their evil defamation to their father.
b alh toldot iyqob iosf bn-wby-ywrh wnh hih royh at-akiv bxan vhua nyr at-bni blhh vat-bni zlph nwi abiv
viba iosf at-dibtm ryh al-abihm
44
15
alh t/ld\vt iyqb iv/sp bn wby ywr\h wnh hih ryh at ak\iv b/xan v/hva nyr at bn\i blhh v/at bn\i zlph n/w\i ab\iv
vi/ba iv/sp at db\tm ry\h al ab\ihm

Genesis 37:2 alh toldot iyqob

This is a remarkable segue. The 'succession' is interrupted by a focus on Joseph. It's a very long interruption. The Jerusalem Bible simply translates it as if it was spr iosf, story or record of Joseph. Jacob doesn't rate a mention. Rewriting the Hebrew certainly makes for smoother reading..

The remainder of the analysis of Genesis music will have to have a different approach. Maybe someone should perform the whole book - It would be quite a long performance I think -- around 8 hours+.



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