Prose in Genesis - a counter example to poetry?

[Updated] When is a section of Scripture likely to be poetic? Another possible measure is the maximum recitation length. This length also will have a significant effect on the tenor of the chapter. 

In the prior post I noted that chapter 49 of Genesis had a maximum recitation length of 12 syllables. This a bit of an accident since the whole chapter is not poetry. The poetry itself in chapter 49 has a maximum recitation of 11. 

I wondered if the mode of chapter 49 and the successions chapters should exclude g#. But it isn't necessary to do this. The g# works fine -- largely because ornaments connecting f natural and g# are few. 

What should I chose as a counter example? I imagine it is likely that every chapter and every story has its own characteristic song. 

I note that chapter 3, helpfully but incorrectly labelled 'the fall' in my old Jerusalem Bible, has a bunch of verses that are marked as poetry (most of 14-19) that I did not include in the prior posts. So in this post, here is chapter 3 verse by verse with the music.

To do the analysis, open the music, pdf here, look at the lyrics and phrasing. View and mark the text in another window to see how you would mark shorter lines. If you read Hebrew, use the square text directly. If not, then read the Latin SimHebrew to mark the breaks in the text. The SimHebrew lets non-readers of Hebrew read the word play and assonance in the Hebrew. (Introduction to this format is here).

I did the first verse as an example. I'm tempted to do them all but I'm going to resist. I will not last for ever and I am looking for younger folk who will carry on the analysis of the music of the Old Word which is still perpetually relevant to human joy and misery.

You will have noticed that for long lines -- say more than 15 syllables, to make prose into shorter 'poetry-like' phrase lengths, the break happens most often at a zaqef-qaton, like this one in the word for God: אלה֔ים. It looks like a colon above the text (it is a musical appoggiatura, inviting a breath or a brief pause). The software marks a breath if it is not in the middle of the word.

My old Bible does not treat this chapter as poetry, so I wonder why it laid out some of it as poetry. The first verse divides into 7 pieces. The lengths of the pieces are not any shorter than the shortest lengths in the Psalms nor any longer -- but in later verses the recitations on the same pitch can be longer than most poetry. The accents and divisions are very helpful in reading, singing, and expressing the text.

Genesis 3:1 - how easily does it divide into poetic lines

1 But the snake was crafty among all the living of the field that Yahweh God constructed, and it said to the woman, Indeed that God said, You will not eat from every tree of the garden.
א והנחש֙ הי֣ה ער֔ום מכל֙ חי֣ת השד֔ה אש֥ר עש֖ה יהו֣ה אלה֑ים וי֙אמר֙ אל־ה֣אש֔ה א֚ף כֽי־אמ֣ר אלה֔ים ל֣א תֽאכל֔ו מכ֖ל ע֥ץ הגֽן	8 7 9 =24 7 7 4 5 =23		a vhnkw hih yrum mcol kit hwdh awr ywh ihvh alohim viamr al-haiwh af ci-amr alohim la taclu mcol yx hgn
2 And the woman said to the snake, From the fruit of the tree of the garden, we eat.
ב ות֥אמר הֽאש֖ה אל־הנח֑ש מפר֥י עֽץ־הג֖ן נאכֽל	10 7		b vtamr haiwh al-hnkw mpri yx-hgn nacl
3 But from the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, God said, You will not eat from it and you will not touch it, lest you die.
ג ומפר֣י העץ֮ אש֣ר בתוך־הגן֒ אמ֣ר אלה֗ים ל֤א תֽאכלו֙ ממ֔נו ול֥א תגע֖ו ב֑ו פן־תמתֽון	27 4		g umpri hyx awr btoç-hgn amr alohim la taclu mmnu vla tigyu bo pn-tmutun
4 And the snake said to the woman, Not death you will die.
ד וי֥אמר הנח֖ש אל־הֽאש֑ה לֽא־מ֖ות תמתֽון	10 5		d viamr hnkw al-haiwh la-mot tmutun
5 ♪C Because God knows that in the day you eat from it, your eyes will be given sight, and you will become as God knowing good and evil.
ה כ֚י יד֣ע אלה֔ים כ֗י ביום֙ אכלכ֣ם ממ֔נו ונפקח֖ו עֽיניכ֑ם והייתם֙ כֽאלה֔ים ידע֖י ט֥וב ורֽע	23 11		h ci iody alohim ci biom acolcm mmnu vnpqku yinicm vhiitm calohim iodyi Tob vry
6 And the woman saw that the tree was good to eat and that it was desirable to the eyes and the tree was attractive to have insight and she took from its fruit and she ate, and she gave even to her man with her and they ate.
ו ות֣רא הֽאש֡ה כ֣י טוב֩ הע֨ץ למאכ֜ל וכ֧י תֽאוה־ה֣וא לעינ֗ים ונחמ֤ד העץ֙ להשכ֔יל ותק֥ח מפרי֖ו ותאכ֑ל ותת֧ן גם־לאיש֛ה עמ֖ה ויאכֽל	40 12		v vtra haiwh ci Tob hyx lmacl vci tavvh-hua lyiniim vnkmd hyx lhwcil vtiqk mpriio vtacl vtitn gm-laiwh yimh viacl
7 And the eyes of the two of them were given sight, and they knew that they were naked, so they sewed fig leaves together and they made for themselves attire.
ז ותפק֙חנה֙ עינ֣י שניה֔ם וי֣דע֔ו כ֥י עֽירמ֖ם ה֑ם וֽיתפרו֙ על֣ה תאנ֔ה ויעש֥ו לה֖ם חגרֽת	18 18		z vtipqknh yini wnihm viidyu ci yirumim hm vitpru yli tanh viywu lhm kgorot
8 And they heard the voice of Yahweh God walking in the garden in the wind of the day, and they camouflaged themselves, the Adam and his woman, from the face of Yahweh God in the midst of the tree of the garden.
ח וֽישמע֞ו את־ק֨ול יהו֧ה אלה֛ים מתהל֥ך בג֖ן לר֣וח הי֑ום ויתחב֨א הֽאד֜ם ואשת֗ו מפני֙ יהו֣ה אלה֔ים בת֖וך ע֥ץ הגֽן	21 22		k viwmyu at-qol ihvh alohim mthlç bgn lruk hiom vitkba hadm vawto mpni ihvh alohim btoç yx hgn
9 And Yahweh God called to the Adam, saying to him, Where are you?
ט ויקר֛א יהו֥ה אלה֖ים אל־הֽאד֑ם וי֥אמר ל֖ו איֽכה	12 7		T viqra ihvh alohim al-hadm viamr lo aiiç
10 And it said, I heard your voice in the garden, and I feared because I am naked so I camouflaged myself.
י וי֕אמר את־קלך֥ שמ֖עתי בג֑ן ואיר֛א כֽי־עיר֥ם אנ֖כי ואחבֽא	11 12		i viamr at-qolç wmyti bgn vaira ci-yirom anoci vaikba
11 And he said, Who made it clear to you that you are naked? From the tree that I commanded you not to eat, did you eat?
יא וי֕אמר מ֚י הג֣יד לך֔ כ֥י עיר֖ם א֑תה המן־הע֗ץ אש֧ר צוית֛יך לבלת֥י אכל־ממ֖נו אכֽלת	13 21		ia viamr mi hgid lç ci yirom ath hmn-hyx awr xivvitiç lblti acol-mmnu aclt
12 And the Adam said, The woman that you have given to stand with me, she gave to me from the tree and I ate.
יב וי֖אמר הֽאד֑ם הֽאשה֙ אש֣ר נת֣תה עמד֔י ה֛וא נֽתנה־ל֥י מן־הע֖ץ ואכֽל	6 21		ib viamr hadm haiwh awr ntt yimdi hia ntnh-li mn-hyx vaocl
13 And Yahweh God said to the woman, What is this that you have done? and the woman said, The snake lured me and I ate.
יג וי֨אמר יהו֧ה אלה֛ים לאש֖ה מה־ז֣את עש֑ית ות֙אמר֙ הֽאש֔ה הנח֥ש השיא֖ני ואכֽל	15 16		ig viamr ihvh alohim laiwh mh-zat ywit vtamr haiwh hnkw hwiani vaocl
14 And Yahweh God said to the snake, Because you have done this, cursed you will be above all cattle and above all the living of the field. On your stomach you will walk and dust you will eat all the days of your life.
יד ויאמר֩ יהו֨ה אלה֥ים אֽל־הנחש֮ כ֣י עש֣ית זאת֒ אר֤ור אתה֙ מכל־הבהמ֔ה ומכ֖ל חי֣ת השד֑ה על־גחנך֣ תל֔ך ועפ֥ר תאכ֖ל כל־ימ֥י חיֽיך	35 17		id viamr ihvh alohim al-hnkw ci ywit zat arur ath mcl-hbhmh umcol kit hwdh yl-gkonç tlç vypr tacl cl-imi kiiç
15 And I will impose enmity between you and between the woman and between your seed and between her seed. It itself will bruise you in the head. But you, yourself will bruise it in the heel.
טו ואיב֣ה אש֗ית בֽינך֙ וב֣ין הֽאש֔ה וב֥ין זרעך֖ וב֣ין זרע֑ה ה֚וא ישופך֣ ר֔אש ואת֖ה תשופ֥נו עקֽב ס	21 15		Tv vaibh awit binç ubin haiwh ubin zryç ubin zryh hua iwupç raw vath twupnu yqb s
16 To the woman he said, Thoroughly I will increase your hardship and your pregnancy. In hardship you will give birth to children, and to your man you will have aspiration, but he himself will govern in you.
טז אֽל־האש֣ה אמ֗ר הרב֤ה ארבה֙ עצבונ֣ך והֽרנ֔ך בע֖צב תֽלד֣י בנ֑ים ואל־אישך֙ תש֣וקת֔ך וה֖וא ימשל־בֽך ס	24 14		Tz al-haiwh amr hrbh arbh yixbonç vhronç byxb tldi bnim val-aiwç twuqtç vhua imwol-bç s
17 But to the Adam he said, Because you heard the voice of your wife, and ate from the tree that I commanded you, saying, You will not eat from it, cursed is the ground on your behalf. In hardship you will eat from it all the days of your life.
יז ולאד֣ם אמ֗ר כֽי־שמעת֮‬ לק֣ול אשתך֒ ות֙אכל֙ מן־הע֔ץ אש֤ר צוית֙יך֙ לאמ֔ר ל֥א תאכ֖ל ממ֑נו ארור֤ה הֽאדמה֙ בֽעבור֔ך בעצבון֙ תֽאכל֔נה כ֖ל ימ֥י חיֽיך	16 43		iz uladm amr ci-wmyt lqol awtç vtacl mn-hyx awr xivvitiç lamor la tacl mmnu arurh hadmh byburç byixbon taclnh col imi kiiç
18 So brambles and thistles she will grow for you, and you will eat the herb of the field.
יח וק֥וץ ודרד֖ר תצמ֣יחֽ ל֑ך ואכלת֖ את־ע֥שב השדֽה	9 10		ik vqox vdrdr txmik lç vaclt at-ywb hwdh
19 In the sweat of your anger you will eat bread till you return to the ground for from it you were taken, for dust you are and to dust you will return.
יט בזע֤ת אפ֙יך֙ ת֣אכל ל֔חם ע֤ד שֽובך֙ אל־ה֣אדמ֔ה כ֥י ממ֖נה לק֑חת כֽי־עפ֣ר א֔תה ואל־עפ֖ר תשֽוב	25 10		iT bziyt apiç tacl lkm yd wubç al-hadmh ci mmnh luqkt ci-ypr ath val-ypr twub
20 And the Adam called the name of his wife, Eve, for she became the mother of all living.
כ ויקר֧א הֽאד֛ם ש֥ם אשת֖ו חו֑ה כ֛י ה֥וא הֽית֖ה א֥ם כל־חֽי	11 7		c viqra hadm wm awto kvvh ci hia hiith am cl-ki
21 And Yahweh God made for Adam and his wife coats of skin, and he clothed them.
כא ויעש֩ יהו֨ה אלה֜ים לאד֧ם ולאשת֛ו כתנ֥ות ע֖ור וילבשֽם פ	22		ca viyw ihvh alohim ladm ulawto cotnot yor vilbiwm p
22 And Yahweh God said, Lo, the human has become as one among us knowing good and evil, so now lest he reach out his hand and take likewise from the tree of the living and eat and live forever, ...
כב וי֣אמר יהו֣ה אלה֗ים ה֤ן הֽאדם֙ היה֙ כאח֣ד ממ֔נו לד֖עת ט֣וב ור֑ע ועת֣ה פן־ישל֣ח יד֗ו ולקח֙ ג֚ם מע֣ץ הֽחי֔ים ואכ֖ל וח֥י לעלֽם	26 25		cb viamr ihvh alohim hn hadm hih cakd mmnu ldyt Tob vry vyth pn-iwlk ido vlqk gm myx hkiim vacl vki lyolm
23 so Yahweh God sent him out from the garden of Eden, to serve the ground which he was taken from.
כג וֽישלח֛הו יהו֥ה אלה֖ים מגן־ע֑דן לֽעבד֙ את־ה֣אדמ֔ה אש֥ר לק֖ח משֽם	13 14		cg viwlkhu ihvh alohim mgn-ydn lybod at-hadmh awr luqk mwm
24 And he expelled the human, and had the cherubim dwell at the east of the garden of Eden, and the blazing sword always changing, to guard the way to the tree of the living.
כד ויג֖רש את־הֽאד֑ם וישכן֩ מק֨דם לגן־ע֜דן את־הכרב֗ים וא֨ת ל֤הט הח֙רב֙ המתהפ֔כת לשמ֕ר את־ד֖רך ע֥ץ הֽחיֽים ס	7 36		cd vigrw at-hadm viwcn mqdm lgn-ydn at-hcrubim vat lhT hkrb hmthpct lwmor at-drç yx hkiim s

There's no doubt that this is a literary and musical art form. Notice the differing accents assigned to differing speakers and differing style and phrasing in the music for each speaker. Perhaps this is why the JB translators chose a poetic format for some verses.