Eschaton

Come and play!

I don't feed my dog mud. Sometimes he thinks he's a cow and eats grass.

Up the hill.

The dog really isn't mine, but my son's. This dog is keeping me alive. To keep me alive isn't mine either. That belongs to doG.

When my son is busy, Delta forces me to get out and walk. I didn't have a dog for nearly 70 years. Now he comes into my living room, pushes me out of my chair, and pulls me up the hill to see the beauty and give him some time off leash on the rocks. 

In my country and neighborhood, there are many dogs and owners out every day walking their pets. I can't remember all their names. They are all loved and loving.

Our attitudes to the domestic canis are different from the epithets about them thrown about in ancient literature like the Bible.

Dogs do more than "eat the crumbs that fall from the master's table". I am past the time of scrambling on the rocks at my age. But I do occasionally descend the steeper slope, though not with the speed that I will take you down my rocky thoughts in this post.

I have been pondering for at least two days a seven-part sequence I dreamt up as I awoke -- on Friday, Halloween, was it? My thoughts were stimulated by the juxtaposition of the Amalek incident noted in 2 Samuel 1 with the Elegy over the death of Saul and Jonathan later in the chapter.

I wondered, remembering first the traditional 'Amalek as the evil inclination', whom David, the not-yet-king, had commanded to be put down like a dog by one of his company. How can I pick my way down this slope from this summary execution to the music of the elegy, one of the most moving performances I have yet heard of the biblical music. From sin to death to the beauty of sorrow. 

(Excuse me, there is a slight whine at my door. It is Saturday morning and Delta is hoping for a fried egg for breakfast, a weekly treat. After a little coaxing, he settled and waited patiently for his "more than crumbs".)

Amalek was a problem to Saul. He failed (see 1 Samuel 15) and was he not one of the prophets, as they say? Did he not know the love of God? The Amalekite soldier who killed Saul was caught with spoil, just as the people and Saul were caught when they had pity on Agag. Neither convenient decision was good.

I doubt frankly whether I would have got on well with David or any other local dogs of the time. I suspect that in David's world, the dog was a local scavenger. The Amalekite is not called a dog, but the giant whom David slew asked -- Am I a dog? Amalek has not become a famous insult like the common use of Philistine today. Amalek is to be entirely wiped out. 

Deuteronomy 25 with the instruction to erase the memorial of Amalek

The raw juxtaposition of the Amalekite with the Elegy is a jarring episode in the exposed character of the human, but the Amalekite while claiming the title of guest, is given away by the loot in his hands, the consecrated thing that was on Saul's head and the armlet. The result is his immediate execution. David himself had refused to touch the Lord's Anointed more than once.

The act that condemns the one who claimed to be a 'guest'

Then follows some of the most touching music in the Scripture all of it as always, embedded in the te'amim, the cantillation accents in the text. You can hear it sung here.

The last few verses of David's elegy over the death of Saul and Jonathan

Amalek is not ignored in the Hebrew tradition nor is the problem of pragmatism with respect to human life. Is the evil inclination necessary for life? I wonder whether we can see such discussions as supporting what the apostle Paul calls in Greek, 'the flesh'. Self-interest and self-service, convenient pragmatism is inside all of us, the archetype of the flesh, the adversary of the brooding Spirit.

The New Testament verse that I hear within this analogue is, as you may have guessed, from Romans 8: If you by the Spirit put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. I take this as singular even though the tenses are plural. This death is the singularity in the centre of my galaxy. 

What does it do for us? In a word, we are to consider ourselves dead with Christ so that we can be alive with him in the new resurrected life that has already begun. When we discover this, the redemption works backward in time and reveals to us life in ways we would never have imagined. Of course, it is not without cost. As Amalek is to be entirely wiped out, so all our convenience and our desires are to be put to death in the death of Christ. This death is anticipated in Scripture in the word libation, a pouring out of love. The music for the pouring out from before the foundation of the world (Proverbs 8:23), is a slow descending scale to the tonic from the third, g f#, e. Yahweh bought me, the beginning of his way, preceding his work from then. From everlasting I have offered libation from the beginning, out of the precedents of earth. 

 Proverbs 8:22-23 Wisdom purchased, Anticipation of Sacrifice.

Years ago, we had the film Apocalypse Now. My thought shortly after in 1980 was Apocalypse Then. I wrote and wrote under this title in the infancy of the internet, a book I have withdrawn, even illustrating it with art I should not have spent toner on.

As far as I could see in all dimensions, the end of time was in the middle. I don't separate Now and Then -- the self-giving of Christ Jesus, the costly purchase, a libation of love, and Playful Wisdom in the shape of a dog disturbing my complacency: Come and play. Rise up, my love, my fair one -- to the hill.

In the words of George Herbert, Easter:

Can there be any day but this? We count three hundred, but we miss, there is but one and that one ever.

Before the beginning

Can there be any before with respect to the beginning? 

The problem is time. Who understands it? 

I will not attempt to explain time dilation, or time as an emergent property of matter in motion. It has been over 60 years since I studied special relativity, and the dilation of time made those classes light up the world for me week after week. (Pun intended). I then wrote for my Literature class a paper on Time and Space in Paradise Lost. I still have that somewhere, lost in storage. It was the longest essay I had ever written up to that point, filled with images. Milton writes:

The cosmic microwave background
(NASA image – a map of the universe).

"This pendant world, in bigness as a star," hanging by a chain from heaven (an idea that Milton borrowed from Homer perhaps mediated by his conversations with Galileo), not unlike the image of the microwave background we see today from cosmic sources. I combined these with graphs showing asymptotic curves that seemed to go off to the infinite in one axis and return by another. I imagined them meeting on the other side of somewhere. (You can find lots of videos explaining asymptotes in gory detail.)

At the base of all this, I have been curious and remain curious about what we take for granted with time-based words as we read Hebrew and Christian Scripture, especially in translation. For instance, past, present, and future, pre- and post- prefixes, before and after, everlasting, eternal. What is the nature of time ... ? AI will give you a good summary of this if you persist. 

Whatever the nature of time, Biblical Hebrew does not have past, present, and future tenses. Every tongue that uses these linear sounding tenses may be misleading us. Over 50 years ago, before I knew anything about Hebrew, (And I still 'know' very little -- we must return to the little word 'know' later or sooner), someone told me that the Hebrew verbal forms have aspect and they were right. It got me thinking, but I didn't have much to apply it to 'yet'.

The idea of aspect in verbs, e.g. incomplete and continuing, versus complete and over with, got me to change my view of time as linear. All we have is the present and that is very brief -- approaching the infinitesimal. We have to 'face' what we have, yet the emergent property seems real to us even though we express it with imaginary numbers! Experience, memory, music, sense, sight, sound, touch, taste, rhythm, agogic all integrate these infinitesimals into what amounts to us. (Our soul, if you like.)

Here as I write, I sit listening to the cello suites of J.S. Bach. The whole is present all at once. Each dance form and harmonic movement contributes to a unity. It is a unity that requires and subtends duration -- and I do not need to be aware of the satellites, adjusting themselves to their slightly slower clocks than mine, that carried this streaming content to me, or the transistors running on quantum technology that mediate it for me into my speakers and fill the room with sound.

In the Scripture, there are two stark uses of time and tense that jump to my mind -- one from the Old and one from the New: Proverbs 8 - Wisdom at play before the foundation of the world, and Jesus statement in the gospel of John, Before Abraham was, I am.

That's enough to raise the question for now. That was the prequel to in the beginning. Next stop, last things. I have no shadow to run away from...

In the beginning

In the beginning is a famous trio of words in the English tongue. What do I 'know' about it?

Can I begin to say?

Sing the beginning:

Genesis 1:1 begins with a major triad.

Genesis 1:1 begins with a major triad resolving onto the subdominant. 458 other verses in the Hebrew Bible begin with this motif. Harmonically, the triad leads naturally to the subdominant, a note that signifies rest. It marks a caesura in 93% of the verses in the first testament.

The subdominant corresponds to the accent called atnah derived from the Hebrew word to rest נוח. If you are familiar with the Hebrew accent names, the score above is (silluq) tifha munach atnah, merkha tifha mercha silluq. The accents below the text define the recitation pitches on a one to one basis, always predictable, can be read in the original like any music score.

א בראש֖ית בר֣א אלה֑ים

א֥ת השמ֖ים וא֥ת האֽרץ

So there's the first beginning. But my question above is really a question about time, not about words or music. I have no choice but to use words and music as tools even if I am working for myself alone. This essay is the beginning of my journey to bring the first testament into my knowledge of the second. I have one or two ideas in the background: light as the first fiat and its impact on time, the power that is inherent in the words, mediated or not by the music to restore the tone of voice, and unfortunately, the abuse of power, the lust to dominate, and therefore, the primal (before the beginning) requirement for libation.

Benjamin Cremer in his weekly letter that I received this morning as I was struggling with this beginning essay, captures our predicament well as "... the perennial human sin of using religion to dominate rather than liberate." He goes on to say "the faithful way to read all of scripture is to ask: how are we, today [in any belief system], tempted by the same illusions of control, the same captivity to violence, the same inability to see [and hear] what mentality holds us captive?"

Some time later in Torah the heavens and the earth are called to witness. They are witnesses for the prosecution.

Deuteronomy 31:28 in the final words of the witness against the people, ends with a musical phrase mirroring the music of the opening of Genesis.

Deuteronomy 31:28 ends with a major triad.

1,552 other verses in the prose books also end with a major triad. It's not sufficient evidence to establish a direct allusion, but combined with the same phrase and triad in reverse as Genesis 1, perhaps it isn't too far-fetched. The phrase אֵ֥ת הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם וְאֵ֥ת הָאָֽרֶץ (at hwmiim vat harx) as sung is unique. I would have to remove the cantillation to compare the words alone. There's no substitute for slowing down and hearing what is in our ears.

The words are sung 6 times in Torah: Exodus twice (20:11, 31:17), and Deuteronomy 3 times (31:28 above, and 4:26, and 30:19), each one directly invoking the words of Genesis 1:1. Also in Hezekiah's prayer (2 Kings 19:15 and parallel in Isaiah), three times in Jeremiah -- a prophet who frequently recalls creation (23:24, 27:5, 32:17) and its destruction through the exile, and 2 Chronicles 2:11.

Jeremiah 4: Exile as the undoing of creation

The New Testament has a gospel that begins with Greek words rendered in English as 'In the beginning'. These words of the prologue to St John's Gospel are music to many just for their poetic quality and cadence that English readers hear with consequent pleasure. 

Margoliouth's 19th century translation of John 1:1

There is no textual score for the Greek Testament. (See this archive for the Margoliouth Hebrew version of John.) 

Score for the text of Margoliouth's 19th century Hebrew of John 1:1

This recitation, after a lightly ornamented (pashta) and short recitative on the tonic, moves via the second degree of the scale to the proclamation pitch on the third syllable of brawit (/w/ is sounded as sh sometimes just s, /a/ sounds as ai in bait in this case. See the same word in the lyrics above of this word  that begins the Bible with more traditional phonetics). The proclamation pitch is a fifth above the tonic. The phrase then pauses with a zaqef-qaton on the third syllable of hadabar. So it does not imitate Genesis musically. 

We have a verbal connection between Genesis and John but no music. It's not surprising that the connection is lacking. The cantillation tradition that Margoliouth is following would never have heard of the deciphering of the te'amim that I have been working with since it was not inferred until a hundred years later. We have much stronger connections within the Tanach to the foundational creative act of the heavens and the earth.

My overall thesis is that the music is required to balance our reading of the words alone. It is not understanding that we should seek, but rather imitation of the compassion that we will hear and receive. I have little to say about how to read the New Testament, but it is dangerous as Benjamin notes in his letter this morning. Read it.

Preparation

This is an incomplete post but I want to use the incomplete information to consider a study done in Iceland on belief in the creation of heaven and earth among the Icelanders. Apparently no Icelander under the age of 25 considers that God made the heavens and the earth.

Here's my list of places in the HB (Helpful Bear) that reference שׁמימ, ארצ, and either עשה or ברא. (It may not be complete but it's probably not too far off.)

How does today's belief or lack of it relate to the ancient belief? Are those ancient words at all present today with any credibility? What about the immanent presence creating today? Immanence rather than distance. Where does responsibility lie for the earth and the heavens? And space junk and evil and destruction?

Genesis 1
בְּרֵאשִׁ֖ית בָּרָ֣א אֱלֹהִ֑ים אֵ֥ת הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם וְאֵ֥ת הָאָֽרֶץ	1	In the beginning of God's creating the heavens and the earth,	8 9
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֔ים נַֽעֲשֶׂ֥ה אָדָ֛ם בְּצַלְמֵ֖נוּ כִּדְמוּתֵ֑נוּ וְיִרְדּוּ֩ בִדְגַ֨ת הַיָּ֜ם וּבְע֣וֹף הַשָּׁמַ֗יִם וּבַבְּהֵמָה֙ וּבְכָל־הָאָ֔רֶץ וּבְכָל־הָרֶ֖מֶשׂ הָֽרֹמֵ֥שׂ עַל־הָאָֽרֶץ	26	And God said, let us construct humanity in our image according to our likeness, and let them rule among the fish of the sea and among the fowl of the heavens and among the cattle and in all the earth and among every creeper that creeps upon the earth.	19 33
Genesis 2
אֵ֣לֶּה תוֹלְד֧וֹת הַשָּׁמַ֛יִם וְהָאָ֖רֶץ בְּהִבָּֽרְאָ֑ם בְּי֗וֹם עֲשׂ֛וֹת יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶ֥רֶץ וְשָׁמָֽיִם	4	These are the successions of the heavens and the earth when they were created on the day Yahweh God constructed earth and heaven,	15 15
Genesis 11
וַיֹּאמְר֞וּ הָ֣בָה ׀ נִבְנֶה־לָּ֣נוּ עִ֗יר וּמִגְדָּל֙ וְרֹאשׁ֣וֹ בַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וְנַֽעֲשֶׂה־לָּ֖נוּ שֵׁ֑ם פֶּן־נָפ֖וּץ עַל־פְּנֵ֥י כָל־הָאָֽרֶץ	4	And they said, Take care. Let us build for ourselves a city and a tower and its top in the heavens, and let us make for ourselves a name, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.	27 10
Exodus 20:4, 11
לֹֽ֣א תַֽעֲשֶׂ֨ה־לְךָ֥֣ פֶ֣֙סֶל֙ ׀ וְכָל־תְּמוּנָ֡֔ה אֲשֶׁ֤֣ר בַּשָּׁמַ֣֙יִם֙ ׀ מִמַּ֡֔עַל וַֽאֲשֶׁ֥ר֩ בָּאָ֖֨רֶץ מִתַָּ֑֜חַת וַאֲשֶׁ֥֣ר בַּמַּ֖֣יִם ׀ מִתַּ֥֣חַת לָאָֽ֗רֶץ	4	You will not make for yourself a graven image or any similitude that is in the heavens above or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth.	30 11
כִּ֣י שֵֽׁשֶׁת־יָמִים֩ עָשָׂ֨ה יְהוָ֜ה אֶת־הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם וְאֶת־הָאָ֗רֶץ אֶת־הַיָּם֙ וְאֶת־כָּל־אֲשֶׁר־בָּ֔ם וַיָּ֖נַח בַּיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִ֑י עַל־כֵּ֗ן בֵּרַ֧ךְ יְהוָ֛ה אֶת־י֥וֹם הַשַּׁבָּ֖ת וַֽיְקַדְּשֵֽׁהוּ	11	For six days Yahweh constructed the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and he rested on the seventh day. Therefore Yahweh blessed the Sabbath day and sanctified it.		35 15
Exodus 31:17
בֵּינִ֗י וּבֵין֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל א֥וֹת הִ֖וא לְעֹלָ֑ם כִּי־שֵׁ֣שֶׁת יָמִ֗ים עָשָׂ֤ה יְהוָה֙ אֶת־הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם וְאֶת־הָאָ֔רֶץ וּבַיּוֹם֙ הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔י שָׁבַ֖ת וַיִּנָּפַֽשׁ	17	Sabbath	14 29
Deuteronomy 3:24
אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֗ה אַתָּ֤ה הַֽחִלּ֙וֹתָ֙ לְהַרְא֣וֹת אֶֽת־עַבְדְּךָ֔ אֶ֨ת־גָּדְלְךָ֔ וְאֶת־יָדְךָ֖ הַחֲזָקָ֑ה אֲשֶׁ֤ר מִי־אֵל֙ בַּשָּׁמַ֣יִם וּבָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־יַעֲשֶׂ֥ה כְמַעֲשֶׂ֖יךָ וְכִגְבוּרֹתֶֽךָ	24	Moses plea	30 27
Deuteronomy 4:32
כִּ֣י שְׁאַל־נָא֩ לְיָמִ֨ים רִֽאשֹׁנִ֜ים אֲשֶׁר־הָי֣וּ לְפָנֶ֗יךָ לְמִן־הַיּוֹם֙ אֲשֶׁר֩ בָּרָ֨א אֱלֹהִ֤ים ׀ אָדָם֙ עַל־הָאָ֔רֶץ וּלְמִקְצֵ֥ה הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם וְעַד־קְצֵ֣ה הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם הֲנִֽהְיָ֗ה כַּדָּבָ֤ר הַגָּדוֹל֙ הַזֶּ֔ה א֖וֹ הֲנִשְׁמַ֥ע כָּמֹֽהוּ	32	The consequence of the divine presence	49 18
Deuteronomy 5:8
לֹֽ֣א תַעֲשֶׂ֥ה לְךָ֥֣ פֶ֣֙סֶל֙ כָּל תְּמוּנָ֔֡ה אֲשֶׁ֤֣ר בַּשָּׁמַ֣֙יִם֙ מִמַּ֔֡עַל וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר֩ בָּאָ֖֨רֶץ מִתָּ֑֜חַת וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר בַּמַּ֖֣יִם מִתַּ֥֣חַת לָאָֽ֗רֶץ	8	You will not make for yourself a graven image, any similitude that is in the heavens above or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth.	29 11
Deuteronomy 28
יִפְתַּ֣ח יְהוָ֣ה ׀ לְ֠ךָ אֶת־אוֹצָר֨וֹ הַטּ֜וֹב אֶת־הַשָּׁמַ֗יִם לָתֵ֤ת מְטַֽר־אַרְצְךָ֙ בְּעִתּ֔וֹ וּלְבָרֵ֕ךְ אֵ֖ת כָּל־מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה יָדֶ֑ךָ וְהִלְוִ֙יתָ֙ גּוֹיִ֣ם רַבִּ֔ים וְאַתָּ֖ה לֹ֥א תִלְוֶֽה	12	Yahweh will open for you his good treasury, the heavens to give rain for your land in its time and to bless all the deeds of your hand. And you will lend to many nations and you yourself will not borrow.	37 14
1 Kings 8:43
אַתָּ֞ה תִּשְׁמַ֤ע הַשָּׁמַ֙יִם֙ מְכ֣וֹן שִׁבְתֶּ֔ךָ וְעָשִׂ֕יתָ כְּכֹ֛ל אֲשֶׁר־יִקְרָ֥א אֵלֶ֖יךָ הַנָּכְרִ֑י לְמַ֣עַן יֵדְעוּן֩ כָּל־עַמֵּ֨י הָאָ֜רֶץ אֶת־שְׁמֶ֗ךָ לְיִרְאָ֤ה אֹֽתְךָ֙ כְּעַמְּךָ֣ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְלָדַ֕עַת כִּי־שִׁמְךָ֣ נִקְרָ֔א עַל־הַבַּ֥יִת הַזֶּ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר בָּנִֽיתִי	43	The prayer of Solomon for the temple	28 46
2 Kings 19:15
וַיִּתְפַּלֵּ֨ל חִזְקִיָּ֜הוּ לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָה֮ וַיֹּאמַר֒ יְהוָ֞ה אֱלֹהֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ יֹשֵׁ֣ב הַכְּרֻבִ֔ים אַתָּה־ה֤וּא הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙ לְבַדְּךָ֔ לְכֹ֖ל מַמְלְכ֣וֹת הָאָ֑רֶץ אַתָּ֣ה עָשִׂ֔יתָ אֶת־הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם וְאֶת־הָאָֽרֶץ	15	Hezekiah's prayer - reflects the Psalms	46 14
Isaiah 37:16
יְהוָ֨ה צְבָא֜וֹת אֱלֹהֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ יֹשֵׁ֣ב הַכְּרֻבִ֔ים אַתָּה־ה֤וּא הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙ לְבַדְּךָ֔ לְכֹ֖ל מַמְלְכ֣וֹת הָאָ֑רֶץ אַתָּ֣ה עָשִׂ֔יתָ אֶת־הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם וְאֶת־הָאָֽרֶץ	16	also reflecting the Psalms	34 14
Isaiah 42:5
כֹּֽה־אָמַ֞ר הָאֵ֣ל ׀ יְהוָ֗ה בּוֹרֵ֤א הַשָּׁמַ֙יִם֙ וְנ֣וֹטֵיהֶ֔ם רֹקַ֥ע הָאָ֖רֶץ וְצֶאֱצָאֶ֑יהָ נֹתֵ֤ן נְשָׁמָה֙ לָעָ֣ם עָלֶ֔יהָ וְר֖וּחַ לַהֹלְכִ֥ים בָּֽהּ	5	reflecting Genesis 1	27 17
Isaiah 44:23-24
רָנּ֨וּ שָׁמַ֜יִם כִּֽי־עָשָׂ֣ה יְהוָ֗ה הָרִ֙יעוּ֙ תַּחְתִּיּ֣וֹת אָ֔רֶץ פִּצְח֤וּ הָרִים֙ רִנָּ֔ה יַ֖עַר וְכָל־עֵ֣ץ בּ֑וֹ כִּֽי־גָאַ֤ל יְהוָה֙ יַֽעֲקֹ֔ב וּבְיִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל יִתְפָּאָֽר	23	Celebrating redemption - not to be missed!	28 14
כֹּֽה־אָמַ֤ר יְהוָה֙ גֹּאֲלֶ֔ךָ וְיֹצֶרְךָ֖ מִבָּ֑טֶן אָנֹכִ֤י יְהוָה֙ עֹ֣שֶׂה כֹּ֔ל נֹטֶ֤ה שָׁמַ֙יִם֙ לְבַדִּ֔י רֹקַ֥ע הָאָ֖רֶץ מֵאִתִּֽי	24		16 23
Isaiah 45:8, 12, 18
הַרְעִ֤יפוּ שָׁמַ֙יִם֙ מִמַּ֔עַל וּשְׁחָקִ֖ים יִזְּלוּ־צֶ֑דֶק תִּפְתַּח־אֶ֣רֶץ וְיִפְרוּ־יֶ֗שַׁע וּצְדָקָ֤ה תַצְמִ֙יחַ֙ יַ֔חַד אֲנִ֥י יְהוָ֖ה בְּרָאתִֽיו	8	Let the heavens drip from above and let the skies flow with righteousness. Let the earth open, and let them be fruitful. And let salvation and righteousness grow as one. I, Yahweh, I have created it.	14 23
אָֽנֹכִי֙ עָשִׂ֣יתִי אֶ֔רֶץ וְאָדָ֖ם עָלֶ֣יהָ בָרָ֑אתִי אֲנִ֗י יָדַי֙ נָט֣וּ שָׁמַ֔יִם וְכָל־צְבָאָ֖ם צִוֵּֽיתִי	12	God's claim through Isaiah's mouth	17 16
כִּ֣י כֹ֣ה אָֽמַר־יְ֠הוָה בּוֹרֵ֨א הַשָּׁמַ֜יִם ה֣וּא הָאֱלֹהִ֗ים יֹצֵ֨ר הָאָ֤רֶץ וְעֹשָׂהּ֙ ה֣וּא כֽוֹנְנָ֔הּ לֹא־תֹ֥הוּ בְרָאָ֖הּ לָשֶׁ֣בֶת יְצָרָ֑הּ אֲנִ֥י יְהוָ֖ה וְאֵ֥ין עֽוֹד	18	Isaiah's description	39 7
Isaiah 51:13
וַתִּשְׁכַּ֞ח יְהוָ֣ה עֹשֶׂ֗ךָ נוֹטֶ֣ה שָׁמַיִם֮ וְיֹסֵ֣ד אָרֶץ֒ וַתְּפַחֵ֨ד תָּמִ֜יד כָּל־הַיּ֗וֹם מִפְּנֵי֙ חֲמַ֣ת הַמֵּצִ֔יק כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר כּוֹנֵ֖ן לְהַשְׁחִ֑ית וְאַיֵּ֖ה חֲמַ֥ת הַמֵּצִֽיק	13	Yahweh as maker	40 8
Isaiah 65:17
כִּֽי־הִנְנִ֥י בוֹרֵ֛א שָׁמַ֥יִם חֲדָשִׁ֖ים וָאָ֣רֶץ חֲדָשָׁ֑ה וְלֹ֤א תִזָּכַ֙רְנָה֙ הָרִ֣אשֹׁנ֔וֹת וְלֹ֥א תַעֲלֶ֖ינָה עַל־לֵֽב	17	New heavens and earth	16 18
Isaiah 66:22
כִּ֣י כַאֲשֶׁ֣ר הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם הַ֠חֳדָשִׁים וְהָאָ֨רֶץ הַחֲדָשָׁ֜ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר אֲנִ֥י עֹשֶׂ֛ה עֹמְדִ֥ים לְפָנַ֖י נְאֻם־יְהוָ֑ה כֵּ֛ן יַעֲמֹ֥ד זַרְעֲכֶ֖ם וְשִׁמְכֶֽם	22		34 10
Jeremiah 10:12-13
עֹשֵׂ֥ה אֶ֙רֶץ֙ בְּכֹח֔וֹ מֵכִ֥ין תֵּבֵ֖ל בְּחָכְמָת֑וֹ וּבִתְבוּנָת֖וֹ נָטָ֥ה שָׁמָֽיִם	12	Making earth by his power, establishing world in his shrewdness, and in his acumen, stretching out the heavens,	15 10
לְק֨וֹל תִּתּ֜וֹ הֲמ֥וֹן מַ֙יִם֙ בַּשָּׁמַ֔יִם וַיַּעֲלֶ֥ה נְשִׂאִ֖ים מִקְצֵ֣ה הָאָ֑רֶץ בְּרָקִ֤ים לַמָּטָר֙ עָשָׂ֔ה וַיּ֥וֹצֵא ר֖וּחַ מֵאֹצְרֹתָֽיו	13	a bit like Psalm 104	22 17
Jeremiah 31:37
כֹּ֣ה ׀ אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֗ה אִם־יִמַּ֤דּוּ שָׁמַ֙יִם֙ מִלְמַ֔עְלָה וְיֵחָקְר֥וּ מֽוֹסְדֵי־אֶ֖רֶץ לְמָ֑טָּה גַּם־אֲנִ֞י אֶמְאַ֨ס בְּכָל־זֶ֧רַע יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל עַֽל־כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשׂ֖וּ נְאֻם־יְהוָֽה	37	consequences of the divine presence again	24 22
Jeremiah 32:17
אֲהָהּ֮ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִה֒ הִנֵּ֣ה ׀ אַתָּ֣ה עָשִׂ֗יתָ אֶת־הַשָּׁמַ֙יִם֙ וְאֶת־הָאָ֔רֶץ בְּכֹֽחֲךָ֙ הַגָּד֔וֹל וּבִֽזְרֹעֲךָ֖ הַנְּטוּיָ֑ה לֹֽא־יִפָּלֵ֥א מִמְּךָ֖ כָּל־דָּבָֽר	17	reflecting Psalms or Genesis	38 9
Jeremiah 51:15-16
עֹשֵׂ֥ה אֶ֙רֶץ֙ בְּכֹח֔וֹ מֵכִ֥ין תֵּבֵ֖ל בְּחָכְמָת֑וֹ וּבִתְבוּנָת֖וֹ נָטָ֥ה שָׁמָֽיִם	15	=10:12	15 10
לְק֨וֹל תִּתּ֜וֹ הֲמ֥וֹן מַ֙יִם֙ בַּשָּׁמַ֔יִם וַיַּ֥עַל נְשִׂאִ֖ים מִקְצֵה־אָ֑רֶץ בְּרָקִ֤ים לַמָּטָר֙ עָשָׂ֔ה וַיֹּ֥צֵא ר֖וּחַ מֵאֹצְרֹתָֽיו	16	=10:13 - a frame for ?	20 17
Psalms 102
לְ֭פָנִים הָאָ֣רֶץ יָסַ֑דְתָּ וּֽמַעֲשֵׂ֖ה יָדֶ֣יךָ שָׁמָֽיִם	26	in the face of the earth you founded, and the deeds of your hands, the heavens.	9 10
Psalms 115
בְּרוּכִ֣ים אַ֭תֶּם לַיהוָ֑ה עֹ֝שֵׂ֗ה שָׁמַ֥יִם וָאָֽרֶץ	15	You are the blessed of Yahweh, who makes heaven and earth.	7 7
Psalms 121
עֶ֭זְרִי מֵעִ֣ם יְהוָ֑ה עֹ֝שֵׂ֗ה שָׁמַ֥יִם וָאָֽרֶץ	2	My help is from Yahweh who makes heaven and earth.	6 7
Psalms 124
עֶ֭זְרֵנוּ בְּשֵׁ֣ם יְהוָ֑ה עֹ֝שֵׂ֗ה שָׁמַ֥יִם וָאָֽרֶץ	8	Our help is in the name of Yahweh who makes heaven and earth.	7 7
Psalms 134
יְבָרֶכְךָ֣ יְ֭הוָה מִצִּיּ֑וֹן עֹ֝שֵׂ֗ה שָׁמַ֥יִם וָאָֽרֶץ	3	Yahweh will bless you from Zion, who makes heaven and earth.	9 7
Psalms 135
כֹּ֤ל אֲשֶׁר־חָפֵ֥ץ יְהוָ֗ה עָ֫שָׂ֥ה בַּשָּׁמַ֥יִם וּבָאָ֑רֶץ בַּ֝יַּמִּ֗ים וְכָל־תְּהוֹמֽוֹת	6	All that delighted Yahweh he did in the heavens and in the earth in the seas and all abysses,	9 7 8
Psalms 146
עֹשֶׂ֤ה ׀ שָׁ֘מַ֤יִם וָאָ֗רֶץ אֶת־הַיָּ֥ם וְאֶת־כָּל־אֲשֶׁר־בָּ֑ם הַשֹּׁמֵ֖ר אֱמֶ֣ת לְעוֹלָֽם	6	who makes heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them, keeping truth forever,	16 8
Nehemiah 9:6
אַתָּה־ה֣וּא יְהוָה֮ לְבַדֶּךָ֒ אַתָּ֣ה עָשִׂ֡יתָ אֶֽת־הַשָּׁמַיִם֩ שְׁמֵ֨י הַשָּׁמַ֜יִם וְכָל־צְבָאָ֗ם הָאָ֜רֶץ וְכָל־אֲשֶׁ֤ר עָלֶ֙יהָ֙ הַיַּמִּים֙ וְכָל־אֲשֶׁ֣ר בָּהֶ֔ם וְאַתָּ֖ה מְחַיֶּ֣ה אֶת־כֻּלָּ֑ם וּצְבָ֥א הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם לְךָ֥ מִשְׁתַּחֲוִֽים	6	Reflecting Psalms + some eastern philosophy?	56 11
2 Chronicles 2:11
וַיֹּאמֶר֮ חוּרָם֒ בָּר֤וּךְ יְהוָה֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשָׂ֔ה אֶת־הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם וְאֶת־הָאָ֑רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֣ר נָתַן֩ לְדָוִ֨יד הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ בֵּ֣ן חָכָ֗ם יוֹדֵ֙עַ֙ שֵׂ֣כֶל וּבִינָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֤ר יִבְנֶה־בַּ֙יִת֙ לַיהוָ֔ה וּבַ֖יִת לְמַלְכוּתֽוֹ	11	(12 English)	28 36
2 Chronicles 6:33
וְאַתָּ֞ה תִּשְׁמַ֤ע מִן־הַשָּׁמַ֙יִם֙ מִמְּכ֣וֹן שִׁבְתֶּ֔ךָ וְעָשִׂ֕יתָ כְּכֹ֛ל אֲשֶׁר־יִקְרָ֥א אֵלֶ֖יךָ הַנָּכְרִ֑י לְמַ֣עַן יֵדְעוּ֩ כָל־עַמֵּ֨י הָאָ֜רֶץ אֶת־שְׁמֶ֗ךָ וּלְיִרְאָ֤ה אֹֽתְךָ֙ כְּעַמְּךָ֣ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְלָדַ֕עַת כִּֽי־שִׁמְךָ֣ נִקְרָ֔א עַל־הַבַּ֥יִת הַזֶּ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר בָּנִֽיתִי	33	Solomon's prayer again	30 46

To summarize: heaven earth, doing/making/creating occur 4 times in Genesis. They are a frame for creation and a center (verse 26). Three times in Exodus - 2 in the Decalogue. Once in the instruction on the Sabbath. 3 instances in Deuteronomy - sermon, Decalogue, and the covenant chapter. Twice in Kings, 10 times in Isaiah, 6 in Jeremiah, 7 in the Psalms, and three more - Nehemiah and Chronicles, in the context of the temple. Where I have not translated below, you can hover over the link to see the English.

Job - the beginning of the poetic song

Chapter 3 begins the poetry of Job. The music reverts to the accents that are used in the Psalms. It is a syllabic rhythm rather than a word pulse as in the prologue.

Job 3 is strongly related to Genesis chapter 1 as are also the speeches of Yahweh in chapters 38-41 that respond to Job's complaint (quite directly, I think). I was struck by the repetition of a relatively rare three-letter root, נקב, a word that the King James version renders as 'curse'. I had chosen a coined word, degender, but it is now gone. Pierce works just fine. I wonder if it can stand its verbal birth. There is also another coinage. You'll note it I am sure.

I have put a pdf of the cantillation according to Vantoura here.

Here is my English reading. I've even included letter counts since I noted that there were many lines in some poems that have between 12 and 15 letters and I was curious. I have taken my usual care with repeating roots and of course, all my readings are soulless.

Not surprisingly, the focus in this chapter, the final repeated word, is dread, and perhaps there are frames: day for verses 1-8. light for verses 9-16, and shudder for the remainder of the poem. Lots of words in the domain of creation of course, at least 24%.

Job 3		Fn		Min	Max	Syll
אַחֲרֵי־כֵ֗ן פָּתַ֤ח אִיּוֹב֙ אֶת־פִּ֔יהוּ וַיְקַלֵּ֖ל אֶת־יוֹמֽוֹ	1		So after this Job opened his mouth and slighted his day.	3e	4C	17
וַיַּ֥עַן אִיּ֗וֹב וַיֹּאמַֽר	2		And Job answered and said,	3e	3f	8
יֹ֣אבַד י֭וֹם‬ אִוָּ֣לֶד בּ֑וֹ וְהַלַּ֥יְלָה אָ֝מַ֗ר הֹ֣רָה גָֽבֶר	3	B	Perish! day when I was born, and the night promising pregnancy of a valiant child.	3e	4B	7 10
הַיּ֥וֹם הַה֗וּא יְֽהִ֫י חֹ֥שֶׁךְ אַֽל־יִדְרְשֵׁ֣הוּ אֱל֣וֹהַּ מִמָּ֑עַל וְאַל־תּוֹפַ֖ע עָלָ֣יו נְהָרָֽה	4	f	That day - let it be darkness. Let God not search for it from above, nor let a sunbeam on it shine.	3e	4B	8 11 9
יִגְאָלֻ֡הוּ חֹ֣שֶׁךְ וְ֭צַלְמָוֶת תִּשְׁכָּן־עָלָ֣יו עֲנָנָ֑ה יְ֝בַעֲתֻ֗הוּ כִּֽמְרִ֥ירֵי יֽוֹם	5		Let darkness and shadows redeem it. Let a cloud dwell on it. Let eclipses of the day alarm it.	3e	4B	17 9
הַלַּ֥יְלָה הַהוּא֮ יִקָּחֵ֪ה֫וּ אֹ֥פֶל אַל־יִ֭חַדְּ בִּימֵ֣י שָׁנָ֑ה בְּמִסְפַּ֥ר יְ֝רָחִ֗ים אַל־יָבֹֽא	6		The night, that very one, let gloom take it. Let it not be cheered with the days of the year. Into the count of moons let it not come.	3d	4B	11 7 9
הִנֵּ֤ה הַלַּ֣יְלָה הַ֭הוּא יְהִ֣י גַלְמ֑וּד אַל־תָּבֹ֖א רְנָנָ֣ה בֽוֹ	7		Behold that night, let it be bleak. Let come to it no shout.	3e	4C	11 7
יִקְּבֻ֥הוּ אֹרְרֵי־י֑וֹם הָ֝עֲתִידִ֗ים עֹרֵ֥ר לִוְיָתָֽן	8		Let them pierce it that curse the day, those eager to unleash Leviathan.	3e	4A	6 9
יֶחְשְׁכוּ֮ כּוֹכְבֵ֪י נִ֫שְׁפּ֥וֹ יְקַו־לְא֥וֹר וָאַ֑יִן וְאַל־יִ֝רְאֶ֗ה בְּעַפְעַפֵּי־שָֽׁחַר	9		Let the stars of its twilight be dark. Let it expect light but have none. Neither let it see the eyelids of dawn.	3d	4A	7 6 9
כִּ֤י לֹ֣א סָ֭גַר דַּלְתֵ֣י בִטְנִ֑י וַיַּסְתֵּ֥ר עָ֝מָ֗ל מֵעֵינָֽי	10	C	For it did not latch the portal to my belly-home, and hide misery from my eyes.	3e	4C	8 8
לָ֤מָּה לֹּ֣א מֵרֶ֣חֶם אָמ֑וּת מִבֶּ֖טֶן יָצָ֣אתִי וְאֶגְוָֽע	11	C	Why did I not from the womb die, from the belly exit and expire?	3e	4C	8 9
מַ֭דּוּעַ קִדְּמ֣וּנִי בִרְכָּ֑יִם וּמַה־שָּׁ֝דַ֗יִם כִּ֣י אִינָֽק	12	g	For what purpose did knees confront me, and breasts that I should suckle?	3e	4B	9 7
כִּֽי־עַ֭תָּה שָׁכַ֣בְתִּי וְאֶשְׁק֑וֹט יָ֝שַׁ֗נְתִּי אָ֤ז ׀ יָנ֬וּחַֽ לִֽי	13		For now I would be lying down and quiet. I would be asleep then. It would be my rest,	3e	4C	8 8
עִם־מְ֭לָכִים וְיֹ֣עֲצֵי אָ֑רֶץ הַבֹּנִ֖ים חֳרָב֣וֹת לָֽמוֹ	14		with kings and counselors of earth, who built their deserts,	3e	4B	10 8
א֣וֹ עִם־שָׂ֭רִים זָהָ֣ב לָהֶ֑ם הַֽמְמַלְאִ֖ים בָּתֵּיהֶ֣ם כָּֽסֶף	15	B	or with nobility, their gold, their houses filled with silver,	3e	4B	8 8
א֤וֹ‬ כְנֵ֣פֶל טָ֭מוּן לֹ֣א אֶהְיֶ֑ה כְּ֝עֹלְלִ֗ים לֹא־רָ֥אוּ אֽוֹר	16	C	or as a miscarriage buried I had not been, as infants who did not see light.	3e	4C	9 6
שָׁ֣ם רְ֭שָׁעִים חָ֣דְלוּ רֹ֑גֶז וְשָׁ֥ם יָ֝נ֗וּחוּ יְגִ֣יעֵי כֹֽחַ	17	B	There the wicked set aside shuddering, and there rest those who are weary of power.	3e	4B	8 10
יַ֭חַד אֲסִירִ֣ים שַׁאֲנָ֑נוּ לֹ֥א שָׁ֝מְע֗וּ ק֣וֹל נֹגֵֽשׂ	18	g	Together prisoners are tranquil. They do not hear an exacting voice.	3e	4B	9 6
קָטֹ֣ן וְ֭גָדוֹל שָׁ֣ם ה֑וּא וְ֝עֶ֗בֶד חָפְשִׁ֥י מֵאֲדֹנָֽיו	19		Unimportant or great, there it is. And a servant is free from its lords.	3e	4B	7 9
לָ֤מָּה יִתֵּ֣ן לְעָמֵ֣ל א֑וֹר וְ֝חַיִּ֗ים לְמָ֣רֵי נָֽפֶשׁ	20	C	Why give to the miserable light, and life to the bitter self?	3e	4C	8 8
הַֽמְחַכִּ֣ים לַמָּ֣וֶת וְאֵינֶ֑נּוּ וַֽ֝יַּחְפְּרֻ֗הוּ מִמַּטְמוֹנִֽים	21		Those tarrying for death and it is not, and who excavate for it more than buried treasure,	3e	4B	10 9
הַשְּׂמֵחִ֥ים אֱלֵי־גִ֑יל יָ֝שִׂ֗ישׂוּ כִּ֣י יִמְצְאוּ־קָֽבֶר	22		who are glad even to being overjoyed, rejoicing that they find a tomb.	3e	4B	6 8
לְ֭גֶבֶר אֲשֶׁר־דַּרְכּ֣וֹ נִסְתָּ֑רָה וַיָּ֖סֶךְ אֱל֣וֹהַּ בַּעֲדֽוֹ	23	g	... to the valiant whose way is hidden, from whom God has screened himself.	3e	4B	10 9
כִּֽי־לִפְנֵ֣י לַ֭חְמִי אַנְחָתִ֣י תָבֹ֑א וַֽיִּתְּכ֥וּ כַ֝מַּ֗יִם שַׁאֲגֹתָֽי	24		For in the face of my bread, my sighing comes, and poured forth like waters are my roarings.	3e	4B	10 9
כִּ֤י פַ֣חַד פָּ֭חַדְתִּי וַיֶּאֱתָיֵ֑נִי וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר יָ֝גֹ֗רְתִּי יָ֣בֹא לִֽי	25	C	For the dread I dreaded has arrived, and what I was afraid of is come to me.	3e	4C	12 9
לֹ֤א שָׁלַ֨וְתִּי ׀ וְלֹ֖א שָׁקַ֥טְתִּי וְֽלֹא־נָ֗חְתִּי וַיָּ֥בֹא רֹֽגֶז פ	26	C	I have no ease nor am I quiet nor am I at rest and shuddering has come. P	3e	4C	19