Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Alastair Haines <haines AT alastairs.com>]

Thank you Trevor, Shoshanna, David, Yigal (and Randall off-list)

I am still pondering this encounter between Elijah and Hashem.
I think the question I really want to ask is,
"How many times does Hashem address Elijah?"
Is verse 12 telling us that Hashem demonstrates his presence, but
answers with silence?
Elijah gives identical responses in verses 10 and 14 to identical
questions.
Is this repetition pre-empted by the repetition of the angel feeding
Elijah in verses 5 and 7?
There are strong allusions to the Torah that I want to make sense of-
40 days and nights reminds me of forty years in the wilderness.
First I want to have a 'feel' for the narrative devices of this
particular text, though.

Can anyone help me with this?
For example, similar devices in other narratives,
or oddities in the formulas used to introduce the words of Hashem in
this one?

In particular, what should I make of the highly structured sequence of
negations in verses 11 and 12.
Do they necessarily imply that Hashem *was* in the "qol demama daqqa?"
Could this be read exactly the other way?
All sound stopped and Hashem was still not there.
Could verse 13 refer to Elijah hearing the wind, earthquake and fire?

Cheers,
alastair
--
Alastair Haines 9386-0016
http://www.alastairs.com/
http://www.biblefest.org/
http://www.HSCstudyConferences.com/
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