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  • From: "Harold R. Holmyard III" <hholmyard AT ont.com>
  • To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Isaiah 29:11-12
  • Date: Thu, 8 Jul 2004 14:47:37 -0500

Dear Vincent,

I have been working on the verse-structure of Isaiah 29:11-12. As you
know, most translations-JPS, NIV, NRSV, typeset these verses as prose.

HH: So does BHS.

However, despite a rather high prose-particle count, it looks like
poetry to me. My big problem has been versification. I have tried a
number of approaches including, dividing 11 into three bicola (12 always
comes out as a tricolon in my reckoning), or dividing it into an
introductory bicolon followed by a quatrain. Unfortunately, I have not
been satisfied with either of those schemes. Today I came up with an
alternative which I think might be the answer, but which is also
problematic since it treats vv. 11-12 as an introductory colon
(monocolon?) followed by an octacolon-yikes! I am a little nervous about
this because octacola are rare. Nevertheless, here is what it looks like
with a rough English translation. Would you mind telling me what you
think?



v. 11a Intro. And every vision has become to you

v. 11b A Like the words of the sealed book

v. 11c B Which they give it to one who knows writing

v. 11d C Saying, read this please

v. 11e D But he says, I cannot

v. 11f A For it is sealed

v. 12a B And they give the book to someone who does not
know writing

v. 12b C Saying read this please

v. 12c D But he says I do not know writing.


HH: It looks all right to me. Perhaps the repetitive elements make it seem more like poetry.

Yours,
Harold Holmyard




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