Difference between revisions of "Literary Devices – Bereshit 6–9/0"
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<p>In many verses, one finds that the word "וַיֹּאמֶר" is mentioned twice despite there not being an an intervening response or explicit change in speaker in between. This might indicate resistance or opposition of some sort on the part of the other participants in the conversation. [For further discussion of the phenomenon and many other examples, see <a href="Literary:Redundancy" data-aht="page">Redundancy</a>.]</p> | <p>In many verses, one finds that the word "וַיֹּאמֶר" is mentioned twice despite there not being an an intervening response or explicit change in speaker in between. This might indicate resistance or opposition of some sort on the part of the other participants in the conversation. [For further discussion of the phenomenon and many other examples, see <a href="Literary:Redundancy" data-aht="page">Redundancy</a>.]</p> | ||
<ul> | <ul> | ||
| − | <li>The first example of this convention is found in Bereshit 9:8-17, where Hashem promises Noach not to send another flood in verse 8. This is followed by another statement in verse 12, introduced by a second "וַיֹּאמֶר", that the rainbow will be the sign of the covenant, and then by a third "וַיֹּאמֶר" statement in verse 17 where the sign is confirmed. Robert Alter<fn>See his commentary to Sefer Bereshit.</fn> explains: “Here, God flatly states His promise never to destroy the world again. The flood-battered Noah evidently needs further reassurance, so God goes on ... to offer the rainbow as an outward token of His covenant.”</li> | + | <li>The first example of this convention is found in Bereshit 9:8-17, where Hashem promises Noach not to send another flood in verse 8. This is followed by another statement in verse 12, introduced by a second "וַיֹּאמֶר", that the rainbow will be the sign of the covenant, and then by a third "וַיֹּאמֶר" statement in verse 17 where the sign is confirmed.</li> |
| + | <li>Robert Alter<fn>See his commentary to Sefer Bereshit.</fn> explains: “Here, God flatly states His promise never to destroy the world again. The flood-battered Noah evidently needs further reassurance, so God goes on ... to offer the rainbow as an outward token of His covenant.”</li> | ||
</ul> | </ul> | ||
<h2>Keywords</h2> | <h2>Keywords</h2> | ||
| + | <p>Tanakh Lab demonstrates that the three words that appear with greatest frequency in the story of the flood (Bereshit 6:5-9:29) are: אֶרֶץ,  תֵּבָה, and מַיִם, and when looking at relative frequency compared to the rest of Tanakh, also מבול. Given the plot of the story, this is somewhat expected.</p> | ||
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Latest revision as of 22:51, 27 June 2023
Literary Devices – Bereshit 6–9
Chiastic Structure
One of the most prominent literary conventions in Tanakh is the use of chiastic structure (a-b-c-b-a). Chiastic structure serves to delineate a narrative unit and to highlight the turning-point within the narrative. Often too, it serves to highlight reversals in a plot. In this case it traces the destruction of the world through flood, and then the waning of the flood and decision never to destroy the world again.
EN/HEע/E
| (1) החלטת ה' להביא מבול וברית עם נח (ו':י"ג-כ"ב) | קֵץ כָּל בָּשָׂר בָּא לְפָנַי... וַאֲנִי הִנְנִי מֵבִיא אֶת הַמַּבּוּל מַיִם עַל הָאָרֶץ לְשַׁחֵת... וַהֲקִמֹתִי אֶת בְּרִיתִי אִתָּךְ |
| (2) הכניסה לתיבה – נח משפחתו ובעלי חיים (ז':א'-ט') | בֹּא אַתָּה וְכָל בֵּיתְךָ אֶל הַתֵּבָה... מִכֹּל הַבְּהֵמָה הַטְּהוֹרָה תִּקַּח... וַיָּבֹא נֹחַ וּבָנָיו וְאִשְׁתּוֹ וּנְשֵׁי בָנָיו אִתּוֹ... מִן הַבְּהֵמָה הַטְּהוֹרָה... גַּם מֵעוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם... וּמִן הָעוֹף וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר רֹמֵשׂ עַל הָאֲדָמָה |
| (3) המבול מתעצם – 7-40-150 (ז':י'-כ"ד) | וַיְהִי לְשִׁבְעַת הַיָּמִים... בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַשֵּׁנִי בְּשִׁבְעָה עָשָׂר יוֹם לַחֹדֶשׁ... נִבְקְעוּ כָּל מַעְיְנֹת תְּהוֹם רַבָּה וַאֲרֻבֹּת הַשָּׁמַיִם נִפְתָּחוּ... וַיְהִי הַמַּבּוּל אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם עַל הָאָרֶץ וַיִּרְבּוּ הַמַּיִם... וַיְכֻסּוּ כָּל הֶהָרִים... וַיִּגְבְּרוּ הַמַּיִם עַל הָאָרֶץ חֲמִשִּׁים וּמְאַת יוֹם |
| (4) נקודת המפנה – השגחת ה' (ח':א') | וַיִּזְכֹּר אֱ-לֹהִים אֶת נֹחַ וְאֵת כָּל הַחַיָּה וְאֶת כָּל הַבְּהֵמָה אֲשֶׁר אִתּוֹ בַּתֵּבָה |
| ('3) המבול נסוג – 150-40-7 (ח':א'-י"ד) | וַיִּסָּכְרוּ מַעְיְנֹת תְּהוֹם וַאֲרֻבֹּת הַשָּׁמָיִם... וַיַּחְסְרוּ הַמַּיִם מִקְצֵה חֲמִשִּׁים וּמְאַת יוֹם... וְהַמַּיִם הָיוּ הָלוֹךְ וְחָסוֹר... נִרְאוּ רָאשֵׁי הֶהָרִים. וַיְהִי מִקֵּץ אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם... וַיָּחֶל עוֹד שִׁבְעַת יָמִים... וּבַחֹדֶשׁ הַשֵּׁנִי בְּשִׁבְעָה וְעֶשְׂרִים יוֹם לַחֹדֶשׁ יָבְשָׁה הָאָרֶץ |
| ('2) היציאה מן התיבה – נח משפחתו ובעלי חיים (ח':ט"ו-כ') | צֵא מִן הַתֵּבָה אַתָּה וְאִשְׁתְּךָ וּבָנֶיךָ וּנְשֵׁי בָנֶיךָ אִתָּךְ. כָּל הַחַיָּה... בָּעוֹף וּבַבְּהֵמָה וּבְכָל הָרֶמֶשׂ הָרֹמֵשׂ עַל הָאָרֶץ... וַיֵּצֵא נֹחַ וּבָנָיו וְאִשְׁתּוֹ וּנְשֵׁי בָנָיו אִתּוֹ. כָּל הַחַיָּה כָּל הָרֶמֶשׂ וְכָל הָעוֹף כֹּל רוֹמֵשׂ עַל הָאָרֶץ... וַיִּקַּח מִכֹּל הַבְּהֵמָה הַטְּהֹרָה וּמִכֹּל הָעוֹף הַטָּהוֹר |
| ('1) ברית עם נח וזרעו והחלטת ה' לא להביא עוד מבול (ט':ח'-י"ז) | וַהֲקִמֹתִי אֶת בְּרִיתִי אִתְּכֶם וְלֹא יִכָּרֵת כָּל בָּשָׂר עוֹד מִמֵּי הַמַּבּוּל וְלֹא יִהְיֶה עוֹד מַבּוּל לְשַׁחֵת הָאָרֶץ |
| Decision to destroy – covenant with Noach (6:13-22) | |
| Command to enter ark – Noach, family, animals (7:1-9) | |
| Flood intensifies – 7, 40, 150 (7:10-24) | |
| Hashem remembers Noach (8:1) | |
| Flood recedes – 150, 40, 7 (8:1-14) | |
| Command to exit ark – Noach, family, animals (8:15-20) | |
| Decision to never again destroy – covenant with Noach (9:8-17) |
Wordplay (לשון נופל על לשון)
In Parashat Noach, the language with which Hashem promises destruction plays on and parallels the language with which humanity’s sins are described. In this case, the purpose of the wordplay is to underscore man’s unwitting responsibility for his own fate:
EN/HEע/E
| החטא | העונש |
| וַתִּשָּׁחֵת הָאָרֶץ לִפְנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים וַתִּמָּלֵא הָאָרֶץ חָמָס. (בראשית ו':י"א) | קֵץ כׇּל בָּשָׂר בָּא לְפָנַי כִּי מָלְאָה הָאָרֶץ חָמָס מִפְּנֵיהֶם וְהִנְנִי מַשְׁחִיתָם אֶת הָאָרֶץ. (בראשית ו':י"ג) |
Triple "ויאמר"
In many verses, one finds that the word "וַיֹּאמֶר" is mentioned twice despite there not being an an intervening response or explicit change in speaker in between. This might indicate resistance or opposition of some sort on the part of the other participants in the conversation. [For further discussion of the phenomenon and many other examples, see Redundancy.]
- The first example of this convention is found in Bereshit 9:8-17, where Hashem promises Noach not to send another flood in verse 8. This is followed by another statement in verse 12, introduced by a second "וַיֹּאמֶר", that the rainbow will be the sign of the covenant, and then by a third "וַיֹּאמֶר" statement in verse 17 where the sign is confirmed.
- Robert Alter1 explains: “Here, God flatly states His promise never to destroy the world again. The flood-battered Noah evidently needs further reassurance, so God goes on ... to offer the rainbow as an outward token of His covenant.”
Keywords
Tanakh Lab demonstrates that the three words that appear with greatest frequency in the story of the flood (Bereshit 6:5-9:29) are: אֶרֶץ, תֵּבָה, and מַיִם, and when looking at relative frequency compared to the rest of Tanakh, also מבול. Given the plot of the story, this is somewhat expected.
