Literary Devices – Shemot 14/0
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Literary Devices – Shemot 14
Structure
Key Words
Wordplay Amos Hakham1 points out a play on words between the Egyptians’ exclamation of “What is this that we have done that we have sent Israel out from serving us?" and the Israelites’ cry of “What is this that you have done to us, to bring us out from Egypt?!” Both express regret at the exodus. Moreover, both exclamations contrast with the question that the Torah states will be asked by Jewish children about the Passover service in the future: “What is this?” (13:14). The despairing “What is this?” of the Egyptians and the Israelites at the time of the exodus will be replaced by the curious “What is this?” of generations of Jews as they commemorate the event.
Parallelism
Examples
- The words attributed to Pharaoh in verse 3 are stated in parallelistic form: נְבֻכִ֥ים הֵ֖ם בָּאָ֑רֶץ / סָגַ֥ר עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם הַמִּדְבָּֽר. In his commentary on the Torah, Robert Alter suggests that this highlights Paroh’s “regal confidence” in his ability to capture the escaped Israelites.
- Verse 9, which describes Mitzrayim’s apparently successful pursuit of the Israelites, is also formulated with parallel structure, also conveying a sense of confidence and majesty, which will shortly be upended:
- וַיִּרְדְּפ֨וּ מִצְרַ֜יִם אַחֲרֵיהֶ֗ם / וַיַּשִּׂ֤יגוּ אוֹתָם֙ חֹנִ֣ים עַל־הַיָּ֔ם
- כׇּל־סוּס֙ רֶ֣כֶב פַּרְעֹ֔ה / וּפָרָשָׁ֖יו וְחֵיל֑וֹ
- עַל־פִּי֙ הַֽחִירֹ֔ת / לִפְנֵ֖י בַּ֥עַל צְפֹֽן
