Literary Devices – Shemot 15/0
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Literary Devices – Shemot 15
Structure
Prof. Cassuto suggests that the song of the sea can be divided into three strophes, each ending with a celebration of Hashem's supremacy, formulated with a poetic doubling.1 The division is further marked by the fact that the penultimate verse2 of each stanza contains a comparison of the drowning Egyptians to either stone or lead. The poem would be divided as follows:3
- Verses 1-6: Introduction
- Verses 7-11: Details of the Miracle
- Verses 12-end: Wish for Future Salvation4
Wordplay and Alliteration There are several examples of wordplay in the song:
Examples
- גאה – The word “גאה” in verse 1 has the double meaning of “has triumphed” and “has surged”.5 This forms a play on words, as Hashem triumphs by engulfing His enemies in surging waters.6
- Rising and falling – The Song at the Sea contains language that describes heights and depths, illustrating the reversal of the Egyptians’ fortunes and the sovereignty of Hashem. Hashem is described as exalted (verses 1, 2, 7) and the water is described as piled up and as standing like a wall (verse 8), whereas the Egyptians are described as plunging to the depths of the sea (verses 1, 4, 5, 10). Even words that refer to the doomed enemy sometimes have an ironic association with rising up, like רמה (hurled) in verse 1 which sounds like "רום" (to raise or exalt)7 and קמיך (enemies) in verse 7, which relates to the root "קום" (to get up).
- Alliteration of "א" – Almost every word of the first half of verse 9 begins with the letter "א", meaning:"I will", (אָמַר אוֹיֵב אֶרְדֹּף אַשִּׂיג אֲחַלֵּק שָׁלָל ). The alliteration reflects the content of the verse, highlighting Paroh's arrogance and self confidence in his victory.
Articles The following articles contain general discussion of wordplay in Tanakh:
- See Wordplay in Biblical Hebrew: An Eclectic Collection, by Gary A. Rendsburg, for exploration of various forms of Biblical wordplays.
- See Wordplay in Ancient Near Eastern Texts, by Scott B. Noegel, for a book-length treatment of the range of permutations of wordplays in Tanakh and in other Ancient Near Eastern texts.