Difference between revisions of "Literary Devices – Shemot 6/0"
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<p>Nechama Leibowitz has noted that Hashem's speech to Moshe in 6:2-8 has a chiastic structure, lending it a formal, majestic air. The middle verses mark the turning point, Hashem's promise of redemption, where the nation will move from being slaves to Paroh to being servants of Hashem.</p> | <p>Nechama Leibowitz has noted that Hashem's speech to Moshe in 6:2-8 has a chiastic structure, lending it a formal, majestic air. The middle verses mark the turning point, Hashem's promise of redemption, where the nation will move from being slaves to Paroh to being servants of Hashem.</p> | ||
<subcategory>Structure | <subcategory>Structure | ||
| − | <p>  | + | <p> A - I am Hashem - אֲנִי י״י  (verse 2)</p> |
| − | |||
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"> B - Mention of Patriarchs (verse 3) </p> | <p style="padding-left: 30px;"> B - Mention of Patriarchs (verse 3) </p> | ||
<p style="padding-left: 60px;">C - Promise of land (verse 4) </p> | <p style="padding-left: 60px;">C - Promise of land (verse 4) </p> | ||
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</subcategory> | </subcategory> | ||
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| − | <category> | + | <category>Techniques of Repetition |
| − | + | <subcategory>Resumptive Repetition | |
| + | <ul> | ||
| + | <li><b>Resumptive repetition</b> refers to a literary feature by which Tanakh returns to a previous topic after an interruption of the narrative. In this chapter, verses 29-30 refer back to verses 11-12, resuming the narrative that was interrupted by a genealogical list. See Rashi on 6:29, who points out the resumptive repetition.</li> | ||
| + | <li></li> | ||
| + | </ul> | ||
| + | </subcategory> | ||
| + | <subcategory>Secondary Literature  | ||
| + | <ul> | ||
| + | <li>For discussion of this literary technique see <a href="Literary:Redundancy" data-aht="page">Redundancy</a> and the corresponding <a href="https://mg.alhatorah.org/Resumptive_Repetition_Module.html">interactive module</a>.</li> | ||
| + | </ul> | ||
| + | </subcategory> | ||
</category> | </category> | ||
<category>Key Words | <category>Key Words | ||
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</category> | </category> | ||
<category>Character Titles | <category>Character Titles | ||
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Version as of 04:39, 10 August 2023
Literary Devices – Shemot 6
Chiastic Structure
Nechama Leibowitz has noted that Hashem's speech to Moshe in 6:2-8 has a chiastic structure, lending it a formal, majestic air. The middle verses mark the turning point, Hashem's promise of redemption, where the nation will move from being slaves to Paroh to being servants of Hashem.
Structure
A - I am Hashem - אֲנִי י״י (verse 2)
B - Mention of Patriarchs (verse 3)
C - Promise of land (verse 4)
D - Description of servitude to Egypt (verse 5)
D - Promise of redemption from servitude; becoming God's nation (verses 6-7)
C - Promise of land (verse 8)
B - Mention of Patriarchs (verse 8)
A - I am Hashem – אֲנִי י״י (verse 8)
Secondary Literature
- Nechama Leibowitz discusses this structure both in her Gilyonot on the parasha, and in עיונים חדשים בספר שמות (ירושלים): 85-88. She notes that the unit divides into two halves: Hashem's message to Moshe (1-5) and the message Moshe is supposed to relay to Israel (6-8). There is a four-fold repetition of the phrase "אני ה', at the beginning, the end, and twice in the middle, framing the turning point, Hashem's promise of redemption.
- See also R. Elchanan Samet’s נאום ה’ בראש הפרשה: מבנהו ומשמעותו for in-depth analysis of the speech, suggesting a similar structure to that of N. Leibowitz.
Techniques of Repetition
Resumptive Repetition
- Resumptive repetition refers to a literary feature by which Tanakh returns to a previous topic after an interruption of the narrative. In this chapter, verses 29-30 refer back to verses 11-12, resuming the narrative that was interrupted by a genealogical list. See Rashi on 6:29, who points out the resumptive repetition.
Secondary Literature
- For discussion of this literary technique see Redundancy and the corresponding interactive module.
