Literary Devices – Shemot 6/0

Literary Devices – Shemot 6

This topic has not yet undergone editorial review

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)

Articles

• 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.

Articles

• For discussion of this literary technique see Redundancy and the corresponding interactive module.

Character Titles

Hashem

• Names – Hashem is referred to in three ways in the unit: by His proper name Hashem (in most of the chapter), the generic name Elokim (verse 2), and the name El Shaddai (verse 3).  The chapter is unique, though, in that Hashem Himself distinguishes among His various names and the attributes they represent. He identifies Himself to Moshe with the name Hashem, in distinction to the name El Shaddai which which He was manifest to the Patriarchs.
• Sources – Dozens of commentators¹ discuss the different connotations of these names and why the title El Shaddai is associated with the Patriarchs.
• Secondary Literature – See R. Medan's article "שם א-ל ש-די ושם הויי"ה",  כי קרוב אליך (תל אביב, 2014): 82-85.

¹ See, for instance, Rashi, R. Yosef Kara, Rashbam, R. Yosef Bekhor Shor, Ramban, R. Yosef Ibn Kaspi, Seforno, Shadal, R. Hirsch, and Netziv