Literary Devices – Bemidbar 21
Wordplay
נְחַשׁ נְחֹשֶׁת
- See Rashi that the phrase “נְחַשׁ נְחֹשֶׁת” (verse 9) is a play on words. In the continuation of the verse, the same sounds repeat in the phrase: "נָשַׁךְ הַנָּחָשׁ".
Articles
- 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.1