6. Stanzas of more than six parallel lines. It frequently happens that more than six parallel lines are so connected by unity of subject or by mutual relationship, as to form a distinct stanza. Of the numerous examples of this kind of distribution, given by Bishop Jebb, one specimen must suffice. πας ουν όςις ακούει μου τους λόγους τούτους, και ποιεί αυτούς, ότις ωκοδόμησε την οικίαν αυτού επί την πέτραν και κατέβη ἡ βροχη, και ήλθον οἱ ποταμοί, και επνευσαν οἱ ανέμοί, και προςέπεσον τη οικία εκείνη, και ουκ επεσε τεθεμελίωτο γαρ επι την πέτραν: και πας δ' ακούων μου τους λόγους τούτους, και μη ποίων αυτούς, όρις ωκοδόμησε την οικίαν αυτού επι την αμμον και κατέβη ἡ βροχη, και ήλθον οἱ ποταμοι, και επνευσαν οἱ ανεμοι, και προσέκοψαν τη οικία εκείνη, και έπεσε και ην ή πτώσις αυτης μεγάλη. Whosoever, therefore, heareth these my words, and doeth them, Who built his house upon the rock: And the rain descended, And the floods came, And the winds blew, And fell upon that house; And it fell not; for it was founded upon the rock. And every one hearing these my words, and doing them not, Who built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, And the floods came, And the winds blew, And struck upon that house; And it fell; and the fall thereof was great.1 Matt. vii. 21–27. V. Further, several stanzas are often so connected with each other as to form a paragraph or section. Luke xvi. 9-13. James iii. 1— 12. iv. 6-10. and v. 1-6. and 1 John iv. 15-17. afford striking examples of this sort of distribution; for the detail and illustration of which we must refer our readers to Bishop Jebb's elegant and instructive volume, which has been so often cited. It only remains that we notice briefly the gradational parallelism, and the epanodos, in the New Testament, which he has discovered and elucidated. 1. Parallel lines gradational (or, as Bishop Jebb terms them, cognate parallelisms,) we have already remarked, are of most frequent 1 Sacred Literature, p. 211. In these two connected stanzas, the language may be justly termed picturesque. The marked transition in each of them form a long and measured movement, to short rapid lines, and the resumption, at the close, of a lengthened cadence, are peculiarly expressive. The continual return, too, in the shorter lines, of the copulative particle, (a return purely Hebraic, and foreign from classical usage,) has a fine effect: it gives an idea of danger, sudden, accumulated, and overwhelming. These are beauties which can be retained only in a literal translation; and which a literal translation may exhibit very competently. Ibid. pp. 214. In pp. 215-248. the reader will find many other examples, intermingled with much just criticism and some fine quotations from the fathers. 59 VOL. II. occurrence in the poetical books of the Old Testament. The poetical parallelisms exhibited in the preceding pages, while they fully prove his position, that the poetical dialect pervades the New Testament, will prepare the reader to expect to find there similar instances of parallel lines gradational. The second example of parallel couplets, given in page 462. supra, affords a concise but beautiful specimen of the ascent or climax in the terms, clauses, or lines which constitute the parallelism. One or two additional instances, therefore, will suffice, to show the existence of the gradational parallelism in the New Testament. ὁν ὁ Κύριος Ιησους αναλώσει, τω πνεύματι σώματος αυτού Whom the Lord Jesus will waste away, with the breath of his mouth 2 Thess. ii. 8. « The first words, δν ὁ Κύριος Ιησούς are common to both lines, αναλώσει implies no more, in this place, than gradual decay; karapynou denotes total extermination: while, in terror and magnificence, no less than in the effects assigned, the breath of his mouth, must yield to the bright appearance of his coming. The first line seems to announce the ordinary diffusion, gradually to be effected, of Christian truth the second, to foretell the extraordinary manifestation of the victorions Messiah, suddenly, and overwhelmingly, to take place in the last days.”l : και εις πολιν Σαμαρά των μη εισέχθητε πορεύεσθε δε μαλλον προς τα πρόβατα τα απολωλότα οίκου Ισραηλ. To the way of the Gentiles go not off; And to a city of the Samaritans, go not in; But proceed rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Matt. x. 5, 6. "This is a gradation in the scale of national and religious proximity; the Gentiles, the Samaritans, Israel. In the remaining terms, there is a correspondent progress the way, or road to foreign countries; a city of the Samaritans; the house of Israel, a phrase conveying the notion of HOME; go not off,-go not from Palestine, towards other nations; go not in to a city of the Samaritans; though, in your progresses between Judea and Galilee, you must pass by the walls of many Samaritan cities; but, however great your fatigue, and want of refreshment, proceed rather not merely to the house of Israel, but to the lost sheep of that house. Thus, by a beautiful gradation, the apostles are brought from the indefiniteness of a road leading to countries remote from their own, and people differing from themselves in habits, in language, and in faith, to the homefelt, individual, and endearing relationship of their own countrymen; children of the same covenant of promise, and additionally recommended to their tender compassion, as morally lost." Bishop Jebb has given additional examples of the gradational parallelism from Matt. v. 45., vii. 1. 2., xx. 26, 27., xxiv. 17, 18., Mark iv. 24., Luke vi. 38., Rom. v. 7., James i. 17., iv. 8., and v. 5., Rev. ix. 6. and xxii. 14. 2. The nature of the introverted parallelism, or parallel lines introverted, has been stated in page 456. and confirmed by suitable examples. Closely allied to this is a peculiarity or artifice of construction, which Bishop Jebb terms an Epanodos, and which he defines to be literally "a going back, speaking first to the second of two subjects proposed; or if the subjects be more than two, resuming them precisely in the inverted order, speaking first to the last, and last to the first." The rationale of this artifice of composition he explains more particularly in the following words :-"Two pair of terms or propositions, containing two important, but not equally important notions, are to be so distributed, as to bring out the sense in the strongest and most impressive manner: now, this result will be 1 Sacred Literature, p. 312. best attained, by commencing, and concluding, with the notion to which prominence is to be given; and by placing in the centre the less important notion, or that which, from the scope of the argument, is to be kept subordinate." Having established the justice of this explanation by examples of epanodos, derived from the Scriptures as well as from the best classic authors, Bishop Jebb has accumulated many examples proving its existence in the New Testament, the doctrines and precepts of which derive new force and beauty from the application of this figure. The length to which this chapter has unavoidably extended, forbids the introduction of more than one or two instances of the epanodos. μη δώτε το άγιον τοις κυσι μηδε βάλητε τους μαργαριτας ύμων εμπροσθεν των χοιρων μήποτε καταπατήσωσιν αυτούς εν τοις ποσίν αυτών. Give not that which is holy to the dogs; Matt. vii. 6. "The relation of the first line to the fourth, and that of the second to the third, have been noticed by almost all the commentators. A minor circumstance, is not altogether undeserving of attention: the equal lengths, in the original, of each related pair of lines; the first and fourth lines being short, the second and third lines long. The sense of the passage becomes perfectly clear, on thus adjusting the parallelism: Give not that which is holy to the dogs; "The more dangerous act of imprudence, with its fatal result, is placed first and last, so as to make, and to leave, the deepest practical impression.' Χριςου ευωδία εσμεν τω Θεω εν τοις σωζομενοις, και εν τοις απολλυμένοις· οἷς μεν οσμη θανατου, εις θανατου οἷς δε οσμη ζωης, εις ζωήν. We are a sweet odour of Christ : To those who are saved; And to those who perish; To the one, indeed, an odour of death, unto death; 2 Cor. ii. 15, 16. In this specimen of the epanodos, the painful part of the subject is kept subordinate; the agreeable is placed first and last. - The preceding examples are sufficient to show the existence of the grand characteristic of Hebrew poesy, the sententious parallelism, with all its varieties, in the New Testament. The reader, who is desirous of further investigating this interesting topic (and what student who has accompanied the author of the present work thus far, will not eagerly prosecute it?) is necessarily referred to Bishop Jebb's "Sacred Literature," to which this chapter stands so deeply indebted; a volume, of which it is but an act of bare justice in the writer of these pages to say, that, independently of the spirit of enlightened 1 Sacred Literature, pp. 60, 335. 2 Sacred Literature, p. 330. 3 Sacred Literature, p. 344. piety which pervades every part, it has the highest claims to the attention of EVERY biblical student for its numerous beautiful and philological criticisms and elucidations of the New Testament; for the interpretation of which this learned prelate has opened and developed a new and most important source, of which future commentators will doubtless gladly avail themselves. VI. The sacred writers have left us several kinds of poetical composition they do not, however, appear to have cultivated either the epic or the dramatic species, unless we take these terms in a very wide sense, and refer to these classes those poems in which several interlocutors are introduced. Thus, M. Ilgen1 and (after him) Dr. Good conceive the book of Job to be a regular epic poem: while Messieurs Velthusen and Ammon think that the Song of Songs exhibits traces of a dramatic or melo-dramatic structure. Bishop Lowth, however, reduces the various productions of the Hebrew poets to the following classes, viz. 1. Prophetic Poetry. Although some parts of the writings of the prophets are clearly in prose, of which instances occur in the prophecies of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Jonah, and Daniel, yet the other books, constituting by far the larger portion of the prophetic writings, are classed by Bishop Lowth among the poetical productions of the Jews; and (with the exception of certain passages in Isaiah, Habakkuk, and Ezekiel, which appear to constitute complete poems of dif ferent kinds, odes as well as elegies) form a particular species of poesy, which he distinguishes by the appellation of Prophetic. The predictions of the Hebrew Prophets are pre-eminently characterised by the sententious parallelism, which has been discussed and exemplified in the preceding pages. The prophetic poesy, however, is more ornamented, more splendid, and more florid than any other. It abounds more in imagery, at least that species of imagery, which, in the parabolic style, is of common and established acceptation, and which, by means of a settled analogy always preserved, is transferred from certain and definite objects to express indefinite and general ideas. Of all the images peculiar to the parabolic style, it most frequently introduces those which are taken from natural objects and sacred history: it abounds most in metaphors, allegories, comparisons, and even in copious and diffuse descriptions. It possesses all that genuine enthusiasm which is the natural attendant on inspiration; it excels in the brightness of imagination, and in clearness and energy of diction, and consequently rises to an uncommon pitch of sublimity; hence also it is often very happy in the expression and delineation of the passions, though more commonly employed in exciting them.3 The following passage from one of Balaam's prophecies (which Bishop Lowth ranks among the most exquisite specimens of Hebrew poetry), exhibits a prophetic poem complete in all its parts. It abounds 1 Jobi, antiquissimi carminis Hebraici, Natura atque Virtutes, cap. iii. pp. 40 in gay and splendid imagery, copied immediately from the tablet of nature; and is chiefly conspicuous for the glowing elegance of the style, and the form and diversity of the figures. The translation is that of the Rev. Dr. Hales.1 How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, As streams do they spread forth, As gardens by the river side; As sandal-trees which THE LORD hath planted, There shall come forth a man of his seed And pierce them through with his arrows. He coucheth as a lioness, Who shall rouse him! Blessed is he that blesseth thee, And cursed is he that curseth thee. The eighteenth chapter and the three first verses of the nineteenth chapter of the Apocalypse present a noble instance of prophetic poesy, in no respect inferior to the finest productions of any of the Hebrew bards.3 2. Elegiac Poetry. Of this description are several passages in the prophetical books, as well as in the book of Job, and many of David's psalms that were composed on occasions of distress and mourning the forty-second psalm in particular is in the highest degree tender and plaintive, and is one of the most beautiful specimens of the Hebrew elegy. The lamentation of David over his friend Jonathan (2 Sam. i. 17-27.) is another most beautiful elegy: but the most regular and perfect elegiac composition in the Scriptures, perhaps in the whole world, is the book entitled The Lamentations of 1 Analysis of Chronology, vol. ii. book i. pp. 224-226. 2 In the rendering of this quatrain, Dr. Hales has followed the Septuagint version, which he vindicates in a long note. In our authorised translation, made from the Masoretic text, the seventh verse of Numb. xxiv. stands thus: He shall pour the water out of his buckets, This is confessedly obscure. Dr. Boothroyd, in his New Version of the Old Testament, with a slight departure from the common rendering, translates the verse in the following manner: Water shall flow from the urn of Jacob, And his seed shall become as many waters; 3 The passages above noticed are printed in Greek and English, divided so as to exhibit their poetical structure to the greatest advantage, in Dr. Jebb's Sacred Literature, pp. 452-459. 4 See Amos v. 1, 2. 16.; Jer. ix. 17-22.; Ezek. xxii. xxvii. 12-16, and xxxii. 5 See Job iii. vi. vii. x. xiv. xvii. xix. xxix. xxx. |