(More) On the Precative Qatal in Lamentations 3.56-61: Updating the Argument

The rhetorical movement throughout Lamentations 3 is difficult to describe and scholars disagree on how to characterize the acrostic poem. Much hinges on how we interpret the sequence of qatal verbs throughout 3.56-61. Most scholars understand this section as a Danklied, and so translate the qatal f...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Stone, Mark Preston (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Sage 2021
In: Journal for the study of the Old Testament
Year: 2021, Volume: 45, Issue: 4, Pages: 493-514
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains:B Old Testament / Verb / Poetics / Grammaticalization / Cognitive linguistics
IxTheo Classification:HB Old Testament
Further subjects:B Cognitive Linguistics
B biblical Hebrew verbs
B präkatives Qatal
B Lamentations
B biblical Hebrew poetry
B Bibel. Klagelieder, 3,56-61
B precative qatal
B Grammaticalization
B Qatal
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
Description
Summary:The rhetorical movement throughout Lamentations 3 is difficult to describe and scholars disagree on how to characterize the acrostic poem. Much hinges on how we interpret the sequence of qatal verbs throughout 3.56-61. Most scholars understand this section as a Danklied, and so translate the qatal forms in the past tense. Another option is to understand the qatal verbs as precatives, expressing a wish or command. However, this is a contested form in the linguistic study of classical Hebrew. Many Lamentations scholars cite this uncertainty in arguments against a precative reading of Lam. 3.56-61. This article builds a fresh case for understanding the precative qatal as rhetorically and linguistically plausible. After working through the rhetorical arguments that support this reading, special attention is given to a recent argument in favor of the precative hypothesis from linguist Alexander Andrason. Brief comments are also offered on the oral-performative dimension of this interpretation.
ISSN:1476-6728
Contains:Enthalten in: Journal for the study of the Old Testament
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1177/0309089220963423