Is Genesis 1 Poetry?

It is sometimes claimed that Genesis 1 is poetry. To be sure, it reminds one of poetry in some ways, but it lacks the tightly controlled prosodic parallelisms characteristic of verse elsewhere in the Bible.[1]

 It is more often suggested that Genesis 1 is written in elevated prose. This, however, says very little. Virtually all prose in the Hebrew Bible is characterized by an elevated style of one kind or another.

 The Hebrew Bible is written in a variety of sociolinguistic registers, all but one of which, I would argue, is an elevated style. A five-way distinction in register is possible.

 As Frank Polak has shown in his pioneering research, two narrative prose registers are distinguishable: (1) A rhythmic-verbal style. It shares a number of features with its most important cultural forbear, ancient Semitic epic poetry, known to us from Ugaritic and Akkadian literature. Examples include the Abraham and Jacob narratives in Genesis, the Saul-David cycle in the books of Samuel, and the tales of Elijah and Elisha. These texts are characterized by a high frequency of short clauses conjoined by a simple ‘and,’ a low number of noun groups, especially complex ones, and a low number of subordinate clauses. (2) A complex-nominal style. It is characterized by the frequent use of hypotaxis (subordination, clauses embedded into clauses, etc.) and a high number of noun groups and complex noun groups. Examples include the historiography of 1 Kings 3-16 and 2 Kings 11-25. Similar but distinguishable styles are found in: Chronicles, Ezra-Nehemiah, Esther, and Daniel.[2]

 

A text like Genesis 1 does not neatly fit into the dichotomy just presented. Its rhythmic-verbal propensities shine in verse 27, and a plethora of verbs characterizes the direct discourse contained within it, but the chapter’s frequent use of noun groups and hypotaxis militates in favor of a hybrid classification.

 As already noted, Genesis 1 contains examples of one of two attested direct discourse registers: (3) Formal speech. The divine fiats of Genesis 1 are an example. Similar but distinguishable formal speech styles are found in all the various strata of the Primary History (JE, P, H, D, and Dtr) and in Chronicles, Ezra-Nehemiah, Esther, and Daniel. (4) Colloquial speech, or spontaneous direct discourse. It is mimicked here and there in the Primary History and elsewhere in blocks of narrative prose.

 Finally, about a third of the Hebrew Bible is in (5) Verse. I would distinguish three subvarieties.[3]

 Of the five linguistic registers just mentioned, all but one is high or elevated from a stylistic point of view. The exception is the register of colloquial speech. However, it does not occur on its own in the Hebrew Bible, but comes wrapped, so to speak, in the literary clothes of the narrative in which it is found.

For a printable version of this post, go  here.

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[1] For an introduction to the prosody of ancient Hebrew verse, go here.

[2] For further details about narrative prose styles, see Frank Polak, “Linguistic and Stylistic Aspects of Epic Formulae in Ancient Semitic Poetry and Biblical Narrative,” in Biblical Hebrew in Its Northwest Semitic Setting: Typological and Historical Perspectives (ed. Steven E. Fassberg and Avi Hurvitz; Publication of the Institute for Advanced Studies, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem 1; Winona Lake: Eisenbrauns; Jerusalem: Magnes, 2006) 285-304; 300-301; and bibliographical references there.

[3] For a brief description, go here.