Ancient Hebrew Poetry

In search of prosodic domains in Lamentations 1-5

Here is the paper and the raw data for Lam 1-3 on the basis of which I will make a presentation at the International Meeting of SBL in Rome. The detail, I admit, is overwhelming.

Proverbs 1-9 by the Numbers

I’m off to the International Meeting of SBL in Rome! Here is a pdf of raw data and notes for my presentation there on the prosody of Proverbs 1-9.  Warning: except for the "exegetical notes," this is technical stuff.

Roger Cohen: A Liberal Mugged by Reality

Emanuele Ottolenghi deftly narrates a transformation here. I post this in praise of Cohen, not as a means to discredit him. His story is of a piece with that of many others.  

The Coming of Age of Biblical Blogging

David Stark has some insights. He is hopeful about the future of biblical blogging. So am I. The wind is in the sails of those who blog about the Bible at the intersection of the academy and existential concerns.

Ken Brown’s “Five Books on the Bible” Challenge

In case you missed the most successful meme ever launched among biblical bloggers, go here for a long list of participants; go here for a great summary post. If you have participated, but are not on the list, let Ken know. If you have neglected to participate so far, now would be a good time to get your “five books” in. Here are examples of biblical bloggers I was hoping to hear from:

Scottish Hebrew

The Hebrew vocabulary videos by Dr. David P. Murray available online are a hoot. Like all Scots, Murray mispronounces every word he lays his tongue on. For an American, that is, who grew up on Walter Cronkite’s English and on Hebrew spoken with Israeli tonalities. To an American ear, Murray’s English and Hebrew come across as the linguistic equivalent of Mr. Bean's comic gestuality. 

Murray makes use of tried and true memory hook methods. “My son is the bane of my life.” Get it?  Oh yeah. If you already know Hebrew, you will laugh and laugh at his vocabulary and grammar lessons. In my opinion, a better approach to learning Hebrew is that of Randall Buth and colleagues. Murray himself might concur. In any case, I can’t thank Murray enough for the great laughs his audio/videos engender.

ESV vs. NRSV: Why the appropriate niche of the NRSV is the secular university

Both ESV and NRSV are revisions of RSV, a key link in the chain of the Tyndale-Geneva-KJV translation tradition. The chief difference: ESV is more conservative of the KJV-RSV tradition than is NRSV. ESV’s commitment to traditional diction and interpretive options makes it a better choice as a church Bible, if the intent is to preserve continuity with the Tyndale-Geneva-KJV construct of the Bible and its message. The Tyndale-Geneva-KJV construal of the biblical message is of course specifically Christian, indeed, specifically Protestant. NRSV’s greater commitment to the sense the biblical texts presumably had apart from the meaning they acquired once contextualized in Judaism and Christianity makes it a better choice as a Bible for profane use, as the base text, for example, in an introduction to biblical literature course at a state university.

ESV vs. NRSV: Round Two

Both ESV and NRSV are excellent translations. They often differ only here and there. That’s because each is a revision of RSV, a link in the chain of the Tyndale-Geneva-KJV translation tradition.

Examples of passages in which ESV is to be preferred to NRSV

The English translations of the Hebrew Bible I consult most often are the following, in alphabetical order: Alter (where available), ESV, KJV, NAB, NIV, NJB, NJPSV, NLT, NRSV, REB, and TNIV. I am a supporter of each and every one of these translations. Each has strengths and weaknesses. In my estimation, every one of these translations is to be accepted with gratitude. If you want to pick an argument with me, tell me why NRSV, ESV, TNIV, NLT – pick your poison – is poorly conceived, dangerous, or otherwise too flawed to recommend to others. I will respond that I have issues with each of NRSV, ESV, TNIV, and NLT, but recommend them all.

CD-Host in a comment asks a question: “Let me throw out my regular question for ESV supporters to you. Is there even one verse that the ESV translates more accurately than the NRSV?”

Here is my reply:

Oh Iran, oh bejeweled land!

Do you know the opposition’s song in Iran? The song expresses the innermost thoughts of every Iranian friend I have ever had. I sing it with the opposition today. I trust you will as well.

The government has refused to issue a permit for Saturday’s Sea of Green rally. It may happen anyway. Even if it doesn’t, a pall of death shrouds the ruling regime from this day forward, even if it were to continue imposing itself on a people who reject it for another generation.

Excellent background analysis by David Ignatius here. Perceptive thoughts, as usual, by David Brooks, here. Here is the song: