Saturday, March 28, 2009

Job 6:22-end

For did I say bring to me
or from your strength reward me?
or you help me escape from the hand of trouble
or from the hand of the ruthless you ransom me?

Instruct me and I will be silent(1)
and where I have strayed, make me understand
how grievous are words of uprightness
so what does your reproof prove?

And to reprove speeches - do you count
as wind the words of one who is desperate?
Yea - the orphan you fall on
and you dig for your friend

so humor me and be present to me
for it is in your presence if I lie
Turn - pray - let it not be injustice
turn - my justice is in it
is there on my tongue injustice?
Can my taste not understand calamity?

(1) חרש be silent, hold your tongue, hold your peace, and 'plow' (Job 1:14, 4:8) - same word in Hebrew - not possible to find a connection in English - but the game is afoot with this thread in any case. 'Understand' is also a thread that begins here, 'stray' a frame with a crosspiece in chapter 19.

There are not only threads and larger frames, there are smaller frames as well. I think chapter 6 must be strung together to see them. 'Calamity' and 'words' are the poetic frame in this chapter. Compare 6:1-11 here. I am going to work up a pattern-matcher - duly.

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