Biblical Hebrew and Discourse Linguistics

Twenty-two papers selected from a 1993 Seminar in Dallas, attended by a combination of professional Bible translators, biblical scholars and discourse linguists, are divided into three parts: Grammatical, Syntactical and Accent Studies; Narrative Genre; and Topics Related to Nonnarratives Genres. There is an introductory essay by C.H.J. van der Merwe which will help non-specialists.

The authors are translation personnel and consultants from SIL International and the United Bible Societies, as well as scholars from Denmark, Sweden, Holland, South Africa, Israel, and the United States. Shares interaction of linguists and biblical scholars to provide exciting insights into the understanding of biblical texts.

Table of Contents

Foreward Francis I. Anderson
Preface Robert D. Bergen

Part I: Grammatical, Syntactical, and Accent Studies

1. Discourse Linguistics and Biblical Hebrew Grammar Christo H. J. van der Merwe
2. Weqatal Forms in Biblical Hebrew Prose Robert E. Longacre
3. Salience, Implicature, Ambiguity, and Redundancy in Clause-Clause Relationships in Biblical Hebrew Francis I. Andersen
4. On the Hebrew Verbal System Alviero Niccacci
5. Methodological Collision between Source Criticism and Discourse Analysis Randall Buth
6. A Discourse Perspective on the Significance of the Masoretic Accents Lars Lode

Part II: Narrative Genre

7. Analysis of Biblical Narrative Alviero Niccacci
8. Introducing Direct Discourse in Biblical Hebrew Narrative Cynthia L. Miller
9. Genealogical Prominence and the Structure of Genesis T. David Andersen
10.Some Literary and Grammatical Aspects of Genealogies in Genesis Nicholas Andrew Bailey
11. Is Genesis 27:46 P or J? And How the Answer Affects Translation Hanni Kuhn
12. The Miraculous Grammar of Joshua 3-4 Nicolai Winther-Nielsen
13. Evil Spirits and Eccentric Grammar Robert D. Bergen
14. A Textlinguistic Approach to the Biblical Hebrew Narrative of Jonah Robert E. Longacre and Shin Ja J. Hwang

Part III: Topics Relating to Nonnarrative Genres

15. Functions and Implications of Rhetorical Questions in the Book of Job Lénart J. de Regt
16. Genre Criticism and the Psalms Ernst R. Wendland
17. Genre and Form Criticism in Old Testament Exegesis Bo-Krister Ljungberg
18. Hebrew Proverbs and How to Translate Them Murray Salisbury
19. Units and Flow in the Song of Songs 1:1-2:6 John Callow
20. Some Discourse Functions of Prophetic Quotation Formulas in Jeremiah H. Van Dyke Parunak
21. The Poetic Properties of Prophetic Discourse in the Book of Micah Francis I. Andersen
22. Vision and Oracle in Zechariah 1-6 David J. Clark